Title
Chief Administrative Office recommending the Board:
1) Find that a public benefit is derived from supporting the El Dorado County Water Agency’s efforts to conduct a feasibility study of the stormwater runoff at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds to be used for advancing the project planning, design, and approval for potential implementation as funding becomes available;
2) Approve and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, consistent with the County’s standard form and upon the approval of County Counsel, with the El Dorado County Water Agency authorizing payment of an amount not to exceed $47,050 as a Non-Departmental General Fund Contribution in support of these efforts; and
3) Approve a budget transfer appropriating the $47,050 from the Capital Projects Reserve and increasing contribution expense to fund the project. (4/5 vote required). (Est. Time: 15 Min.)
FUNDING: General Fund Capital Projects Reserve.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
El Dorado County owns the land and buildings known as the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. The fairgrounds property and buildings have been acquired, built, developed, and maintained over the past 80 years by the El Dorado County Fair Association. The County continued this relationship, at its March 29, 2005 meeting, when the Board of Supervisors entered into an agreement with the El Dorado County Fair Association, Inc., a general non-profit corporation, for the continued management of the County Fair and Fairgrounds. The agreement states that the Fair Association will “have the use, possession and management of the fairgrounds for the period of this agreement.” The agreement also states, “the buildings, tenant improvements and all other fixed assets on the fairgrounds are property of County.”
During a presentation to the Board on July 23, 2019 (Legistar 19-1121), the Fair Association discussed the failing stormwater runoff infrastructure at the Fairgrounds and the need to identify ways to fix the issues before further damage occurs on the property.
Representatives from El Dorado County, the El Dorado County Water Agency (EDCWA), and the Fair Association met to determine possible solutions to the stormwater runoff problems on the fairgrounds. From this meeting, staff are recommending that El Dorado County and the EDCWA fund a Fairgrounds Water Drainage Improvements Feasibility Study.
Attachment A is a proposed project from Stantec outlining the Feasibility Study. The Scope of Work (SOW) of the feasibility study is to “verify the ground conditions and complete a feasibility study for advancing the project planning, design, and approval for potential implementation as funding becomes available … The foundational purposes of this project is to identify solutions for improving the local drainage, reducing the occurrence of floods, and managing and using stormwater on site to improve and enhance the local conditions of the commercial/recreational area.”
The Feasibility Study outlined by Stantec has a total cost of $94,100. El Dorado County and the EDCWA propose sharing the costs of this study. The costs of the study were developed by Stantec based on the fee schedule in Stantec’s 2016 Master Service Agreement with EDCWA. If approved, County staff will work with EDCWA to draft a memorandum of understanding between the County and EDCWA to fund a portion of the project, with a not to exceed amount of $47,050. Attachment B is a budget transfer moving $47,050 from the General Fund Capital Projects Reserve to the Non-Departmental Expense account for Contributions to Non-County Governmental Agencies.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the feasibility study or direct staff to identify other solutions to the stormwater runoff management issues on the fairgrounds property.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
See in discussion above.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
El Dorado County Water Agency, El Dorado County Fair Association.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The project would reduce the Capital Projects Reserve by $47,050 and appropriate an additional $47,050 in Contributions to Non-County Governmental Agencies.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Return the signed budget transfer form to the Chief Administrative Office for processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance priority of promoting the development of resources to identify and pursue additional revenue including local, state, federal and private funding for new and existing projects.
CONTACT
Don Ashton, Chief Administrative Officer.