S2S_Annual_Report_FY_24.pdf

Annual Report

FY 23|24

November 2024

Storm to Shade Program 2023-2024 Annual Report

City of Tucson Regina Romero, Mayor Tim Thomure, P.E., City Manager

City Council Members Lane Santa Cruz, Ward One Paul Cunningham, Ward Two Kevin Dahl, Ward Three Nikki Lee, Ward Four Richard Fimbres, Ward Five Karen Uhlich, Ward Six

Prepared by Blue Baldwin, Storm to Shade Program Manager James MacAdam, Conservation and Stormwater Resources Administrator Jon Choi, Project Manager Brooke Bushman, Maintenance Program Manager Xochitl Coronado-Vargas, Public Outreach Coordinator

Acknowledgements Immense gratitude to Conservation and Stormwater Resources Division staff, Tucson Water staff and leadership, departmental partners throughout the City of Tucson, and local non-profit partners and contractors for their vision and on-the-ground support making this work a reality. Special thanks the Storm to Shade team, whose creativity, expertise, and all-around excellence are second to none.

Table of Contents Introduction

Program Status

Construction Program

Partnering with Pima County

Maintenance Program

Public Outreach

Looking Forward

Above: Iron Horse Park GSI installation under construction Cover (left to right): GSI maintenance crew , Flores St. chicane during rain, El Rio raingarden

Introduction

Storm to Shade (S2S) is the City of Tucson’s green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) program, which builds and maintains GSI in the City of Tucson. GSI is defined as landscape features that capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff from impermeable surfaces to support native vegetation. GSI provides a multitude of benefits, including cooling the urban environment; improving soil, air, and water quality; and beautifying communities through the addition of green space. S2S is part of the City of Tucson’s comprehensive response to the Climate Emergency declared in 2020 and ongoing drought as a low-cost, sustainable, and effective means of cooling the urban environment while conserving potable and reclaimed water resources.

S2S launched as a pilot program in January 2021 and was made permanent by Mayor and Council in June 2023. The program is funded by a fee of $0.13 cents per Ccf (centum cubic feet, 748 gallons) of water consumed by residential and commercial Tucson Water customers in the City of Tucson.

To date, S2S has completed the construction of six new GSI projects and initiated design on 24 more, implemented a comprehensive asset management system that orders and tracks maintenance activities to 790 city-owned GSI assets, developed an outreach program that invites community input into new projects and provides education and information about GSI to the public, and centered equity as a primary driver for investment in both new GSI projects and maintenance activities.

In achieving these milestones, S2S opened new lines of communication between City departments that increased interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration; developed and delivered leading edge trainings on best practices for landscape maintenance to City staff and landscape contractors; elevated awareness of the urban landscape as a critical component of City infrastructure; forged novel partnerships with Pima County Regional Flood Control District and public school districts; and helped bring challenging conversations around historic inequities to the fore.

This report describes S2S Program activities and expenditures for FY23 and FY24, overlapping slightly with the Storm to Shade Pilot Program report published September ‘22.

Iron horse Park sidewalk scupper and basin

Program Status Program Budget S2S began accumulating funds in May 2020. At $0.13 cents per Ccf of water consumed, the average household pays approximately $0.91/month toward the program.

Fiscal Year Approved Budget

FY 2021

Expenditures

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024

Revenues

FY 20

FY 21

FY 22

FY 23

FY 24

Commodities

Personnel

Services

Grand Total

Fund Balance as of June 30,2024 $9,522,576

$2,718,780

$3,047,590

$3,394,040

*$11,473,736

$116,333

$71,707

$188,039

$188,039

$656,342

$1,449,519

$2,961,268

$8,447

$440,833

$197,392

$656,342

$6,955

$469,508

$973,056

$1,449,519

$20,457

$611,169

$2,329,642

$2,961,268

$631,681

$3,640,411

$3,462,654

$3,316,905

$3,826.977

El Rio Neighborhood Center GSI landscape retrofit

Table 1: Fiscal year budget & fund balance

Table 2: : Expenditures to date by category (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2024)

*FY24 budget was made higher to allow for potential large expenditures of fund balance.

