Grover Beach City Council
July 27, 2026

rev 7-2026

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT

FOR NORTHERN CITIES MANAGEMENT AREA TECHNICAL GROUP STAFF EXTENSION SERVICES FOR FY 2026-27 THROUGH FY 2030-31

BETWEEN THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH, CALIFORNIA
AND WATER SYSTEMS CONSULTING, INC.

THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into effective ________________ (“Effective Date”), by and between the CITY OF GROVER BEACH, a California municipal corporation (hereinafter referred to as "CITY"), and Water Systems Consulting, Inc., an S-Corporation, (hereinafter referred to as "CONSULTANT"). CITY and CONSULTANT are referred to herein singularly as a “Party” and collectively as “Parties.”

RECITALS
WHEREAS, CITY desires to obtain professional services for the Northern Cities Management Area Technical Group Staff Extension Service for FY 2026-27 (hereinafter referred to as the “PROJECT”), more specifically identified in the Proposal, Scope of Work and Fee Schedule, jointly attached as “Exhibit A” to this Agreement, and incorporated herein by reference; and WHEREAS, CONSULTANT is engaged in the business of professional engineering services and hereby represents that it desires to and is professionally and legally capable of performing the services called for by this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions under which CONSULTANT shall provide professional services, to be paid by the City; and WHEREAS, this Agreement will be administered for CITY by the Director of Public Works, (hereinafter referred to as “DIRECTOR”) or his/her designee.

AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the covenants, conditions, promises and agreements herein contained to be kept and performed by the respective Parties, it is mutually agreed as follows:

ARTICLE I. SCOPE OF SERVICES
CONSULTANT shall complete said PROJECT described herein, and more fully described in Exhibit A, diligently; to the best of their talents, skills, and expertise; and in accordance with local, State and Federal laws. This shall include all work incidental to, or necessary to perform, such services even though not specifically described in Exhibit A.

ARTICLE II. COMPENSATION AND PAYMENT
A. CONSULTANT’S sole compensation for satisfactory performance of all services required or rendered pursuant to this Agreement shall be in an amount not to exceed One-hundred sixty-one thousand, five hundred seventy-two dollars ($161,572) unless mutually agreed upon and amended by both Parties in a written amendment to this Agreement. CONSULTANT is not entitled to, nor will CONSULTANT receive any additional consideration, compensation, or other remuneration.

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B. CONSULTANT shall invoice CITY on a monthly basis, via detailed statement, which will be processed and payable in the normal course of CITY business, typically within thirty (30) days of receipt of an invoice unless otherwise identified in this Agreement. The CITY agrees to pay CONSULTANT in accordance with the payment rates and terms and the schedule of payment as set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference as though set forth in full, based upon actual time spent on the tasks above.

C. The Parties may modify this Agreement to increase or decrease the scope of services or provide for the rendition of services not required by this Agreement, which modification shall include an adjustment to CONSULTANT’S compensation. Any change in the scope of services must be made by written Contract Amendment to the Agreement signed by an authorized representative for each Party. CONSULTANT shall not be entitled to any additional compensation if services are performed prior to a signed written Contract Amendment.

D. At any time prior to issuance of final payment, the CITY may conduct a cost audit of CONSULTANT’S invoices/statements. Any payment may be reduced by amounts found by CITY not to constitute allowable costs and/or adjusted for prior overpayments or underpayments. Upon CONSULTANT’S compliance with all terms of this Agreement, CITY shall promptly pay any balance of allowable costs.

ARTICLE III. TERMINATION, REMEDIES, FORCE MAJEURE AND CONSOLIDATION OF DISPUTES A. This Agreement commences on the Effective Date and shall remain and continue in effect until all tasks described herein are completed, but in no event later than July 31, 2027 (“Term”), unless otherwise terminated sooner in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

B. This Agreement shall terminate without any liability of CITY to CONSULTANT upon the earlier of:
(i) CONSULTANT’S filing for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws, or any bankruptcy petition or petition for receiver commenced by a third party against CONSULTANT; (ii) Seven (7) calendar days written notice, with or without cause, by either the CITY or CONSULTANT; or
(iii) Expiration of this Agreement.

