Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: APPROVAL OF ANNUAL STORM WATER SUPPORT
SERVICES AGREEMENT
Date: June 24, 2025
Written by: Craig Scott, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Recommendation
It is recommended the City of Cotati City Council approve by motion a professional services agreement with Stone Creek Environmental for Storm Water Support Services Background
The City is subject to the State’s Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Waste Discharge requirements Order Number R1 2015-30 for the operation and maintenance of its municipal separate storm sewer system (a.k.a. MS4 Permit). The Order’s requirements consists of multiple tasks and responsibilities including conducting water monitoring, public outreach, reporting requirements and enforcement authority to safeguard the natural waterways in and around the City from pollution. The State allows for permittees in the same region to combine efforts. The City works together with neighboring cities and the County to regionally address the stormwater permit requirements.
Analysis/Discussion
The proposed FY25/26 services reflect City Staff attending the meetings and performing the rotating member tasks rather than the consultant. However, the permit requires sediment reduction plan implementation and consultation to anticipate new MS4 Permit requirements including asset management. The consultant’s remaining tasks are to identify and complete tasks for the City to ensure our continued compliance with the MS4 permit requirements. Most notably, these tasks include assistance with compiling the Annual Storm Water Report and preparation of special work and monitoring plans, assisting with gaining Regional Board acceptance of these MS4 Permit required plans and municipal Staff training.
The current MS4 permit expired on July 9, 2020, and it has been the responsibility of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) to renew the permit on behalf of co-permitees. The current understanding is that the permit will be renewed before the end of Calendar year 2026. In the interim the permit remains in effect pending an updated permit from the Regional Board. The City with the assistance of Stone Creek Consulting is preparing for compliance with any new permit requirements including the development an asset management program. This would be a significant undertaking, and Task 1 of the Storm Water Proposal is to assist City Staff in planning for and implementing this permit requirement. Most of the proposed fee is to provide support services. This includes cost recovery tasks for special inspections of new private developments to ensure compliance with the MS4 Permit, including the proper design and functioning of Low Impact Development features.
Colleen Hunt, owner of Stone Creek Consulting, is uniquely qualified to provide these services as she has experience with the drafting and implementation of the MS4 Permit. Colleen Hunt 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 storm water permittees during her time with the Regional Water Board and for the past three years as a consultant. Colleen Hunt has provided storm water assistance to the City since 2018. For these reasons, this contract is recommended to be a sole source selection in accordance with the City's procurement policy. Staff have prepared and attached to this item the sole source justification memo to document compliance with this policy.
Financial Considerations
The proposed fee has slightly decreased from last year’s amount of $49,000, to $48,900. This change is due to decreased charges for participation in meetings as staff will facilitate this activity, offset by increases in new work for the MS4 permit. Included in the total proposed agreement is $15,000 for private development construction site inspections for which 100 percent of the cost is recovered through private development funds.
A total of $50,000 was included in the adopted FY25/26 budget in the stormwater department's account. Therefore, no appropriation of funds is needed.
Environmental Issues
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.