Title
Approve Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement for Services with the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County to extend the agreement to June 30, 2027, and increase the dollar amount by $217,000 for a total contract amount not to exceed $315,000 for services towards the administration of and compliance with Salinas River Stream Maintenance Program 404 and 401 permits; and authorize the General Manager to execute the agreement. (Staff: Jennifer Bodensteiner)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Approve Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement for Services with the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County to extend the agreement to June 30, 2027, and increase the dollar amount by $217,000 for a total contract amount not to exceed $315,000 for services towards the administration of and compliance with Salinas River Stream Maintenance Program 404 and 401 permits; and authorize the General Manager to execute the agreement.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On June 3, 2021, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) entered into a three-year Agreement with the Resources Conservation District of Monterey County (RCDMC) for $71,104.00 to provide services towards the administration of and compliance with 2016-2025 Salinas River Stream Maintenance Program (SRSMP) 404 and 401 permits.
Under the original agreement, RCDMC provided services and additional tasks to include public outreach, participant consultation and coordination, and providing program updates to the Agency, River Management Unit Association, and the RCDMC Board of Directors, as needed.
This was in response to a requested transition by the Agency and a need to streamline reporting, monitoring and work plan submission.
On August 25, 2023, Amendment No. 1 to the agreement was processed, increasing the total contract amount to $98,000. This was a result to again the program being marked in the Agency Strategic Plan 2020 to 2025 as a necessary program leadership transfer to other another Agency. The RCDMC has continued to coordinate the SRSMP with a dedicated Program Manager for the program.
The purpose of Amendment No. 2 is to extend the agreement for three-years and increase the total contract amount by $217,000.00 for a total contract amount not to exceed $315,000, for continued services by RCDMC.
The RCDMC is committed and focuses on helping landowners and communications with growers and participation has been increasing annually for the SRSMP. In late 2023 after the winter floods, the RCDMC lead an effort to pursue modifications to make the stream maintenance program more efficient and permit modifications are progressing. The growers and Farm Bureau are kept updated to know concerns are taken seriously and the regulators are taking direct action to address them. The proposal and detailed budget are to allow RCDMC to continue to help the MCWRA administer the SRSMP, and the renewal of the program permits by 2026.
There is notice to an increase of service hours, assessment, and monitoring, and upcoming 404 and 401 permit reissuance and modifications that has affected the cost of RCD providing the services on behalf of MCWRA. The cost increase from the previous first three years helps MCWRA ensure forthcoming changes to providing the necessary products and services to the SRSMP participants can be handled by the RCDMC.
RCDMC has been since June 2021, as the contractor to provide services on a Time & Materials (T&M) basis and have expended $91,323.34 of the contract to-date.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
FINANCING:
There is sufficient appropriation in the Adopted Fiscal Year 24-25 Budget Unit 116 to fund this agreement.
Prepared by: Jennifer Bodensteiner, Associate Hydrologist (831) 755-4860
Approved by: Ara Azhderian, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
1. Amendment No. 2
2. Amendment No. 1
3. Original Agreement for Services
4. Portions of WRA Strategic Plan 2020
5. Board Order