C. Upon any termination or expiration of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall (i) Immediately stop all work hereunder;
(ii) Immediately cause any and all of its subcontractors to cease work; and (iii) Return to CITY any and all unearned payments and all properties and materials in the possession of CONSULTANT that are owned by CITY. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall be paid compensation for services satisfactorily performed prior to the effective date of termination. CONSULTANT shall not be paid for any work or services performed or costs incurred which reasonably could have been avoided.

D. In the event of termination due to failure of CONSULTANT to satisfactorily perform in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, CITY may withhold an amount that would otherwise be payable as an offset to, but not in excess of, CITY’S damages caused by such failure. In no event shall any payment by CITY pursuant to this Agreement constitute a waiver by CITY of any breach of this Agreement which Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

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may then exist on the part of CONSULTANT, nor shall such payment impair or prejudice any remedy available to CITY with respect to the breach.

E. Upon any breach of this Agreement by CONSULTANT, CITY may:
(i) Exercise any right, remedy (in contract, law or equity), or privilege which may be available to it under applicable laws of the State of California or any other applicable law; (ii) Proceed by appropriate court action to enforce the terms of the Agreement; and/or (iii) Recover all direct, indirect, consequential, economic and incidental damages for the breach of the Agreement. If it is determined that CITY improperly terminated this Agreement for default, such termination shall be deemed a termination for convenience.

F. CONSULTANT shall provide CITY with adequate written assurances of future performance, upon the request of the Director or his/her designee, in the event CONSULTANT fails to comply with any terms or conditions of this Agreement.

G. CONSULTANT shall be liable for default unless nonperformance is caused by an occurrence beyond the reasonable control of CONSULTANT and without its fault or negligence such as, acts of God or the public enemy, acts of CITY in its contractual capacity, fires, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, unusually severe weather, and delays of common carriers. CONSULTANT shall notify the Director or his/her designee in writing as soon as it is reasonably possible after the commencement of any excusable delay, setting forth the full particulars in connection therewith, and shall remedy such occurrence with all reasonable dispatch, and shall promptly give written notice to the Director or his/her designee of the cessation of such occurrence.

H. CONSULTANT agrees that, notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Agreement, any dispute arising from or relating to this Agreement (including, without limitation, disputes based on contract, tort, equity or statute) may, at CITY’S option, be joined and consolidated with any other dispute or disputes arising from or relating to the PROJECT so that all disputes arising from or relating to the PROJECT may be resolved in a single proceeding. CONSULTANT hereby specifically waives any objection it may otherwise have to such joinder and consolidation and specifically consents to mediation, arbitration or any other dispute resolution mechanism, forum or proceeding necessary to effectuate the joinder and consolidation contemplated by this provision.

ARTICLE IV. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, OWNERSHIP OF DOCUMENTS AND COPYRIGHT LICENSE A. All CITY information disclosed to CONSULTANT during the course of performance of services under this Agreement shall be treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed to any other persons or parties except as authorized by CITY, or required by law. Upon termination of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall turn over to CITY all records related to the Services provided to this Agreement.

B. CONSULTANT agrees to keep confidential the Services performed under this Agreement.

CONSULTANT agrees not to post on social media, the internet, or otherwise publish the Services performed under this Agreement without express written consent by the CITY.

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C. Any reports, information, or other data prepared or assembled by CONSULTANT pursuant to this Agreement shall not be made available to any individual or organization by CONSULTANT without the prior written approval of CITY. During the Term of this Agreement, and thereafter, CONSULTANT shall not, without the prior written consent of CITY, disclose to anyone any Confidential Information. The term Confidential Information for the purposes of this Agreement shall include all proprietary and confidential information of CITY, including but not limited to business plans, marketing plans, financial information, designs, drawings, specifications, materials, compilations, documents, instruments, models, source or object codes and other information developed pursuant to this Agreement, disclosed or submitted, orally, in writing, or by any other medium or media, (otherwise referred to as “work”). All Confidential Information shall be and remain confidential and proprietary in CITY.

D. CONSULTANT shall not reproduce (such as photographs and prints), duplicate, distribute reproductions, or incorporate into any trademark or service mark, the work without the prior written consent of CITY.

Any rights of the CONSULTANT in the work terminate upon the death of such CONSULTANT and do not extend to such CONSULTANT’S heirs, successors or assigns.

E. Title to the work shall pass to CITY upon final acceptance by CITY. CITY reserves the right to donate, transfer or sell the work or any portion thereof. CITY shall have the exclusive right to publicly display the work and shall have a license to reproduce (such as photographs and prints) or create three-dimensional reproductions of the work for any noncommercial purpose (including, but not limited to, books, slides, postcards, film, Internet sites, reproductions for advertising, and other media). Prior to public display, the CITY shall consider the sensitive nature and potential security risk of releasing the information to the general public. Such reproductions shall contain if legally necessary a copyright notice. Reproductions for commercial purposes are only to be made with the mutual written consent of CONSULTANT and CITY.

All references and reproductions or adaptations of the work will credit the work to the CONSULTANT unless CONSULTANT requests to the contrary. CITY reserves the right to modify,remove and/or relocate the work at any time, and after consultation with CONSULTANT, shall have the right to determine when and if modifications, repairs and/or restorations are needed. If City makes modifications, repairs or restoration not approved by the CONSULTANT, the CONSULTANT shall have the right to sever its association with the work. CONSULTANT agrees to give CITY written notice prior to asserting any claim pertaining to the work, and CITY shall have not less than 90 days from the date of receipt of claim to cure any such claim. CITY may incorporate the work into any trademark or service mark to be utilized by CITY to register the same in accordance with Federal, state or local law.

F. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the services to be performed under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall cause each subcontractor to also comply with the requirements of this Article (IV).

This Article (IV) shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement.

ARTICLE V. PROFESSIONAL SKILL
It is further mutually understood and agreed by and between the Parties hereto that inasmuch as CONSULTANT represents to CITY that CONSULTANT and its subcontractors, if any, are skilled in the profession and shall perform in accordance with the standards of said profession necessary to perform the services agreed to be done by it under this Agreement (the “Standard of Care”), CITY relies upon the skill of CONSULTANT and any subcontractors to do and perform such services in a skillful manner and Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

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CONSULTANT agrees to thus perform the services and require the same of any subcontractors. Therefore, any acceptance of such services by CITY shall not operate as a release of CONSULTANT or any subcontractors from said professional standards.

ARTICLE VI. INDEMNIFICATION AND DEFENSE
A. Indemnification and Defense for Professional Services: To the fullest extent permitted by law, CONSULTANT shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless CITY and any and all of its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers (“Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses, including legal counsel’s fees and costs, to the extent they arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct of the CONSULTANT. CONSULTANT’S duty to defend shall consist of reimbursement of defense costs incurred by CITY in direct proportion to the CONSULTANT’S proportionate percentage of fault.

CONSULTANT’S percentage of fault shall be determined, as applicable, by a court of law, jury or arbitrator. In the event any loss, liability or damage is incurred by way of settlement or resolution without a court, jury or arbitrator having made a determination of the CONSULTANT’S percentage of fault, the Parties agree to mediation with a third party neutral to determine the CONSULTANT’S proportionate percentage of fault for purposes of determining the amount of indemnity and defense cost reimbursement owed to the CITY.

B. For All Other Liabilities: Notwithstanding the foregoing and without diminishing any rights of CITY under this Article (VI), for any liability, claim, demand, allegation against CITY arising out of, related to, or pertaining to any act or omission of CONSULTANT, but which is not a design professional service, CONSULTANT shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CITY, its officials, employees, and agents (“Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all damages, costs, expenses (including reasonable attorney fees and expert witness fees), judgments, settlements, and/or arbitration awards, whether for personal or bodily injury, property damage, or economic injury, and arising out of, related to, any concurrent or contributory negligence on the part of the CITY, except for the sole or active negligence of, or willful misconduct of the CITY.

C. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the services to be performed under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall require each subcontractor to indemnify, hold harmless and defend CITY and each of its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers in accordance with the terms of the preceding paragraph.

This Article (VI) shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.

ARTICLE VII. INSURANCE
A. Throughout the life of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall pay for and maintain in full force and effect all insurance as required in Exhibit B, attached and incorporated into and part of this Agreement by reference, with an insurance company(ies) either:
(i) Admitted by the California Insurance Commissioner to do business in the State of California and rated no less than “A-VII” in the Best’s Insurance Rating Guide; or (ii) As may be authorized in writing by CITY'S Administrative Services Director, or his/her successor, or his/her designee at any time and in his/her sole discretion. The required policies of insurance as stated in Exhibit B shall maintain limits of liability of not less than those amounts stated therein.

