Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
1 www.consultingstonecreek.com
April 2, 2025
Mr. Craig Scott
City Engineer
City of Cotati
201 West Sierra Avenue
Cotati, CA 94931
Subject: Proposal for Storm Water Support Services, Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Dear Mr. Scott:
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting (Stone Creek) is pleased to present this proposal and fee estimate to provide stormwater support services to the City of Cotati (City). Colleen Hunt, owner, is a Certified Professional in Municipal Stormwater Management and brings direct regulatory compliance experience with municipal stormwater permit requirements. She has worked with dozens of municipal stormwater Permittees during her time with the Regional Water Board and for the past six years as a consultant. Colleen has been providing storm water assistance to the City since 2018.
The City is subject to requirements of the Regional Water Board’s Waste Discharge Requirements Order No. R1-2015-0030, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. CA0025054 for discharges from the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) (Permit). The Permit became effective January 6, 2016, and expired on January 5, 2021. The Permit is administratively extended until the Regional Water Board renews the Permit. The exact timing of the renewal has not been formally provided. Until a new Permit is adopted, the City must continue to implement the requirements of the expired Permit.
The tasksin this proposal are to assist the City with the ongoing requirements of the expired Permit.
This includes:
• Sediment Reduction Effectiveness Tracking
• Construction Site Inspections
• Municipal Staff Training
• Annual Reporting
• Co-Permittee Meeting Assistance
• Low Impact Development Maintenance
• Trash Implementation Plan
This proposal includes a scope of work to assist the City on these Permit requirements as outlined below.
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
2 www.consultingstonecreek.com
Scope of Work
Task 1. Sediment Reduction Effectiveness Tracking
The Permit requires the City to develop and implement a sediment reduction program, that essentially requires the City to determine the effectiveness of BMPs used to control sediment pollution in stormwater runoff. The City has been implementing their plan and continues to report progress in each annual report. For this fiscal year, Stone Creek will assist the City with continuing implementation of the sediment reduction workplan. This will include attempting to inspect outfalls that were not previously inspected due to inaccessibility. To successfully complete these inspections, Stone Creek will coordinate with Sonoma Water to conduct inspections after completion of their stream maintenance program. In the event Sonoma Water does not complete stream maintenance activities during the course of the contract, this task will not be completed.
Task 1 Deliverables: Outfall Inspection Summary Report as a PDF.
Task 2. Construction Site Inspections
Section VI.F4.e of the Permit requires the City to conduct routine inspections of active construction site projects which disturb one acre or more of land. Inspections are required to take place in September, after the first significant rain event, and monthly during the rainy season.
Under this task, Stone Creek will assist the City with construction site inspections. This includes tracking the project inventory, conducting inspections, documenting inspection findings, providing recommendations to improve BMP management, and coordinating follow-up with City staff. Stone Creek will continue to use the 2NForm software platform to track construction site projects. Project budget includes direct costs such as mileage and 2NForm licensing fee.
Direct hours for each project will be itemized individually enabling the City to recover those costs directly from the project. We assume up to three active construction projects will be included for inspection under this scope of work.
Task 2. Deliverable: Electronic record of inspections.
Task 3. Municipal Staff Training
Section G.12. of the Permit requires the City to annually train staff whose interactions, jobs, and activities may affect stormwater quality. Stone Creek will provide training on stormwater topics selected by the City. This may include illicit discharge, non-stormwater discharges, municipal activities BMP requirements, and/or integrated pest management. Training will be provided inperson at a location provided by the City.
Task 3. Deliverable: Stormwater training, including preparation of a PowerPoint presentation and training materials.
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
3 www.consultingstonecreek.com
Task 4. Annual Report
Section J of the Permit requires the City to submit an Annual Report for each fiscal year. The Annual Report for the 2024/2025 reporting period is due October 15, 2025. At the beginning of the new Permit term, the Regional Water Board developed an annual report template for Permittee use. The template provides a streamlined method for annual reporting. Completing the template satisfies the annual reporting requirements specified in Section J.
Under this task, we will assist the City with populating the template and gathering information needed for reporting. The City will need to complete sections of the report with data that is not readily available to us to adequately complete the report. The City will be responsible for submitting the final report to the Regional Water Board.
Schedule:
August 16, 2025 Staff to provide data to complete Annual Report September 15, 2025 Draft Annual Report submitted to the City for review October 1, 2025 City comments on the draft Annual Report due back to Stone Creek October 11, 2025 Stone Creek to provide the final Annual Report for submittal to the Regional Water Board
Assumptions:
• Schedule assumes the Agreement for this Scope of Work will be executed no later than August 1, 2025.
• City staff provides data to complete the Annual Report according to the schedule.
Task 4 Deliverable: Draft Annual Report as an excel spreadsheet; Final Annual Report as a PDF.
Task 5. Low Impact Development Maintenance Inspections
Permit Section VI.D.12. requires the City to track and inspect all new development and redevelopment projects with LID BMPs. Inspections are required to be conducted on a two-year cycle. Post-construction BMPs were last inspected in 2024 and are due again in 2026. Under this task, Stone Creek will assist the City with conducting the required LID inspections. This task will include inspecting LID BMPs to assess functionality, with particular attention to BMP maintenance including failure, invasive vegetation, health of desired vegetation and excessive mowing, vector risk, trash and debris, sediment clogging, improper modifications, solids removal, pump-out, and blockage. As specified in the Permit, inspections address LID BMPs that are in the public right of way or at locations that would not require entering private property.
