To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Agreement for Stream Gauge Services with City of Martinez
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing body of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, or designee, to execute an agreement with City of Martinez, to install a stream gauge and monitoring equipment in Alhambra Creek, on the Ward Street bridge crossing and water depth sensor near the Marina Vista Avenue bridge, in Martinez, and to reimburse the District up to $30,000 for equipment costs and pay the District $2,500 annually, subject to increase, to maintain and monitor the equipment during the period from July 23, 2024, through July 31, 2042. (District V) (Project No.: 7505-6F8156, DCD-CP# 24-17)
DETERMINE if the activity qualifies for a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Class 3 and Class 6 Categorical Exemptions, pursuant to Article 19, Sections 15303 and 15306 of the CEQA Guidelines, and
DIRECT the Director of the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD), or designee, to file a CEQA Notice of Exemption (NOE) with the County Clerk, and
AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, or designee, to arrange for payment of a $25 fee to DCD for processing, and a $50 fee to the County Clerk for filing the NOE.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% Flood Control District funds. City will pay District for stream gauge services and reimburse actual costs for equipment and installation.
BACKGROUND:
The District monitors the collection of rain and stream gauges and precipitation recorder data, which also includes maintenance of rain and stream gauges throughout Contra Costa County. The City of Martinez (City) desires for the District to install and maintain a stream gauge at Alhambra Creek on the Ward Street bridge crossing and water depth sensor near the Marina Vista Avenue bridge in Martinez. Under the agreement, the City will reimburse the District for the cost to purchase and install the equipment, not to exceed $30,000. The City will pay the District up to $2,500 for monitoring. This amount will increase each year based on the change in the Engineering News Record (ENR) for the San Francisco Bay region. The City will reimburse the cost to remove the equipment following termination of the agreement.
Under the agreement each party agrees to indemnify and defend the other party from liabilities that arise from the indemnifying party’s negligence or willful misconduct. District staff recommend that the Board approve the execution of the agreement to ensure the District can collect important rain and weather-related information.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the agreement is not approved, the District will not be able to install and monitor the stream gauge equipment for data collecting.