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B. If at any time during the life of the Agreement or any extension, CONSULTANT or any of its subcontractors/sub-consultants fail to maintain any required insurance in full force and effect, all services and work under this Agreement shall be discontinued immediately, and all payments due or that become due to CONSULTANT shall be withheld until notice is received by CITY that the required insurance has been restored to full force and effect and that the premiums therefore have been paid for a period satisfactory to CITY. Any failure to maintain the required insurance shall be sufficient cause for CITY to terminate this Agreement. No action taken by CITY pursuant to this Article (VII) shall in any way relieve CONSULTANT of its responsibilities under this Agreement. The phrase “fail to maintain any required insurance” shall include, without limitation, notification received by CITY that an insurer has commenced proceedings, or has had proceedings commenced against it, indicating that the insurer is insolvent.

C. The fact that insurance is obtained by CONSULTANT shall not be deemed to release or diminish the liability of CONSULTANT, including, without limitation, liability under the indemnity provisions of this Agreement. The duty to indemnify CITY shall apply to all claims and liability regardless of whether any insurance policies are applicable. The policy limits do not act as a limitation upon the amount of indemnification to be provided by CONSULTANT. Approval or purchase of any insurance contracts or policies shall in no way relieve from liability nor limit the liability of CONSULTANT, its principals, officers, agents, employees, persons under the supervision of CONSULTANT, vendors, suppliers, invitees, consultants, sub-consultants, subcontractors, or anyone employed directly or indirectly by any of them.

D. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the services to be performed under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall require each subcontractor/sub-consultant to provide insurance protection, as an additional insured, to the CITY and each of its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers in accordance with the terms of this section, except that any required certificates and applicable endorsements shall be on file with CONSULTANT and CITY prior to the commencement of any services by the subcontractor. CONSULTANT and any subcontractor/sub-consultant shall establish additional insured status for CITY, its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers.

E. Certificates of Insurance and properly executed endorsements in a form acceptable to the CITY evidencing the coverage required by the clauses set forth above shall be filed with the CITY at the time of execution of this Agreement. Each such policy shall be endorsed with the following language, except as otherwise provided:
(i) The City is named as additional insured for all liability arising out of the operations by or on behalf of the named insured, and this policy protects the additional insured, its officers, agents, and employees against liability for personal and bodily injuries, deaths or property damage or destruction arising in any respect, directly or indirectly, in the performance of the contract. (For Public Liability Only)
(ii) The insurance provided is primary and no other insurance held or owned by the CITY shall be called upon to contribute to a loss.
(iii) The inclusion of more than one insured shall not operate to impair the rights of one insured against another insured, and the coverage afforded shall apply as though separate policies had been issued to each insured.

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(iv) The coverage provided by this policy shall not be canceled, non-renewed, or substantially reduced in amount or scope, without thirty (30) days prior written notice given to CITY by certified mail. (v) All rights of subrogation are hereby waived against the CITY, its officers, and employees when acting within the scope of their appointment or employment.

ARTICLE VIII. CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND NON-SOLICITATION A. Prior to CITY’S execution of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall complete a City of Grover Beach Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement in the form attached as Exhibit C, and incorporated herein by reference. During the Term of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall have the obligation and duty to immediately notify CITY in writing of any change to the information provided by CONSULTANT in such statement.

B. CONSULTANT shall comply, and require its subcontractors to comply, with all applicable (i) Professional canons and requirements governing avoidance of impermissible client conflicts; and
(ii) Federal, state and local conflict of interest laws and regulations including, without limitation, California Government Code Section 1090 et. seq., the California Political Reform Act (California Government Code Section 87100 et. seq.), and the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission concerning disclosure and disqualification (2 California Code of Regulations Section 18700 et. seq.).

At any time, upon written request of CITY, CONSULTANT shall provide a written opinion of its legal counsel and that of any subcontractor that, after a due diligent inquiry, CONSULTANT and the respective subcontractor(s) are in full compliance with all laws and regulations. CONSULTANT shall take, and require its subcontractors to take, reasonable steps to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. Upon discovery of any facts giving rise to the appearance of a conflict of interest, CONSULTANT shall immediately notify CITY of these facts in writing.

