Bellflower council conditions Sims Park stormwater project on pending grant awards

The Bellflower City Council on March 9 directed the city manager to proceed with the Sims Park stormwater capture project and solicit construction bids, conditioned on approval of pending grant applications, after city staff outlined a roughly $8.9 million funding gap.

City staff told the council the Sims Park system would treat as much as 84,000,000 gallons of stormwater annually and place renovated athletic fields and site amenities on top of subsurface stormwater capture chambers. Staff said the work is intended to improve water quality and add park amenities while reusing existing park acreage.

Mr. Gorecki, the city’s project lead on the item, summarized the funding status: WASC (the Regional Watershed Area Steering Committee) previously approved about $13 million for the project, and the city has set aside local match funds — $400,000 in municipal/Measure M funds, $500,000 from Measure A and $2,000,000 in a Bellflower Public Project Fund — for roughly $16.5 million currently available. He said a 100% design produced a construction estimate “a little over $25,000,000,” leaving a net shortfall of about $8,900,000.

“To close that gap we submitted a project modification request to WASC for $8.9 million and a $4 million grant request to the LA County Regional Park and Open Space District,” Mr. Gorecki said, adding staff expected decisions on both applications within weeks.

Council members asked technical questions about the design and operations, citing prior problems with another local project. Mr. Gorecki pointed to differences in access and maintenance: unlike the earlier system, Sims Park would include multiple access points and an 8-by-8 equipment elevator to allow cleaning of chamber gravel packs and routine maintenance. He estimated ongoing maintenance for systems of this type at about $150,000 a year.

Mayor Pro Tem Sanchez moved to direct the city manager, conditioned on approval of the pending funding applications, to move forward with the stormwater capture project and release an RFP for bids; the motion required staff to return to council if awards were not granted. The motion passed on a roll call vote (aye: Council member Dutton, Council member Morse, Mayor Pro Tem Sanchez, Mayor Sunny R. Santinez; Council member Coops had recused himself on this item).

If both grants are approved, staff told the council they would release the RFP in May 2026, aim to return with an award in August 2026, mobilize construction in November 2026 and target project completion in late 2028. If the grants are denied, staff outlined alternatives including using local funds to complete the project, canceling the stormwater portion and creating a new CIP to build sports fields, or returning WASC allocations for reallocation to other projects.

The council’s conditional direction preserves the city’s place in the WASC queue while avoiding immediate local budget commitments until outside funding is secured.