New local sea‑level‑rise maps prompt Santa Barbara committee to send funding/resolution to council

City adaptation staff told the Sustainability & Resilience Committee that newly developed local hazard models show coastal flooding and erosion arriving sooner than prior statewide models indicated, prompting committee members to ask staff to prepare a resolution for City Council that would prioritize funding for monitoring and resilience measures.

"We are seeing significant erosion at East Beach, almost 5 feet a year," Melissa Hedrick, the city’s adaptation and resilience manager, said during a map briefing showing tidal inundation and storm scenarios. Hedrick said staff created a local model using USGS inputs and additional local data because regional models (she referred to 'Cosmos') left the harbor and West Beach area blank or used less‑accurate shoreline starting points.

Hedrick walked committee members through maps showing tidal inundation (regular high tide stripes), a 1‑year storm footprint and progressively larger impacts at 0.8 feet (around 2050), 1.6 feet, 2.5 feet (near Highway 101) and 3.3 feet (crossing Highway 101 in extreme storms). She emphasized the results were "without any intervention," and that the city is evaluating backstop flood control measures as part of a 30‑year waterfront adaptation plan.

On wastewater vulnerability, Hedrick said increased rainfall intensity is driving stormwater into sewer systems, producing flow spikes at the El Estero Water Resource Center (facility name normalized from testimony). That in turn increases the chance of sanitary sewer overflows and creates risks from saltwater intrusion that can incapacitate the freshwater microbial processes the plant uses — a failure that can take weeks to recover. Hedrick said the wastewater and water systems adaptation plan will be released at the Dec. 9 City Council meeting, open for 60 days of public comment, and is expected to return to Council for consideration in April–May.

Staff outlined near‑ and longer‑term recommendations including aggressively sealing manholes and lining pipes in flood‑prone areas, pursuing inflow and infiltration projects, and phasing conversion from gravity systems to low‑pressure systems over decades (private connections would need conversion before mains). Hedrick said relocating or protecting El Estero is a multi‑decadal decision likely to be addressed around the end of the century, and any site selection would be part of a regional discussion among wastewater agencies.

Committee members and staff also discussed Laguna Channel capacity, sediment removal efforts, pump and tide‑gate rehabilitation, and a planned 10‑year maintenance plan; staff noted permitting complexity with multiple agencies constrains immediate large‑scale work. The committee highlighted a proposed Lower Sycamore Creek project (widening and restoration) with planning support from Measure B and a recommended $2,000,000 Coastal Conservancy grant to be considered in February.

Several committee members connected funding gaps discussed in the adaptation briefing to public comments urging the city to support AB 1243, the "polluters pay" proposal. After discussion, a member moved that staff be directed to bring a resolution to City Council related to funding for monitoring and adaptation and to consider supporting the polluters‑pay proposal; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Chair Megan Harmon said there were no objections and the motion "passes" to move the recommendation to the full council.

Next steps: the wastewater and water systems plan will be released at the Dec. 9 council meeting and open for public comment for 60 days; staff will return to the committee and then to Council with detailed plans, and will prepare the requested resolution for Council consideration.