Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board take the following actions pertaining to the Meyers Stream Environment Zone/Erosion Control Project, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project number 95179/36107007:
1) Accept and approve the Intergovernmental Grant Administration Agreement between the County of El Dorado and the South Lake Tahoe Public Utility District, with a total of $577,414 to be provided for the subject project;
2) Authorize the Director of Transportation to sign the Intergovernmental Grant Administration Agreement on behalf of the County; and
3) Authorize the Director of Transportation to sign any future modifications to the Intergovernmental Grant Administration Agreement that do not increase the total dollar amount of the Grant Agreement.
FUNDING: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (11%), State Water Resource Control Board Proposition 1 Grant Program (46%), United States Forest Service (43%).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The 2014 Tahoe Sierra Integrated Regional Watershed Management Plan (IRWMP), which enables the coordination of water quality and resource management efforts between jurisdictions within the Lake Tahoe Regional Watershed, was adopted by the Board on January 27, 2015, (Legistar #14-1475, Item 44). Adoption of the IRWMP allowed the County to apply for grant funds under Proposition 1 (Prop 1), the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014.
The County was awarded $577,414 from Prop 1 through the Tahoe Sierra IRWMP group for the Meyers Stream Environment Zone/Erosion Control Project (Project). In order to accept the awarded funds of $577,414, the County must also have an Intergovernmental Administration Agreement (Agreement) in place between the grant administrator, the South Tahoe Public Utility District (District), and the County. The attached Agreement lists the roles and responsibilities of each agency with respect to the distribution and acceptance of the funds. The District is the IRWMP grant administrator for Prop 1.
During the term of the Agreement, the Department of Transportation (Transportation) anticipates there may be a need to request that the District modify the terms of the Agreement, generally related to administrative issues, project schedules, and budgets. Transportation is requesting that the Board delegate authority to the Director of Transportation to execute these types of amendments or modifications. If a future amendment or modification proposes to increase the current funding amount of the Agreement, Transportation will bring it to the Board for consideration.
The Meyers Stream Environment Zone/Erosion Control Project (CIP project number 95179/36107007) is located in Tahoe Paradise-Meadowvale, Tahoe Paradise-Mandan and Meyers Residential. The Project consists of completing erosion control work and significant improvements to existing storm drainage systems in the community of Meyers. The objective of the Project is the reduction in the transport of fine sediment from the Project area by constructing water quality Best Management Practices (BMPs) within the Project area. This Project will be split into several areas with the main area focused on the US 50/Meyers corridor area based on the Pollutant Load reductions models. The Project is part of an ongoing effort to retrofit County rights-of-way within the Lake Tahoe Basin with drainage improvements that will reduce the amount of sediment that reaches Lake Tahoe. This Project will help restore Lake Tahoe’s clarity in accordance with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) Environmental Improvement Program.
When Transportation began preparing for this grant's application in Summer 2019, Transportation proposed a delivery schedule that ended with the completion of construction in October 2021. This proposed delivery schedule presumed that the execution of this Agreement would take six months, but instead it took over 18 months, primarily due to impacts from Covid-19. Transportation will be requesting an extension to the October 2021 construction completion date per Section 4.I of the Agreement.
ALTERNATIVES
1) The Board could choose to not accept the funds. Implementation of the CIP project would be delayed while Transportation attempts to find replacement funding.
2) The Board could choose to cancel the Project. Canceling the Project may require the return all federal funding received to date.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
See Discussion/Background section above.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel and South Tahoe Public Utility District
RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The grant that Transportation is asking the Board to approve with this item is included as the "State Water Resources Control Board" revenue source for the Project in the 2021 Capital Improvement Program adopted by the Board on June 8, 2021, (Legistar #21-0624, Item 54).
The grant proposed for approval will be funded by the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Prop 1) provided by the State Water Resources Control Board through the South Tahoe Public Utility District. The grant document for the Project requires that the County provide approximately $499,990 towards implementation of the project, which will be covered with grant funds from the United States Forest Service.
Approval of this item will not impact Net County Cost. The grant funding is anticipated to be received in FY 2022-23, and will be included in the budget request for FY 2022-23.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation