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The council authorized Seal Beach staff to apply for a California Coastal Commission grant to develop a local coastal program.
If the CCC gives Seal Beach the $500,000 grant, the money will go to developing a local coastal program.
“Please note that the grant application has already been submitted due to the potentially limited timeframe that the funding will remain available, with Coastal Commission staff understanding that the action of Council approval would be considered at the July 22, 2024 meeting,” according to the staff report.
The council also authorized a budget amendment increasing costs and revenues in equal amounts to $500,000.
As previously reported (and to oversimplify), a local coastal program transfers some of the Coastal Commission’s authority to a local government. CCC approval is required to get an local coastal program.
This was a Consent Calendar item. Consent items are approved collectively, without discussion, unless pulled for individual consideration. Nothing was pulled from this week’s Consent Calendar.
Background
“On October 23, 2023, the City Council approved Resolution 7459, granting the City Manager the authority to submit a comprehensive grant application package seeking $125,800 from the California Coastal Commission to support the Seal Beach LCP initiatives,” according to the staff report prepared by Management Analyst Megan Coats.
“That application was submitted, however, staff was advised to wait until Coastal Commission staff could review the submitted draft Land Use Plan, which is one of the two major components of a LCP before the grant could be finalized,” Coats wrote.
“However, on June 5, 2024, the California Coastal Commission reinstated grant funding for projects totaling under one million dollars, which presented Seal Beach with the opportunity to resubmit the application to secure funding for the LCP certification efforts. The revised grant application now seeks $500,000 to facilitate the completion of the certified LCP, a significant increase from the original request of $125,800, upon the advice of Coastal Commission staff,” Coats wrote.
“This updated amount accounts for additional rounds of review and coordination between the City, California Coastal Commission, the City’s consultant, Michael Baker International, as well as expanded outreach efforts and the production of supplementary work products and deliverables aimed at enhancing the LCP,” Coats wrote.
“Staff would expect to bring a contract amendment to the City Council for the expanded scope of work for Michael Baker International subsequent to a grant award,” Coats wrote.
“In the event that the City is awarded a grant from the California Coastal Commission, the Resolution authorizes the City Manager to sign a contract agreement accepting funding from the California Coastal Commission,” Coats wrote.
