Exhibit A
To:
Christian Di Renzo
Date:
March 27, 2017
From:
Gwyn-Mohr Tully
Subject: Scope of Work for 2017 Water Management Actions ________________________________________________________________________ The purpose of this document is to provide a scope of work to further assess the details of the City of Benicia’s water assets, provide analyses about the long-term reliability of the City’s assets, inform the City Council about water asset use and transfers, and prepare a course of action to secure the City’s water future. The SOW has three primary components: (1) Assess the issues and opportunities associated with the City’s water assets; (2) Communicate information to the City Council and Staff; and (3) Prepare a water action plan to carry out the policy direction of the City Council.
Task 1: City Water Assets Issues and Opportunities
Tully & Young will continue its work with City to assess overall water rights issues relevant to City’s water supply reliability and business activities. Specifically, Tully & Young will examine additional information pertinent to the City’s water asset history and development. This information includes SCWA updated water contract and PAC information, historical information related to the City’s water use after incorporation, the recycled water project and agreements with Valero, and additional information provided by SCWA, Reclamation, Solano Irrigation District, and the City of Vallejo. Tully & Young will also continue work on the water transfer opportunities available to the City. Building from the existing water transfer analysis prepared for the City, Tully & Young will work with City Staff as well as other agencies affected by short-‐ term and long-‐term transfer opportunities to refine options available to the City. Coordination with SCWA will be crucial in furthering any potential transfer options as well as issue clarification with other interested parties. Opportunities may also include groundwater substitution options where the City’s dry year reliability is augmented with increased well operations in SCWA’s agricultural areas. Pursuing water transfer options associated with the City’s SWP PAC is of primary importance so that in the event water becomes available in a given year, the City is prepared to act. Tully & Young will also continue analysis of the long-‐term water supply reliability of the City’s existing water assets. This analysis is crucial in understanding the
necessary infrastructure outlays that the City will be asked to finance. Specifically, Tully & Young will address the water supply reliability options available in potentially reducing the City’s overall water asset portfolio in order to secure more supply in dry years. This analysis will require coordination and cooperation with SCWA and the other participating agencies.
Task 2: Presentations and Communications with City Council, Staff and SCWA
Tully & Young will continue to prepare presentations, white papers, and other briefing materials as directed by City Staff for informational purposes. Under this task Tully & Young anticipates preparing two PowerPoint presentations for the City Council that outline key water supply reliability issues and water transfer opportunities in the City’s existing water supply portfolio. Tully & Young will also prepare no more than two, five-‐page whitepapers as directed by City Staff on issues discovered in executing Task 1. Tully & Young will also engage in meetings with City Staff as directed by City Staff. Tully & Young anticipates that there would be no more than four City Staff meetings incorporated into this task over the duration of this effort. Tully & Young will also engage in additional communications with City Staff on an ongoing basis to further the primary purposes of this project. Tully & Young will also assist City Staff in preparing for meetings with SCWA, SID, the City of Vallejo, other regional Participating Agencies, and the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Tully & Young may participate in meetings with these entities with representatives from the City. Tully & Young anticipates in holding a maximum of eight total meetings between all of these entities in order to best inform the water supply reliability issues and water transfer opportunities available to the City. Tully & Young will prepare agendas and facilitate meetings as directed by City Staff.
Task 3: Prepare and Implement a Water Action Plan Tully & Young will prepare a brief Water Action Plan (Plan) based upon the information derived from all of its completed work for the City as well as new information derived from Tasks 1 and 2. The Plan will incorporate specific recommended actions as well as a timeline for actions to further meet the City’s primary water supply reliability objectives as well as cost-‐reduction objectives. The Plan will incorporate all coordinated issues needed to address: (1) outstanding items associated with SCWA, including developing and implementing the North Bay Aqueduct Alternative and contract interpretations; (2) relevant information associated with the recycled water project and Valero; (3) the history and disposition of the City’s involvement with the Solano Project, including existing agreements with SID and Vallejo; and (4) Lake Herman water rights and water operations.
As part of the plan implementation, Tully & Young will assist the City with understanding potential for additional water rights associated with Sulphur Springs Creek Watershed and Lake Herman. Tully & Young will coordinate all aspects of filing pre-‐1914 appropriative water rights with City Staff. This coordination will include working with City Staff to gather and assess relevant historical information associated with the City’s water storage and usage from Sulphur Springs Creek Watershed. Tully & Young will also work with City Staff to file an Initial Statement of Water Diversion and Use (SODU) as required under Water Code section 5101. Tully & Young will coordinate work efforts with City Staff based upon City’s direction and City Staff availability. For example, gathering and assessing historical water diversion to storage and collating that information for purposes of the filing will primarily fall upon the City Staff. Tully & Young will examine the relevant information and utilize the key elements for purposes of completing the SODU. Tully & Young will also assess information related to the City’s water operations that incorporate Lake Herman. Specifically, Tully & Young will inquire with the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) about the regulatory issues associated with Lake Herman operations. Tully & Young will prepare a strategic action plan for purposes of resolving the outstanding issues related to Lake Herman water operations.
Cost Proposal
Tully & Young will proceed with work on a time and materials basis for a total cost not to exceed $30,000. Both Tully & Young and the City recognize that the tasks in this proposed Scope of Work are fluid, meaning that additional actions that go beyond the work identified in this scope of work may be warranted. Tully & Young will work with City Staff to address payment terms related to these items as they arise.