Construction Program Building new GSI throughout the six wards of the City of Tucson is one of Storm to Shade’s primary mandates. S2S developed a process for identifying potential projects as well as an accompanying set of selection criteria.

Project Identification and Selection Process

Use Tree Equity Score (TES) rankings to prioritize projects with upper/moderate to high priority rankings for investment in GSI. Tree Equity Score is a composite of tree canopy, climate, demographic, and socioeconomic data developed by American Forests.

To leverage funds and coordinate outreach efforts, identify GSI opportunities within City investment projects including Proposition 407 Parks & Connections Bond and Proposition 101 Tucson Delivers Better Streets, Regional Transportation Authority Projects, and Pima County Regional Flood Control District projects.

Identify smaller retrofit opportunities to save costs, accelerate delivery of projects, and complement larger projects.

1.

2.

3.

El Rio Neighborhood Center landscape construction - GSI basin layout after concrete demolition

GSI Construction Projects Snapshot S2S has a total of 32 projects in design, construction, or complete as of the end of fiscal year 2024.

Projects range in size and scale, as well as location. All sites are located on public property including city streets, parks and neighborhood centers, washes, Tucson Water Well sites, City-owned remnant properties and public rights-of-way. Table 3 and Map 1 provide a overview and location for each active project.

Ward Project Description Trees *Partner **TES Status

1,5

4,5,6

5,6

Challenger Middle School ROW

El Rio Neighborhood Center

Mission Manor Parking Lot

Holladay Traffic Triangle

Palo Verde Park Wellsite C-025

Palo Verde Park Langley Parcel

Pantano Park ROW

Jesse Owens Park

Ward 2 Office

Blacklidge Bike Boulevard

9th Ave Bike Boulevard

11th & Flores Road closure

Linden St GSI

Wildcat Inn

Mansfield Park

Lower Lincoln Park

Lakeside Park

Dietz right-of-way

Aviation Greenway

CSM Gunny Barreras Park

El Paso & SW Greenway

Rudy Garcia Parking Lot

Bilby Road Complete St

Iron Horse Park

Broadway Randolph

Arroyo Chico Greenway

5th 6th Pedestrian Safety

Stone Ave Cycle Track

Burns Park

S 12th Ave GSI retrofit

Andrew St Bike Boulevard

18th & Main Intersection

GSI walking path

GSI landscape retrofit

GSI parking lot medians

GSI intersection reduction

GSI raingarden

GSI community park

GSI right of Way

GSI landscape enhancements

GSI retrofit/turf reduction

GSI chicanes/bike boulevard

GSI along bike boulevard

GSI pocket park/road closure

GSI curb extensions

GSI landscape/playground

GSI parking lot renovation

GSI raingarden/swale

GSI raingarden/swale

GSI walking path

GSI landscape retrofit

GSI raingardens/swale

GSI raingardens/swales

GSI parking lot renovation

GSI right of way

GSI landscape/basins

GSI walking path/basins

GSI landscape/basins

GSI landscape retrofit

GSI protected bike lanes

GSI landscape/basins

GSI bike lane buffer retrofit

GSI along bike boulevard

GSI curb extensions

TBD

TBD

TBD

TBD

N/A

P&R

P&R

W1

N/A

N/A

N/A

P&R

W2

DTM

DTM

N/A

N/A

HCD

N/A

P&R

N/A

N/A

P&R

P&R

DTM

N/A

DTM

P&R

TW

DTM

DTM

DTM

N/A

N/A

DTM

DTM

69.21 UM

64.24 UM

60.74 UM

60.74 UM

78.53 UM

78.53 UM

76.38 UM

83.64 LM

91.63 LP

UM - L

56.11 HP

56.11 HP

72.41 UM

50.85 HP

72.41 UM

72.08 UM

80.87 LM

80.74 LM

77.13 UM

47.49 HP

68.73 UM

71.23 UM

47.49 HP

92.74 LP

66.21 UM

100 LM

100 LM

66.86 UM

57.54 HP

71.23 UM

UM-HP

LM-UM

Design

Complete

Design

Complete

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Complete

Design

Design

Design

Complete

Design

Design

Complete

Complete

Design

Design

Design

Complete

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Design

Table 3: Storm to Shade Construction Projects

*Partners - Parks and Recreation Department (P&R), Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM), Housing and Community Development (HCD) **TES – Tree Equity Score (HP – High Priority, UM – Upper Moderate Priority, LM – Low Moderate Priority, LP – Low Priority)

