Title
a. Approve and authorize the County Administrative Officer, or his designee, to sign an Amendment to the Agreement with Ascent Environmental to provide technical and facilitative consultation services for the County Climate Action Plan, adding $108,870 to the contract, for a total cost of $275,755 for the period May 18, 2021 through May 30, 2023;
b. Authorize the County Administrative Officer, or his designee, to sign up to 3 amendments to this Agreement where the total amendments do not exceed 10% ($27,575) of the contract amount and do not significantly change the scope of work; and
c. Provide other direction to staff as appropriate.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a). Approve and authorize the County Administrative Officer, or his designee, to sign an Amendment to the Agreement with Ascent Environmental to provide technical and facilitative consultation services for the County Climate Action Plan, adding $108,870 to the contract, for a total cost of $275,755 for the period May 18, 2021 through May 30, 2023;
b). Authorize the County Administrative Officer, or his designee, to sign up to 3 amendments to this Agreement where the total amendments do not exceed 10% ($27,575) of the contract amount and do not significantly change the scope of work; and
c). Provide other direction to staff as appropriate.
SUMMARY:
The County began developing its Climate Action Plan in the Spring of 2021, upon receipt of a Department of Conservation grant in the amount of $175,000. On May 18, 2021, the County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement to initiate work on the Climate Action Plan with Ascent Environmental in the amount of $166,885. The initial contract did not include the full scope of work proposed for the Climate Action Plan because no funds outside of the grant budget were allocated. Staff indicated that the program would return with an amendment if the program received funding through annual allocation. The Program received $100,000 through the annual budget allocation and is requesting to increase the contract and scope to $275,755 which includes the full scope of the Climate Action Plan except for any CEQA analysis.
DISCUSSION:
General Plan Policy OS-10.11 of the 2010 General Plan requires the County to prepare a County-wide Climate Action Plan (CAP) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030. On October 27, 2021, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to seek funding to complete the CAP by 2022. The Alternative Energy and Environment Committee received a presentation on the scope, budget, and details of the CAP’s stakeholder engagement strategy on December 3 of 2021 and was supportive of staff’s recommendation. Subsequently, on January 4, 2021, the County was awarded funding from the Department of Conservation in the amount of $175,000 to support the development of the CAP and on January 18, 2021, the County released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the CAP. Ascent Environmental was chosen to work on the Climate Action Plan with the County Sustainability Manager through the RFP process.
Proposals to complete the Climate Action Plan ranged from $250,000 to $398,000, over and above the amount awarded through the Department of Conservation. Subsequently, staff requested funding through the annual budget allocation process to supplement the grant funding and to satisfy the funding needed to complete the plan. However, in order to begin working promptly on the Climate Action Plan, staff brought an agreement to the Board on May 18, 2021 in the amount of $166,885 in anticipation of increasing the contract amount if funding was allocated in FY21/22. The program was, in fact, allocated an additional $100,000 in FY 21/22 through the budget process for the Climate Action Plan, and staff is now returning to the Board with the aforementioned amendment. The full scope of the Climate Action Plan is included in this amendment except for any CEQA analysis that may need to be conducted. CEQA analysis cannot be completed until the plan is drafted, and until that time the level of CEQA analysis necessary is uncertain. Staff anticipates that an additional amendment will be needed in FY22/23 to account for a level of CEQA review and has requested an allocation through the annual budget process.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
HCD
FINANCING:
Funding for this increase in cost and scope was included in the FY21/22 Sustainability Program Budget and there is no impact to the General Fund as a result.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The Sustainability Program is designed to support the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the County.
__Economic Development
_X_ Administration
_X_Health & Human Services
_X_ Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Ashley Paulsworth, Sustainability Program Manager, x 5344
Approved by: Nicholas E. Chiulos, Assistant County Administrative Officer, Ext. 5145
Attachments:
Staff Report
Amendment
Ascent Contract