C. In performing the work or services to be provided hereunder, CONSULTANT shall not employ or retain the services of any person while such person either is employed by CITY or is a member of any CITY council, commission, board, committee, or similar CITY body. This requirement may be waived in writing by the City Manager, if no actual or potential conflict is involved.

D. CONSULTANT represents and warrants that it has not paid or agreed to pay any compensation, contingent or otherwise, direct or indirect, to solicit or procure this Agreement or any rights/benefits hereunder.

E. Neither CONSULTANT, nor any of CONSULTANT’S subcontractors performing any services on this Project, shall bid for, assist anyone in the preparation of a bid for, or perform any services pursuant to, any other contract in connection with this Project. CONSULTANT and any of its subcontractors shall have no interest, direct or indirect, in any other contract with a third-party in connection with this PROJECT unless such interest is in accordance with all applicable law and fully disclosed to and approved by the City Manager, in advance and in writing.

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F. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the work to be performed or services to be provided under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall include the provisions of this Article in each subcontract and require its subcontractors to comply therewith.

This Article (VIII) shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.

ARTICLE IX. GENERAL TERMS
A. Except as otherwise provided by law, all notices expressly required of CITY within the body of this Agreement, and not otherwise specifically provided for, shall be effective only if signed by the Director or his/her designee.

B. Records of CONSULTANT’S expenses pertaining to the Project shall be kept on a generally recognized accounting basis and shall be available to CITY or its authorized representatives upon request during regular business hours throughout the life of this Agreement and for a period of three (3) years after final payment or, if longer, for any period required by law. In addition, all books, documents, papers, and records of CONSULTANT pertaining to the Project shall be available for the purpose of making audits, examinations, excerpts, and transcriptions for the same period of time. If any litigation, claim, negotiations, audit or other action is commenced before the expiration of said time period, all records shall be retained and made available to CITY until such action is resolved, or until the end of said time period whichever shall occur later. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the services to be performed under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall cause each subcontractor to also comply with the requirements of this paragraph. This Article IX section (B) shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement.

C. Prior to execution of this Agreement by CITY, CONSULTANT shall have provided evidence to CITY that CONSULTANT is licensed to perform the services called for by this Agreement (or that no license is required). CONSULTANT and any subcontractors shall agree to obtain any local licensing or certifications necessary to perform services within the City, including but not limited to City Business Tax Certificates. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the work or services to be performed under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall require each subcontractor to provide evidence to CITY that subcontractor is licensed to perform the services called for by this Agreement (or that no license is required) before beginning work.

ARTICLE X. NONDISCRIMINATION
To the extent required by controlling federal, state and local law, CONSULTANT shall not employ discriminatory practices in the provision of services, employment of personnel, or in any other respect on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, ethnicity, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. Subject to the foregoing and during the performance of this Agreement, CONSULTANT agrees as follows:

A. CONSULTANT will comply with all applicable laws and regulations providing that no person shall, on the grounds of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

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be subject to discrimination under any program or activity made possible by or resulting from this Agreement.

B. CONSULTANT will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identification, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. CONSULTANT shall ensure that applicants are employed, and the employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identification, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. Such requirement shall apply to CONSULTANT’S employment practices including, but not be limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship. CONSULTANT agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provision of this nondiscrimination clause.

C. CONSULTANT will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of CONSULTANT in pursuit hereof, state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era.

D. CONSULTANT will send to each labor union or representative of workers with which it has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding, a notice advising such labor union or workers' representatives of CONSULTANT’S commitment under this section and shall post copies of the notice in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment.

E. If CONSULTANT should subcontract all or any portion of the services to be performed under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall cause each subcontractor to also comply with the requirements of this Article (X).

ARTICLE XI. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
A. In the furnishing of the services provided for herein, CONSULTANT is acting solely as an independent contractor. Neither CONSULTANT, nor any of its officers, agents or employees shall be deemed an officer, agent, employee, joint venture, partner or associate of CITY for any purpose. CITY shall have no right to control or supervise or direct the manner or method by which CONSULTANT shall perform its work and functions. However, CITY shall retain the right to administer this Agreement so as to verify that CONSULTANT is performing its obligations in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof.

