Title
Consider/Discuss/Act on a Resolution Authorizing a Memorandum of Agreement with North Texas Municipal Water District for the Construction and Operation of Three Demonstration Rain Gardens
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Enhance the Quality of Life in McKinney
(5E: Develop sustainable quality of life improvements within the City of McKinney)
MEETING DATE: February 18, 2020
DEPARTMENT: Development Services / Engineering
CONTACT: Amesha Morris, Stormwater Administrator
Michael Hebert, PE, Assistant Director of Engineering
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Approval of the Resolution
ITEM SUMMARY:
• The attached Resolution authorizes the City Manager to enter into an agreement with North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) to construct demonstration rain gardens at three locations using grant funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
• NTMWD has secured over $280,000 in grant funding and desires to work with the City of McKinney to construct the rain gardens. The proposed memorandum of agreement between McKinney and NTMWD is attached herewith
• NTMWD will partner with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension to design the facilities. A booklet describing rain gardens completed by Agrilife Extension is attached herewith.
• The City of McKinney will not participate in the cost of construction, but will maintain the rain gardens with minimal cost impacts since upkeep and monitoring will occur as part of routine maintenance activities already in place at and around each of the three locations
• Other City obligations include:
o Providing a total of approximately 3,600 square feet of space at three locations
§ Locations are Bonnie Wenk Park (1,600 sf), near the McKinney Development Services building (1,000 sf), and McKinney Senior Center (1,000 sf). These locations are shown on the attached exhibits
o Review and approve the design of the rain gardens
o Allow signage explaining the project, but the grant pays for signage installation costs
o Inspect the rain gardens and report field conditions to NTMWD
o The land and the rain gardens will remain under city ownership
• NTMWD obligations include:
o Manage the TCEQ grant and provide updates to TCEQ
o Design the project
o Authorize and supervise construction of the improvements
• McKinney does not need to sign any TCEQ grant documents in order to proceed with the project
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• Staff has coordinated the project locations with NTMWD. Staff representatives from Engineering, Public Works and Parks and the city arborist were involved in the discussions
• A rain garden, sometimes called a bioretention area, consists of native vegetation that are planted in a manner to capture, infiltrate and filter storm water runoff from impervious surfaces before it enters McKinney’s waterways. The rain garden reduces the amount of pollutants that may enter a waterway
• Sites were selected for:
o Effectiveness of the rain gardens to capture pollutants and slow the flow of storm water
o Visibility
o Possibility for public education about the benefits of rain gardens
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
• McKinney has no financial obligation other than routine maintenance of the garden areas
• The TCEQ grant is for 100% of the project design and construction costs
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• N/A