Each inspection will be documented on an inspection checklist, which will include recommendations for follow-up, as applicable. A photo record of the BMPs will be provided as part of the inspection summary report.
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
4 www.consultingstonecreek.com
Budget includes direct costs for mileage and 2NForm licensing fee and assumes inspections for up to six projects.
Task 5. Deliverable: Inspection summary reports.
Task 6. Co-Permittee Meeting Assistance
This City is scheduled to Chair the Co-Permittee meetings July, August and September of 2025.
Under this task, Stone Creek is available to attend Co-Permittee meetings on behalf of the City, including assisting with Chair responsibilities. This includes preparing agendas, managing meeting invites, facilitating the meetings, and implementing action items assigned to the Chair.
For all meetings attended by Stone Creek, meeting notes will be provided to the City.
Assumptions:
The City will provide direction to Stone Creek if assistance with this task is needed.
Task 6. Deliverable: Up to six meeting agendas; up to three sets of meeting notes.
Task 7. Trash Implementation Plan
We are anticipating the Regional Water Board to provide comments on the City’s Trash Implementation Plan (TIP) and potentially approving the TIP. This task is to assist with responding to comments, amending the trash plan as needed to incorporate comments, and begin implementing the TIP.
Under this task, Stone Creek will assist with the City TIP implementation as follows:
1. Develop education and outreach materials to distribute to residents living in Trash Management Area 6 (TMA 6). This will include selecting outreach materials focused on trash, print materials, and distribution.
2. Conduct On land Visual Trash Assessments (OVTAs). This City will be required to track progress and effectiveness of outreach materials by conducting 3 OVTAs in a calendar year at one assessment location in TMA 6. Under this task, Stone Creek will conduct a total of 3 OVTAs, document findings, and track compliance progress. A summary report will be provided subsequent to completing all three OVTAs.
Assumptions:
The TIP will be approved by the Regional Water Board by December 2025, with unsubstantial changes. Should the changes of the TIP approval result in substantial changes, Stone Creek will revise this task as needed.
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
5 www.consultingstonecreek.com
Assumes two meetings with the City to discuss the TIP and the steps needed to implement the plan over the next 3-5 years.
Task 7 Deliverables: Education and outreach materials distributed to TMA-6; OVTA Summary Report as a pdf, and meeting notes.
Task 8. Consulting Services
Throughout the duration of this contract, the City may identify additional tasks or areas where assistance is needed. This may include the need for consultation type services to discuss project requirements, advise on compliance options, review grading plans, review Low Impact Development plans, or provide other technical information. This task will be managed as an “oncall” task. The task will be used as needed, based on the City’s initiation of assistance with a task not already covered under this scope of work. Suggested on-call assistance may include:
• Education and outreach strategies
• Review of LID plans
• Russian River Pathogen TMDL planning
• Draft permit review assistance
• New permit implementation planning
• Trash Implementation Plan
Task 8. Deliverable: TBD by client.
Task 9. Program Management
This task will include general project management tasks such as project schedule, managing budget, monthly invoices, routine communications with City staff, meetings to report progress and discuss key recommendations and decisions.
Task 9. Deliverable: Invoices
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
6 www.consultingstonecreek.com
Fee Estimate and Level of Effort
The Scope of Work will be conducted as described above for an estimated not-to-exceed budget of $48,900. The estimated fee and associated level of effort are summarized below.
Task Level of Effort,
hours Estimated Fee, $
Task 1. Sediment Reduction
Effectiveness Tracking
18 6,000
Task 2. Construction Site Inspections 10 2,650
Task 2a. Project #1 28 5,000
Task 2b. Project #2 28 5,000
Task 2c. Project #3 28 5,000
Task 3. Municipal Staff Training 12 3,000
Task 4. Annual Report 12 2,500
Task 5. Low Impact Development
Maintenance Inspections
24 6,000
Task 6. Co-Permittee Meeting
Assistance
9 2,500
Task 7. Trash Implementation Plan 21 4,800
Task 8. Consulting Services 11 4,250
Task 9. Project Management 14 2,200
Total 215 48,900
Billing rates for the estimate are provided below. Rates will be valid for the duration of the contract:
Classification 2024
Quality Assurance $305
Principal Compliance Specialist $275
Compliance Specialist II $194
Compliance Specialist I $174
Field Inspector $185
Intern $110
Administrative Assistance $110
Direct Costs Cost + 10%
Mileage Standard Federal Rate
Stone Creek Environmental Consulting
8733 Lakewood Drive, Suite B
Windsor, CA 95492
[email protected]
707-318-9415
7 www.consultingstonecreek.com
Any services not included in this Scope of Work will be performed only after receiving written authorization and a corresponding budget augmentation from the City.
I am looking forward to working with you on this important work. Please feel free to contact me at 707-318-9415 or [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to discuss this proposal further.
Sincerely,
Colleen Hunt, CPMSM #343
Professional Consultant