Title
Environmental Management Department recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Approve the addition of one (1) Moyno Progressive Cavity Pump and one (1) side-by-side all-terrain vehicle to the Fiscal Year 2020-21 fixed asset list; and
2) Approve the addition of the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant to the Environmental Management Department’s Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget (4/5 vote required).
FUNDING: Non-General Fund / County Service Area No. 10 - Liquid Waste funds, and US Department of Transportation funds.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
This Fiscal Year 2020/21 fixed asset list was approved by the Board during the adoption of the recommended budget. Prior to adoption of the recommended budget, the Environmental Management Department (Environmental Management), did not have sufficient details necessary to have these items added to the Fiscal Year 2020/21 Budget. Additional details for each of these requests are provided below.
Moyno Progressive Cavity Pump
Each year, wastewater discharge from the County’s Union Mine Wastewater Treatment Plant is pumped to the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID). Doing so requires a specialty pump in order to pump the effluent 2.5 miles up Union Mine Road to EID’s main sewer line. The Moyno Progressive Cavity Pump is specifically designed to overcome the head pressure due to the significant elevation changes in this area and is also equipped with a specially designed hardened rotor that is compatible with the discharge from the Union Mine Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The Union Mine Wastewater Treatment Plant’s pump station is equipped with two pumps for discharging effluent to EID. Currently, only one of the pumps is operational. The second pump recently failed and was taken to the local authorized distributor for inspection and repairs, but upon completing the inspection, the vendor advised staff that it would cost more to repair the current pump than to replace it with a new pump. Repairs to the current pump were estimated to be $28,482.25, and the cost of a new pump is estimated to be $26,604.61, including shipping and taxes, and also includes a 12 month warranty from the date of installation.
This Moyno Progressive Cavity Pump is a direct fit replacement and the model, size, and type of pump was engineered when the facility was constructed to meet its discharge needs. Replacing the current pump with a direct fit pump would not require any additional modifications to the existing lines or pump station.
All-Terrain Vehicle
The South Lake Tahoe Vector Control program carries out activities for the control of mosquitos, plague, Hantavirus, and yellow jackets in the South Lake Tahoe Basin on a seasonal basis. As part of these services provided by the County, staff often travel into remote areas that require the use of all-terrain vehicles to efficiently transport supplies, including a sprayers for various pesticides. Previously, staff used quads equipped with large capacity mounted sprayers. In 2018, two of the quads were listed as surplus items and transferred to the Chief Administrative Office, Parks Division. In preparation of the Fiscal Year 2019/20 budget, Environmental Management included the purchase of two new quads; however, due to unforeseen delays as a result of COVID-19, staff were not able to complete the purchase and receive the order prior to the end of the Fiscal Year. It was also determined that a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle (ATV) would be better suited for this work and can also be equipped with the large capacity sprayer. As such, Environmental Management is requesting to have the side-by-side ATV added to the Fiscal Year 2020/21 Budget.
Due to previous complications and delays with obtaining bids from vendors, Environmental Management will work with the Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division, to issue a competitive bid for the ATV. It is anticipated that this process will be completed in early 2021 once Vector Control staff return for the season. Funding for the ATV has already been included in the budget as a carryover expense; however, the ATV was not added to the Fiscal Year 2020/21 fixed asset list at that time.
Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant
On June 30, 2020, Environmental Management submitted an application for the FY 2020/21 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grant. This grant is offered to states nationwide under the Federal Hazardous Material Law, which authorizes the US Department of Transportation/Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to award grant funding to states for various training and planning projects in an effort to increase effectiveness in safely and efficiently handling hazardous materials and incidents. This HMEP Grant is administered at the local level by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES).
On October 1, 2020, notification was received from CalOES that Environmental Management’s application for the HMEP Grant was approved and awarded for the requested amount of $10,000. In an effort to achieve the purposes of this grant, Environmental Management intends to use the majority of the awarded funds to contract out for a consultant to review, amend, and certify the current El Dorado County Hazardous Materials Area Plan (Area Plan), pursuant to California Health and Safety Code 25503(d)(2), for accuracy and completeness. Upon completion, the updated Area Plan will be presented to all emergency response agencies in the County, CalOES, and CalEPA.
During the preparation of the Fiscal Year 2020/21 Budget, it was unknown if Environmental Management would be eligible for this grant. As such, the grant was not included in the Fiscal Year Budget; however, the consultant services to update the Area Plan were included as a placeholder. As part of the budget transfer for the fixed asset above, Environmental Management is proposing that this HMEP Grant be added and accounted for at this time.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve the addition of these items to the Fiscal Year 2020/21 Budget. By not replacing the current pump, this would leave Environmental Management with only one operational pump. If that pump were to fail or need to be taken in for maintenance or repairs, the Union Mine Wastewater Treatment Plant would be unable to discharge any of the treated effluent to EID which in turn would result in the two (2) effluent storage tanks reaching capacity and during wet weather months, would require that the facility be shut down to the County’s waste haulers. It would also result in potential violations of the County’s waste discharge permit for exceedance of facility capacity. Due to the lead times, approximately 10-12 weeks, it would not be feasible to wait to buy a new pump until the current operational pump fails or needs repairs.
The addition of the side-by-side ATV for the fixed asset list and the purchase of this item will allow staff to more efficiently provide services in the remote areas of the South Lake Tahoe Basin. Without this ATV, staff would be limited to only using quads, which would require them to perform this work on foot using backpack sprayers.
There are no significant impacts by not adding the HMEP Grant to the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget. The costs for the Area Plan update have already been included in the budget; however, there may be potential accounting issues once the HMEP Grant funds are received.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Costs associated with this item. There is sufficient funding available in contingency for the County Service Area No. 10 - Liquid Waste budget to cover the costs of the additional fixed asset for the Wastewater Treatment Plant. There are no additional costs related to the addition of the ATV to the County Service Area No. 3 - Vector Control budget as the fixed asset funds have already been included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget. Funding to cover the costs of the services for the Area Plan update have also been included in the County Service Area No. 10 - Household Hazardous Waste budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure, Public Safety, Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Greg Stanton, REHS, Director
Environmental Management Department