TO: TARA SCHULTZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: JUNE 25, 2019
Reviewed by:
City Manager: TS
Finance Director: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
AWARD OF CONTRACT TO COLBERT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP FOR NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) AND MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM (MS4) COMPLIANCE SERVICES
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SUMMARY
In the past six years, the City has entered into five consecutive one-year professional services agreements with Colbert Environmental Group to provide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) compliance consultant services to the City of Claremont. These services included assisting the City in facilitating the preparation of the Watershed Management Plan (WMP) and Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Plan (CIMP), along with the review of developer-submitted Stormwater Management Plans, Low Impact Development documents, commercial and industrial inspections and general permit compliance activities.
The current 2018-19 professional services agreement is set to expire June 30, 2019. In order to ensure continued compliance services provided by Colbert Environmental Group, a new agreement (Attached) needs to be approved.
The new agreement scope of work includes continuing to provide the following compliance services and activities:
a) Implementation the WMP and CIMP programs.
b) Implementation of the Middle Santa Ana River Bacteria compliance activities.
c) Conduction of industrial and commercial facility inspections.
d) Review of Stormwater Management Plans, Low Impact Development Documents, Single Family and multi-family development MS4 compliance documents.
e) Preparation the City’s annual report documents for the Los Angeles and Santa Ana River municipal stormwater permits.
f) Implementation of the City’s Comprehensive Bacteria Reduction Plan for compliance with the Middle Santa Ana River permit.
g) Facilitate the MS4 construction and inspection program.
h) Staff training in MS4 Permit Compliance.
The new contract will be in an amount not to exceed $83,751. Funding is available in the 2019-20 operating budget as part of the allocation by the City Council for MS4 Permit compliance activities.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a one-year agreement, and allow for up to four additional one-year extensions, with Colbert Environmental Group for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit compliance services in the amount of $83,751 per year.
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information from staff.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The cost of services to be provided under the proposed agreement with Colbert Environmental Group is $83,751. Funding for this contract is included in the Engineering Division’s 2019-20 operating budget.
The contract with Colbert Environmental Group represents a portion of the City’s financial obligation towards MS4 permit compliance activities. In addition to this agreement, the City, as part of the East San Gabriel Valley Watershed Management Group (ESGVWMG), continues to contract with Stantec for the monitoring activities required by the CIMP, with a cost to the City of approximately $92,000 for 2018-19.
The City is additionally obligated to make annual payments of approximately $37,000 in State Water Resources Control Board fees and the Santa Ana River Watershed Permit fees.
The costs associated with the preparation of this report are estimated at $553 and are included in the operating budget of the Community Development Department.
ANALYSIS
At the July 24, 2018 meeting, the City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a contract with Colbert Environmental Group to continue to assist with the management of NPDES and MS4 Permit compliance activities. This agreement called for a one-year term, with no provisions for extensions, and therefore, a new agreement needs to be approved to continue the consultant services.
Colbert Environmental Group has been a valued asset in assisting the City with the required permit and compliance activities. In addition to the WMP and CIMP document revision oversight, the consultant has provided the following services:
a) Implementation the WMP and CIMP programs.
b) Implementation of the Middle Santa Ana River Bacteria compliance activities.
c) Conduction of industrial and commercial facility inspections.
d) Review of Stormwater Management Plans, Low Impact Development Documents, Single Family and multi-family development MS4 compliance documents.
e) Preparation the City’s annual report documents for the Los Angeles and Santa Ana River municipal stormwater permits.
f) Implementation of the City’s Comprehensive Bacteria Reduction Plan for compliance with the Middle Santa Ana River permit.
g) Facilitate the MS4 construction and inspection program.
h) Staff training in MS4 Permit Compliance.
Staff continues to be pleased with the efforts and assistance provided by Colbert Environmental Group. The consultant has an in-depth knowledge of the MS4 Permit requirements and is very familiar with the Claremont watershed area. Staff recommends the authorization of a new agreement with Colbert Environmental Group to continue with the implementation of the MS4 permit compliance activities as required by the State.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds the following:
Council Priorities - This item applies to the Council Priority “Will complete the renewal process for the Santa Ana and San Gabriel Watershed annual permit” - these services contribute towards this priority.
Sustainability Plan - This item complies with the following goals of the Sustainability Plan:
Goal Area 1 - Resource Conservation, Water and Wastewater, which calls for “maximizing recharge of local water resources and minimizing pollution at local beaches by minimizing stormwater runoff and eliminating dry weather runoff.”
Goal Area 2 - Environment and Public Health, outlining the goal to “reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous and toxic materials, minimizing pollutants entering the air, soil, and water.”
Economic Sustainability Plan - This item does not relate to the Economic Sustainability Plan.
General Plan - This item addresses Measure IV-21 of the General Plan, “National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System” (NPDES) compliance.
2019-20 Budget - This item applies to the Community Development Department Work Plan Goal CD-12: Ensure the City’s compliance with the Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System (MS4) Permit for the Los Angeles Region and Santa Ana River Watersheds.
Youth and Family Master Plan - This item does not relate to the Youth and Family Master Plan.
CEQA REVIEW
This item (extension of the MS4 Permit Compliance contract) is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and Section 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a “project” as defined in section 15378). CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2), (4), and (5) excludes “continuing administrative ... activities,” “government fiscal activities, which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment,” and “administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment” from its definition of “project.”
Additionally, under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), it is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Extending an existing contract to assist in compliance activities for the MS4 Permit will not have a significant effect on the environment because the action will not result in or lead to a physical change in Claremont. Therefore, no additional environmental review is needed.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process. Copies are available at the City Hall public counter, the Youth Activity Center, the Alexander Hughes Community Center, and the City website.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Vincent Ramos
Community Development Director Associate Engineer
Reviewed by:
Maria B. Tipping P.E.
Interim City Engineer
Attachment:
Agreement with Colbert Environmental Group