GSI Projects Metrics Project metrics are tracked to improve project value, quality, longevity, and maximize ecosystem services and benefits to the community.

• Total sf of newly constructed GSI – 225,000 sf

• Average cost per square foot (includes design + construction costs) - $9.36 per sf

• Total gallons stormwater harvesting capacity (completed projects) – 668,882 gal

• Number of trees added – 424

• Total square footage of pavement/concrete removed – 7,200 sf

Map 1: Construction projects distribution - View map at https://climateaction.tucsonaz.gov/pages/gsi

Project Example: Iron Horse Park S2S funded the addition of a series of curb openings and three large GSI basins on the north side of Iron Horse Park. The project was built in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department and coordinated with planned Prop 407 improvements that included new walking paths, a dog park, and perimeter wall treatments. Stormwater runoff captured from nearby streets supports existing trees and 16 new native shade trees and dozens of native shrubs. A walking path and seating areas adjacent to the GSI basins further activates this previously underutilized section of the park.

Project Cost: $157,077 Ward/Neighborhood: Ward 6/Iron Horse Neighborhood Water Harvesting Capacity: 39,540 gallons Size: 20,000 sf Trees planted: 16 Completed: December 2023

Project Example: 11th & Flores GSI Road Closure

Project Cost: $497,958 Ward/Neighborhood: W3/Bronx Park Neighborhood Water Harvesting Capacity: 63,748 gallons Size: 5,000 sf Trees planted: 50 Completed: June 2024

In an effort to mitigate high levels of criminal activity in the surrounding neighborhood, the intersection of N. 11th Ave and W. Flores St was closed to through traffic. In collaboration with Ward 3, S2S installed GSI curb extensions and chicanes along W. Flores St. These features add 50 trees, hundreds of native shrubs and succulents as well as grasses and wildflowers. With time, rain, and proper care, these features will add tree canopy and habitat while calming traffic and capitalizing on stormwater runoff for landscape irrigation.

Partnering with Pima County In January 2022, the City of Tucson and Pima County Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) executed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) addressing the construction and maintenance of GSI inside the City. The IGA specifies a framework for collaboratively leveraging County and City resources and programs to “maximize the number, size and performance of GSI projects on City- or District-owned property within the City, large enough to reduce flooding risk or pollutant loads at tributary watercourse confluences...”

This novel collaboration facilitated the construction of three new GSI stormwater parks over FY23 and FY24, bringing the total number of collaboratively managed projects to five (including two constructed prior to the execution of the IGA). Pima County RFCD provides funding, design, and construction management of projects with input from S2S. Upon project completion S2S assumes responsibility for the maintenance of vegetation to ensure projects are providing maximum GSI benefits including shade, cooling, habitat, and green space.

Project Project Area Construction Cost

Cherry Ave Park Basin

El Vado Stormwater Park

Sunland Vista Wash

Pima County Total Expenditure

17,150 SF

136,269 SF

151,657 SF

$302,075

$1,093,055

$789,733

$2,184,863

Sunland Vista Wash - Pima County Regional Flood Control District installation

Maintenance Program In FY23 and FY24, Storm to Shade stood up a fully functioning GSI Asset Management & Maintenance Program. The overarching goal of the program is to maintain the City’s GSI assets as formal infrastructure—that is, to manage them to maximize functionality of GSI stormwater features and vegetation to provide public benefits, from cleaning air and water to improving residents’ health and quality of life. S2S achieved the following key milestones in this period:

Collaborated with University of Arizona researchers and professional staff, City and other government staff, landscape contractors, nonprofits, and other GSI practitioners to establish a comprehensive set of GSI maintenance standards. S2S published these standards in an illustrated guide in August 2022 in English and Spanish. These are included in S2S maintenance contracts, used for training, and offered to the public in print and on the City’s website.

