HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-18-2015 Item 7 - MarsalekCOUNCIL MEETING:--
ITEM NO.: 7
From: Cori Marsalek[mailto:cori.marsalek@gmail.com]
AUG 18 205
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 1:03 PM
To: E-mail Council website SLO CITY CLERK
Cc: Marx, Jan; Ashbaugh, John; Carpenter, Dan; Christianson, Carlyn; Rivoire, Dan
Subject: Comment on Consent Agenda Item 7
Good Afternoon,
On tonight's agenda is an item to authorize the City to move forward with an RFP to hire a
consultant for the dredging of Laguna Lake. Unfortunately I am unable to attend tonight's City
Council meeting but I would like this e-mail to serve as my public comment.
The City has missed a golden opportunity to remove the build out at the bottom of Laguna Lake
for two straight summers. The lake is dry! Why spend all this money to hire a consultant. The
City should be spending this money to apply for emergency permits from CDFW, US Army
Corps, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The City of Atascadero did this last year,
why isn't the City of SLO working on this now.
One of the tasks the consultant will be asked to do is "Provide an excavation alternative design
and estimated costs for a project that assumes dry lakebed conditions". The lake is dry! We
should be awarding a construction contract right now, not going out with an RFP.
Another item the consultant will be doing is to "Provide a biological survey that details the
existing aquatic species of the lake that may be affected by a dredging / excavation project."
Once again the lake is dry. The fish are either died or moved out. The biological impacts to
aquatic species will be significant if the City waits to "dredge" the lake rather than to get in now
and simply excavate. The costs associated with the increased level of environmental
documentation will be substantial.
As resident of San Luis Obispo I feel the City should have acted more proactively to get this
project started this summer and I am afraid it is too little too late. It the project moves forward
as proposed the City will have missed a great opportunity. Hopefully the residents near Laguna
Lake will not experience flooding with the prediction of a major EI Nino this winter due to the
City's inability to act.
Thank you,
Cori Marsalek