Approve three agreements with Trustees of The HLD Trust, totaling $116,550.68, for acquisition of permanent drainage easements and temporary construction easements for the Knights Landing Drainage Infrastructure Improvements Project; and authorize the Director of Public Works to sign the agreements and take the administrative actions necessary to complete acquisition of the easements. (No general fund impact) (Lindbo/Sabatini)

In 2017, Yolo County received a grant from the California Department of Water Resources’ (“DWR”) Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction Program (“SCFRRP”) to complete a feasibility study of structural and non-structural actions that could reduce flood risk to the town of Knights Landing. The County prepared the 2019 Knights Landing Small Community Flood Risk Reduction Feasibility Study as a deliverable for the grant.

In 2020, the County received additional grant funding from DWR as a part of Phase 2 of the SCFRRP to implement the Knights Landing Flood Management Project, which consists of the design, environmental documentation, permitting, real estate, and construction activities required to improve the conditions of the existing State Plan of Flood Control levees that protect Knights Landing, as well as ecosystem restoration and enhancement. When the Knights Landing Flood Management Project is completed, it will reduce or prevent flooding to a population of 995 County residents, approximately 321 structures, and 3,400 acres of prime agricultural land.

The Knights Landing Flood Management Project contains four elements – one of which is the design, permitting, and construction of drainage infrastructure improvements within the town of Knights Landing. This project element is the focus of this staff report.

Project Description
Yolo County, in cooperation with DWR, is proposing to construct drainage facility improvements within the town of Knights Landing. This project is referred to as the Knights Landing Drainage Infrastructure Improvements Project (“Project”).

The Project is designed to incorporate the following features:

An aerial map depicting the locations of these features has been included as Attachment A to the staff report.

Environmental Review
An Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Project was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on May 10, 2022 (Minute Order No. 22-57; Item No. 11).  A Notice of Determination was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder and the State Clearinghouse in compliance with Section 21152 of the Public Resources Code on May 12, 2022 (Document No. 57-05122022-054).  A State Clearinghouse Number of 2022030394 was attributed to the Project.

Real Estate Needs
Staff has identified that permanent drainage easements and temporary construction easements are needed on three parcels owned by Trustees of The HLD Trust (“Property Owners”) – APNs 056-306-002, 056-313-002, 056-322-003.  A property location map has been provided as Attachment B to the staff report. These parcels are tracts of vacant residential land located at the southeast corner of Railroad Street and 4th Street and total approximately 3.14 acres. The necessary easement interests are confined to only a small portion of the parcels, totaling approximately 0.61 acres.

Independent appraisals were prepared for the three properties to determine the value of the easement interests the County must acquire for the Project. In accordance with federal requirements for property acquisition, just compensation was established by the County based on these appraisals. County staff, and its consultant team, worked with the Property Owners to come to a mutually acceptable agreement for purchase of the easements and compensation.

Current Request
At this time, Staff is requesting that the Board of Supervisors approve three agreements with the Property Owners, totaling $116,550.68, for acquisition of permanent drainage easements and temporary construction easements on the subject properties for the Project.

Additionally, Staff is requesting the Board authorize the Director of Public Works to sign the agreements, approve payments, open escrow, accept the easements, and take other actions necessary to complete the acquisition of the easements.

Department staff and its Knights Landing Flood Management Project consultant team, specifically MBK Engineers and Monument Row, Inc., collaborated with the Office of County Counsel and the Property Owners on this item.