Identified, inventoried, and assessed the functionality of 790 working City-owned GSI assets, most of which were built prior to the establishment of the program and were not being maintained.

Built a comprehensive enterprise asset management (EAM) system used to plan, execute, and track all maintenance activities and their associated priority, skills required, and costs. EAM streamlines the process of issuing work to maintenance contractors by automating regularly scheduled preventive maintenance, tracking work performed, and flagging follow-up work needed. Work is logged by contractors via a mobile app and cost information is entered at time of invoicing, creating a valuable database for future maintenance cost forecasting.

Significantly increased maintenance expenditures in Wards with low TES, demonstrating the effectiveness of S2S’ equity-based construction investments and the results of the City- RFCD partnership that enabled new projects to be constructed in historically disinvested neighborhoods.

Contractor inventorying GSI asset

S2S GSI Asset Inventory ~790 GSI assets with different GSI types displayed by colored dots

GSI crew completing Smartscape training

Hired, trained, and deployed a group of six GSI contractors to conduct specialized GSI maintenance. The contractors include nonprofits and private firms, who act as partners that help S2S achieve multiple goals while conducting GSI maintenance. These goals include building a workforce that can expand and sustain the community’s GSI and urban forest over time, and helping create a pathway for skilled and well-paid jobs in the green industry. The contracts provide predictable, scalable work that helps small landscape contractors build capacity. Two of the contracted nonprofits provide paid workforce training for youth. The contract also provides specialized GSI training to build knowledge and skills in the industry to support GSI over the long-term.

Established formal agreements with the City’s Departments of Parks & Recreation and Transportation & Mobility, as well as Pima County Regional Flood Control District. These agreements, which are regularly reviewed and updated, specify roles, responsibilities, and processes for communicating and ordering work on GSI assets in parks and streets.

Leveraged Tucson Water’s existing partnership with Pima County Cooperative Extension’s Smartscape program to conduct professional GSI training. S2S staff worked with Smartscape to offer an advanced GSI maintenance course to City staff, contractors, and the public.

o FY23 - 37 COT Parks & Recreation groundskeeping staff trained on GSI Mx protocol o FY24 - 16 COT staff and GSI contractors completed Smartscape GSI Mx Advanced course

Maintenance Metrics, July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024

• In FY23, S2S maintenance contractors completed 687 visits at ~430 assets

• In FY24, S2S maintenance contractors completed 2,014 visits at ~510 assets

• Total square footage of GSI maintained ~ 1.5 million sf

• Average maintenance cost per square foot ~ $0.20

Fiscal Year

Ward

COT GSI COT/County GSI

FY 2023

*Other Expenses

FY 2024

Total

% Increase

FY 23

FY 24

$231,405 (89%)

$379,499 (82%)

$8,951 (3%)

$48,018 (10%)

$25,933

$2,135

$72,540

$6,653

$15,822

$119,665

$19,844 (8%)

$35,429 (8%)

$57,965*

$0

$114,732

$24,191

$50,588*

$140,565

$260,200

$462,946

55%

0%

37%

72%

69%

15%

Table 4: Total fiscal year maintenance program expenditures

Table 5: Total maintenance expenditures by City Ward

* Other maintenance expenses include contractor EAM trainings, facilitation, establishment phase irrigation, S2S native seed mix, and GSI asset inventories.

*Ward 1 increase reflects addition of El Vado Stormwater Park; Ward 5 increase reflects addition of Sunland Vista Wash.

Total Maintenance Program Expenditures GSI maintenance at the Ward 3 Council Office

Public Outreach

Outreach for New Projects The Storm to Shade Public Outreach Program proactively engages with residents and businesses in proximity to proposed GSI project sites in advance of project design to both inform the community and understand community concerns and priorities. S2S frequently piggy-backs on outreach activities with the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Department of Transportation & Mobility, and the Department of Housing & Community Development when opportunities to add GSI to existing City improvement projects are identified. As of June 2024 S2S collaborated with these City departments to add GSI at 15 City improvement projects.

