Priority F: Support Public Health and Public Safety for Our Community

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic that drastically altered our worldview, the critical need for safe, clean water supplies and essential water infrastructure, particularly during emergencies, has come into sharper focus. This newly proposed priority pulls together multi-benefit projects that were previously placed under other priorities in the 2012 Safe, Clean Water Program and groups them based on their common benefit of supporting public health and public safety along our waterways and critical infrastructure.

This priority includes enhanced funding to support public safety by partnering with local municipalities on services related to encampment cleanups; reducing trash and other pollutants from entering waterways from encampments to support public health; and ongoing vegetation control and sediment removal activities to maintain conveyance capacity of flood protection projects. It also provides additional funding for grants and partnerships for local agencies, organizations and individuals for water conservation, pollution prevention, creek cleanups and education, wildlife habitat and access to trails and open space.

Additionally, it includes two new efforts: a project to fund public art to beautify Valley Water property and infrastructure to deter graffiti and litter; and a long-term effort to ensure that existing flood protection infrastructure continues to function sustainably for continued public safety. Other projects include vegetation management for access and fire safety, removing flood-inducing blockages and improving coordination and communication in flood emergencies.