B. This Agreement is not evidence of a partnership or joint venture between CONSULTANT and CITY.

CONSULTANT shall have no authority to bind CITY absent CITY’S express written consent. Except to the extent otherwise provided in this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall bear its own costs and expenses in pursuit thereof.

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C. Because of its status as an independent contractor, CONSULTANT and its officers, agents and employees shall have absolutely no right to employment rights and benefits available to CITY employees. CONSULTANT shall be solely liable and responsible for all payroll and tax withholding and for providing to, or on behalf of, its employees all employee benefits including, without limitation, health, welfare and retirement benefits. In addition, together with its other obligations under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall be solely responsible, indemnify, defend and save CITY harmless from all matters relating to employment and tax withholding for and payment of CONSULTANT'S employees, including, without limitation:
(i) Compliance with Social Security and unemployment insurance withholding, payment of workers’ compensation benefits, and all other laws and regulations governing matters of employee withholding, taxes and payment; and
(ii) Any claim of right or interest in CITY employment benefits, entitlements, programs and/or funds offered employees of CITY whether arising by reason of any common law, de facto, leased, or co-employee rights or other theory. It is acknowledged that during the Term of this Agreement, CONSULTANT may be providing services to others unrelated to CITY or to this Agreement.

ARTICLE XII. NOTICES
All notices, including notices of address changes, required to be sent hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when mailed to the addresses listed below:

A. CITY: City of Grover Beach, Jeff Lee, Public Works Director, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433
B. CONSULTANT: Water Systems Consulting, Inc., Jeffery Szytel, CEO, Mailing address: 805 Aerovista Place, Suite 201, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.

ARTICLE XIII. BINDING
Subject to Article XIV, below, once this Agreement is signed by all Parties, it shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, all Parties, and each Party's respective heirs, successors, assigns, transferees, agents, servants, employees and representatives.

ARTICLE XIV. ASSIGNMENT
A. This Agreement is personal to CONSULTANT and there shall be no assignment by CONSULTANT of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written approval of the Grover Beach City Council. Any attempted assignment by CONSULTANT, its successors or assigns, shall be null and void unless approved by the Grover Beach City Council.

B. CONSULTANT hereby agrees not to assign the payment of any monies due to CONSULTANT from CITY under the terms of this Agreement to any other individual(s), corporation(s) or entity(ies). CITY retains the right to pay any and all monies due to CONSULTANT directly to CONSULTANT.

ARTICLE XV. COMPLIANCE THE LAW
In providing the services required under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall at all times comply exercise the Standard of Care to comply with all applicable laws of the United States, the State of California and CITY, and with all applicable regulations promulgated by federal, state, regional, or local administrative Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

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and regulatory agencies, now in force and as they may be enacted, issued, or amended during the Term of this Agreement.

ARTICLE XVI. WAIVER
The waiver by either Party of a breach by the other of any provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a continuing waiver or a waiver of any subsequent breach of either the same or a different provision of this Agreement. No provisions of this Agreement may be waived unless in writing and signed by all Parties to this Agreement. Waiver of any one provision herein shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any other provision herein.

ARTICLE XVII. GOVERNING LAW AND VENUE
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, excluding, however, any conflict of laws rule which would apply the law of another jurisdiction. Venue for purposes of the filing of any action regarding the enforcement or interpretation of this Agreement and any rights and duties hereunder shall be San Luis Obispo County, California.

ARTICLE XVIII. HEADINGS
The section headings in this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and shall not be construed or held in any way to explain, modify or add to the interpretation or meaning of the provisions of this Agreement.

ARTICLE XIX. SEVERABILITY
The provisions of this Agreement are severable. The invalidity, or unenforceability of any one provision in this Agreement shall not affect the other provisions.

ARTICLE XX. INTERPRETATION
The Parties acknowledge that this Agreement in its final form is the result of the combined efforts of the Parties and that, should any provision of this Agreement be found to be ambiguous in any way, such ambiguity shall not be resolved by construing this Agreement in favor of or against either Party, but rather by construing the terms in accordance with their generally accepted meaning.

ARTICLE XXI. ATTORNEY’S FEES
If either Party is required to commence any proceeding or legal action to enforce or interpret any term, covenant or condition of this Agreement, the prevailing Party in such proceeding or action shall be entitled to recover from the other Party its reasonable attorney's fees and legal expenses.

