To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Kevin Booker / 707-521-1865
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Storm Water Consulting
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with Stone Creek Environmental Consulting, LLC, in a form approved by County Counsel, for storm water consulting services through July 31, 2025, in the not-to-exceed amount of $300,000.
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) is seeking assistance with storm water permit implementation, planning, compliance, and reporting throughout the wastewater collection systems and flood protection zones.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
The Sonoma County Flood Control and Water Conservation Act of 1949 established Sonoma Water as a Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Sonoma Water was originally authorized to provide water supply and flood control services.
In 1958, Sonoma Water formed eight geographic flood control zones, each encompassing a major watershed. The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase 1 Permit area encompasses the boundary of Flood Control Zone 1A, which incorporates the Mark West Creek Watershed. The cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Sebastopol, and the Town of Windsor lie within Flood Control Zone 1A. The MS4 Phase 2 Permit area encompasses the boundary of Flood Control Zones 2A and 3A, which incorporates the Petaluma River and Sonoma Creek Watersheds. The cities of Petaluma and Sonoma, and the communities of Valley of the Moon, Glen Ellen, and Penngrove all lie within Zones 2A and 3A.
Because Sonoma Water owns portions of the MS4 within the Phase 1 permit boundary, Sonoma Water is a named co-permittee along with City of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, City of Cloverdale, City of Cotati, City of Healdsburg, City of Rohnert Park, City of Sebastopol, City of Ukiah, and Town of Windsor. In addition, because Sonoma Water owns portions of the MS4 within the Phase 2 permit boundary, Sonoma Water is a named co-permittee along with County of Sonoma and City of Petaluma.
Sonoma Water is subject to requirements of the North Coast and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Boards’ Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Order No. R1-2015-0050, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. CA0025054 for Discharges from the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (Phase 1 Permit). This five-year permit has been effective since January 6, 2016 and expired on January 5, 2021. The Phase 1 Permit has been administratively extended until a new permit is adopted. These requirements apply to Sonoma Water’s Flood Control Zone 1A.
Additionally, Sonoma Water is subject to NPDES General Permit for WDRs for Storm Water Discharges from Small MS4s (Phase 2 Permit). The Phase 2 Permit went into effect July 1, 2013 and expired January 30, 2018. The Phase 2 Permit has been administratively extended until the Phase 2 Permit is renewed. Phase 2 Permit requirements apply to Sonoma Water’s Flood Control Zones 2A and 3A.
Sonoma Water’s Storm Water Management Plan incorporates appropriate activities and best management practices for activities related to its flood control activities.
Sonoma Water is seeking assistance with both its compliance efforts and in negotiating new regulatory requirements and programs. This involves not only interaction with regulators, but with the County and all the cities, who are co-permittees who have shared obligations. The co-permittees for the Phase 1 permit are the cities within the Russian River watershed. Navigating the Phase 2 permit increasingly requires interactions with all of the San Francisco Bay regulated interests who must cooperate to meet regulatory requirements.
SELECTION PROCESS
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting, LLC (Stone Creek) was selected from a list of qualified consultants developed from a competitive selection process. Attached is a memo that explains the competitive selection process.
Stone Creek was selected for the subject work because of its extensive knowledge of the North Coast and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Boards and its extensive knowledge in MS4 permit requirements.
Sonoma Water may seek to amend or enter into subsequent agreement(s) with Board approval if required, relying upon this competitive selection process, after the preliminary or initial work is completed.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under the proposed agreement, Stone Creek will assist Sonoma Water with storm water permit implementation, compliance, and reporting, including: NPDES renewal, updating and revising the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Storm Water Management Plans, providing annual reporting, providing Sonoma Water staff training, implementing total maximum daily load program management, providing trash management, providing regional coordination, and other related services.
The agreement includes two options for Sonoma Water to extend this agreement for a period of one year each by providing written notice to Stone Creek thirty days in advance of the expiration date of the agreement and of the first extension option.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly support the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Resilient Infrastructure
Goal: Goal 5: Support, fund, and expand flood protection.
Objective: Objective 3: Evaluate the feasibility, creation, and/or update of Flood Protection Plans and seek out financing mechanisms to establish protection zones countywide by 2026.
Sonoma Water’s ongoing effort is to improve water quality and protect environmental resources, along with the other Permittees and to provide for the continued protection and preservation of the County’s surface waters.
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
Flood Protection, Goal 1: Provide efficient and effective flood protection programs.
This agreement is in alignment with Sonoma Water’s goals to protect water quality and increase community outreach, while continuing to operate and modify flood protection facilities to meet current and future public needs.
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Budgeted amount of $100,000 is available from FY 2022/2023 appropriations for the Flood Control Zone 1A, 2A, and 3A Funds. FY 2023/2024 and FY 2024/2025 appropriations will be budgeted in those fiscal years.
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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: Selection Memorandum
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None