Outreach typically consists of hosting community events that residents and businesses in proximity to a new project are invited to attend. To attract maximum participation, events are often held in the evening or on weekends and include family friendly activities like free bicycle repair services, games or movies, and food. Information about planned improvement projects is presented in a variety of ways and comments from community members can be submitted in various forms (verbal, written).

All input is collected and recorded and modifications based on community input are made where feasible.

Storm to Shade also initiates new GSI projects independent of other departments’ improvement projects. Outreach strategies for these projects vary depending on the location of the project and stakeholder groups involved. Often, S2S partners with Ward offices to invite residents and business owners to attend in-person meetings to learn about the project and provide comments during the early design phase. Upon completion of a project, a celebration or ribbon-cutting event is offered.

S2S Outreach Coordinator at a community event

Public Facing Resources S2S maintains a GIS-based project dashboard on its website that displays new projects categorized by status, from identification through completion. This dashboard provides descriptions and before and after photos.

S2S maintains a dynamic social media presence with regularly scheduled posts on Instagram and Facebook that provide updates, education, inspiration, and awareness about green stormwater infrastructure and related activities in Tucson. Posts are published in both English and Spanish to reach a broad audience. Public engagement with these accounts is high relative to other City-sponsored social media platforms and followers tend to express excitement and support for the content.

Outreach for Maintenance S2S has established relationships and rapport with multiple communities throughout Tucson where the program is building new projects and maintaining existing GSI. S2S is often contacted directly by residents when issues with maintenance arise and plans for mitigation are communicated back to residents and businesses within the site’s proximity.

S2S Project Dashboard on the City of Tucson’s Climate Action Hub

Unauthorized landscape work conducted on City-owned assets is an ongoing issue that often damages or kills trees and other plants. In cases of unauthorized work being performed on S2S-maintained assets, the surrounding community is informed that these assets are public property maintained by S2S. S2S added curb medallions and signage to all S2S-maintained GSI sites throughout the city that include a phone number and/or QR code for more information.

Storm to Shade regularly attends community events hosted by Housing & Community Development when those events are held within neighborhoods where S2S has planned GSI projects. This is prioritized within designated Thrive zones where S2S investement in those areas can be counted as a matching fund to Choice Neighborhood Grants awarded to HCD. Storm to Shade’s collaboration with the Pima County Regional Flood Control District has warranted combined outreach efforts to community when PCRFCD plans to build flood control infrastructure that S2S will maintain. S2S is occasionally asked to provide content to be added to newsletters of collaborating nonprofits, the University of Arizona, other City departments, and Ward offices.

S2S curb medallion

“S2S Mx Signage Placement Rules” specify placement for signs and medallions in various GSI settings.

Looking Forward In FY25, S2S is focused on the following efforts:

• Construct an estimated 24 new GSI projects currently in design phase.

• Facilitate construction project delivery by bringing on project management support staff and seeking project opportunities independent of existing City improvement projects.

• Seek federal, state, and private funding to leverage S2S investments in new GSI projects.

• Support City departments and landscape maintenance contractors in building capacity through training and collaborative project management in GSI maintenance and construction.

• Collaborate with City departments to improve integration of stormwater management policies including streamlining administration of the Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance and proposed Low Impact Development Ordinance.

• Collaborate with Department of Transportation & Mobility stormwater managers to implement GSI to comply with the City’s Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer (MS4) clean water permit.

• Incorporate 125 GSI assets presently in establishment into S2S Maintenance Program.

• Develop a financial forecasting tool to better understand what level of construction and maintenance activities the current GSI fee is able to support moving forward.

• Collaborate with TW leadership, Mayor and Council, and the Office of Equity to move away from equal distribution of GSI funds across City wards and the Mayor’s Office and centering Tree Equity as the primary driver for investment in new GSI.

Blenman Elm GSI Pocket Park