To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Steve Koldis 547-1914
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Engineering and Design Services for Santa Rosa Plain Water Resiliency Project
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute the Third Amended and Restated Agreement for As-Needed Engineering and Design Services for Santa Rosa Plain Water Resiliency Project with GEI Consultants, Inc., in a form approved by County Counsel. The amended agreement increases the amount by $755,000 for a new not-to-exceed agreement total of $2,055,000 with no change to end date of December 31, 2025.
B) In addition to the authorities granted under Resolution 20-0092, authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to amend the agreement to extend the term, make modifications to the scope of work, and increase costs provided amendments do not cumulatively increase the total cost to Sonoma County Water Agency by more than 10 percent.
end
Executive Summary:
On April 27, 2021, the Board of Supervisors for the County of Sonoma proclaimed a local emergency for the Sonoma County Operational Area due to severe drought conditions. As part of the emergency drought response, Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) commenced implementation of the Santa Rosa Plain Water Resiliency Project (Project) to rehabilitate and activate two water supply production wells. Sonoma Water executed an agreement with GEI Consultants, Inc. (Consultant) for As-Needed Engineering and Design Services (Agreement) to advance the project development. The Project is partially funded with a $6.9 million dollar drought relief grant from the California Department of Water Resources. Work on the Project commenced in late 2021 and is currently continuing with a scheduled completion by the end of 2025. Under the Agreement, which was originally executed under prior emergency authorization, Consultant has made substantial progress advancing the Project. To date however, the Agreement lacks sufficient funding to complete all the necessary engineering design and construction support services for full project implementation.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
On March 5, 2021, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture designated 50 California counties, including Sonoma County, as primary natural disaster areas due to drought. This Secretarial disaster designation made farm operators eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the Farm Service Agency. On April 21, 2021, Governor Newsom visited Lake Mendocino and proclaimed a state of emergency in Sonoma and Mendocino counties due to drought conditions in the Russian River Watershed. On April 27, 2021, the Board of Supervisors for the County of Sonoma proclaimed a local emergency for the Sonoma County Operational Area due to drought conditions.
In response to the local drought emergency, Sonoma Water identified actions to provide immediate relief for our water contractors and improve long term resilience of our water supply portfolio. One of the strategies employed (and authorized by the Board on May 18, 2021) was to conduct preliminary design and environmental review to activate one of the three auxiliary water supply production wells in the Santa Rosa Plain near the Laguna de Santa Rosa. The wells, located along the Russian River-Cotati Intertie pipeline at Occidental Road, Sebastopol Road (Highway 12), and Todd Road, can supplement water system delivery capacity when drought or other water supply impairment conditions persist. The preliminary and final designs would ensure water produced at the wells meet regulatory requirements before being pumped into and conveyed through Sonoma Water’s aqueducts to water contractors.
Sonoma Water desired to leverage emergency and other funding opportunities to implement subsequent phases of the proposed project, which could include an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) capital project at the well location to replenish groundwater extracted during the drought, followed by bringing the remaining two production wells online, and evaluating expansion of ASR capacity as appropriate.
On June 18, 2021, the Board of Directors for Sonoma Water adopted a resolution making findings of an emergency need to develop Santa Rosa Plain Wells in response to drought conditions; suspending the requirements for competitive bidding; authorizing the General Manager of Sonoma Water to execute contracts as necessary to develop the Santa Rosa Plain Wells in response to drought conditions; making an exemption determination under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) due to drought conditions, potentially causing extreme health and safety concerns; and ratifying emergency contracts or agreements entered into by the General Manager of Sonoma Water related to these issues. The emergency need findings remained in effect until February 7, 2023.
In October 2021, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released guidelines and solicited proposal for its new Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Program, and on November 2, 2021 the Board of Directors authorized Sonoma Water to submit an application to the program. The Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project (Well Project) requested $6.9 million for design and construction of the two well projects listed below.
• Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project - Sebastopol Road Well Activation
• Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project - Occidental Road Well Activation
On December 23, 2021, Sonoma Water was awarded $ 6,900,000 funding under the DWR Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Grant Program, and a grant agreement for the project was executed between DWR and Sonoma Water in late March 2022. Still operating under the state and local emergency declarations, work on the Well Project continued at a rapid pace.
AGREEMENT FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES WITH GEI
On December 1, 2021, Sonoma Water entered into the initial Agreement with Consultant in the amount of $500,000. GEI was chosen from a list of qualified Consultants from an RFQ for work related to preparation of groundwater sustainability plan components, hydrologeological studies, and related projects. The as-needed agreement format was utilized because it allowed Sonoma Water to rapidly direct the Consultant’s efforts in the evolving emergency environment as the project scope and schedule developed.
For the Sebastopol Road well activation, GEI provided designs, construction plans, specifications, and a list of materials with quantities for construction purposes. In addition, they conducted investigation, testing, and pilot study work to support the design and permitting of the aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) elements of the Well Project.
As work progressed, the agreement with GEI was amended twice to add funds:
• The First Amended and Restated Agreement, executed June 27, 2022, added $453,500, for a new not-to-exceed total of $953,500. These additional funds were required to assist with procurement of goods at the peak of supply chain shortages and to investigate treatment options, additional required design services, well drilling observation, and well characterization at Occidental Road, and construction support at the Sebastopol Road well, as described in the update to the Sonoma Water Board of Directors on May 17, 2022. This amendment also added terms and provisions required by the aforementioned DWR grant agreement.
• The Second Amended and Restated Agreement, executed February 6, 2023, added $346,500 to the Agreement amount, for a new not-to-exceed total of $1,300,000. The additional funds were needed to incorporate Aquifer Storage and Recovery components into the design for Sebastopol Road well Activation, to provide construction oversite during Occidental Road Well No. 3 drilling, provide a final well design, and to pay for extra effort required by Consultant to switch from an emergency mode of project delivery to a public contract code compliant form of project delivery.
To date GEI has conducted necessary investigations and testing to inform the Project designs and completed designs for the drilling of Occidental Road Well No. 3 and for the Sebastopol Road Well reactivation. GEI has supported Sonoma Water’s efforts to procure buildings, materials and electrical equipment prior to beginning construction. GEI has provided construction support for the Occidental Road well drilling and has provided direction on monitoring well rehabilitation and drinking water well assessments. The drilling and development of the Occidental Road well is nearly complete, with the remaining reactivation improvements to be awarded for construction this summer/fall. The construction contract for the Sebastopol Road Well activation improvements has been awarded and construction is scheduled to commence this summer.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
The proposed Third Amended and Restated Agreement for Engineering Design Services with GEI will include the remaining work required for GEI to complete the design of the Occidental Road Well Activation project, support construction efforts at both Sebastopol and Occidental Road well sites and provide final report on findings, and complete the ASR pilot study at both sites.
California Environmental Quality Act
The General Manager determined that the project is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Public Resources Code section 21080(b)(4), which provides that specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency are exempt under Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-7-22, issued on March 28, 2022, which suspended certain drought-related projects from the CEQA, including drought mitigation projects, and categorically exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301(b)(f), Existing Facilities, and 15304(f), Minor Alterations to Land, as it involves negligible or no expansion of use and minor alterations to land. The project will provide health protection devices requiring minor trenching and backfill at an existing public utility facility.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
Goal: Planning and Infrastructure
Strategy: Conduct planning that integrates and balances operational, maintenance, and infrastructure priorities.
Action: Continue to engage in planning efforts and partnerships to protect and enhance our water supply.
This project will enhance water supply by rehabilitating two of the Santa Rosa Plains wells which will be dual purpose wells for both water supply production as well as provide underground water storage of Aqueduct water sourced from the Russian River Mirabel pumping facility for future use.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
See Attachment A
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$755,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$755,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
$755,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$755,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The budgeted amount of $755,000 is available from FY 2023/2024 appropriations for the Common Facilities fund. No additional appropriation is required.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment A - Prior Board Actions
Executed Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None