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Council approves NOAA-funded coastal resilience projects, staff warned federal disbursement pause may affect timing
Summary
Council approved subaward acceptance and project design work tied to a NOAA Climate Resilience grant of nearly $8 million; staff noted a recent presidential memorandum may pause federal disbursements temporarily but said project work should continue.
The City Council unanimously approved acceptance of a subaward tied to the NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge during its Jan. 28 meeting, allowing the city to proceed with design and pilot work for nature‑based coastal resilience projects in Main Beach, Jesse Street Marsh and San Lorenzo Park.
Dr. Jesse Troller Ojeda, the city’s incoming climate resilient grant manager with the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, told the council the award would provide “nearly $8,000,000 in federal funds to help adapt to a changing climate,” and urged the council to adopt the contract. Dr. Ojeda also said NOAA had instructed grant recipients that a White House memorandum issued the previous night should not be treated as a stop‑work order; recipients were told to continue project operations even though some disbursements may be temporarily paused.
Amy Jenkins, the city’s state lobbyist, and federal lobbyist Chris Giglio briefed councilmembers earlier in the meeting about federal developments. Giglio described the White House memorandum as a temporary review of federal grants and loans; he advised continuing engagement with congressional and agency contacts so that project awards under review are tracked and advocacy can proceed if disbursement delays occur.
The council’s approval authorizes city staff to proceed with the subaward and the associated design work. The agenda report described the grant as funding living shoreline design, habitat enhancement in Jesse Street Marsh, and flood‑mitigation improvements in San Lorenzo Park. The motion passed 7–0.
Staff warned that, while project work and contract execution were expected to proceed, actual federal fund disbursement timing could change if a longer pause or legal challenges to the White House guidance are sustained. The city will continue coordinating with NOAA program managers and congressional offices to monitor the award status and disbursement schedule.