ARTICLE XXII. EXHIBITS
Each exhibit and attachment referenced in this Agreement is, by reference, incorporated into and made a part of this Agreement
ARTICLE XXIII. PRECEDENCE OF DOCUMENTS
In the event of any conflict between the body of this Agreement and any Exhibit or Attachment hereto, the terms and conditions of the body of this Agreement shall control and take precedence over the terms and conditions expressed within the Exhibit or Attachment. Furthermore, any terms or conditions contained within any Exhibit or Attachment attached hereto, which purport to modify the allocation of risk between the Parties, provided for within the body of this Agreement, shall be null and void.

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ARTICLE XXIV. CUMULATIVE REMEDIES
No remedy or election hereunder shall be deemed exclusive but shall, wherever possible, be cumulative with all other remedies at law or in equity.

ARTICLE XXV. NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES
The rights, interests, duties and obligations defined within this Agreement are intended for the specific Parties as identified in the preamble of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything stated to the contrary in this Agreement, it is not intended that any rights or interests in this Agreement benefit or flow to the interest of any third parties.

ARTICLE XXVI. EXTENT OF AGREEMENT
Each Party acknowledges that they have read and fully understand the contents of this Agreement and any documents issued that resulted in selection of CONSULTANT for entry into this Agreement. This Agreement represents the entire and integrated agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior negotiations, representations or agreements, either written or oral. This Agreement may be modified only by written instrument duly authorized and executed by both CITY and CONSULTANT.

ARTICLE XXVII. INTEGRATION
This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement of the Parties and supersedes all previous and/or contemporaneous understanding or agreement between the Parties with respect to all or any part of the subject matter hereof.

ARTICLE XVIII. AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE
The person or persons executing this Agreement on behalf of the Parties hereto warrants and represents that he/she/they has/have the authority to execute this Agreement on behalf of their entity and has/have the authority to bind their Party to the performance of its obligations hereunder. This Agreement may be executed electronically.

ARTICLE XXIX. COUNTERPARTS
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts with each counterpart being deemed an original. No counterpart shall be deemed to be an original or presumed delivered unless and until the counterparts executed by the other Parties hereto are in the physical possession of the Party or Parties seeking enforcement thereof. Digital signatures meeting the requirements of Government Code section 16.5 shall also be considered original signatures.

AGREEMENT SIGNATURES
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 7/17/2026
7/20/2026

rev 7-2026
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have entered into this Agreement effective as of the day and year first written above.

CITY OF GROVER BEACH
Kassi Dee, Mayor Date
Attest:

Wendi Sims, City Clerk Date
Approved as to Form:

Jennifer P. Thompson, City Attorney Date
WATER SYSTEMS CONSULTING, INC.

Jeffrey Szytel, P.E., M.S., M.B.A. Date
President
Attachments:

1. Exhibit A - Scope of Services and Fee Schedule

2. Exhibit B - Insurance Requirements

3. Exhibit C - Disclosure of Conflict of Interest
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 7/17/2026
7/20/2026

rev 7-2026

EXHIBIT A

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES

CONSULTANT SCOPE OF WORK AND FEE SCHEDULE
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 June 22, 2026
Ellen Boyle
Senior Administrative
Assistant
[email protected]
WSC San Luis Obispo
805 Aerovista Place
Suite 201
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
P: 805.457.8833 ext 111
F: 805.888.2764
Michael Steele PE
Project Manager
P: 805.221.7772
E: [email protected]
Jeff Szytel PE
Principal in Charge
P: 805.463.6933
E: [email protected]
WSC confirms it can provide
the required insurance as
described in the RFP.

Dear Ellen,
The Northern Cities Management Area Technical Group (NCMA TG) is seeking a highly qualified consultant that specializes in water supply and water resources engineering. The selected consultant will provide as-needed staff extension services to assist the NCMA TG in managing its water supply portfolios and will provide project management services for the preparation of its Annual Report.

Water Systems Consulting (WSC) is excited for the opportunity to further illustrate our continued commitment to being a trusted partner to the NCMA TG by providing high-quality, insightful, and implementable solutions. WSC is a civil and environmental engineering firm specializing in water supply and resource projects, as well as providing staff extension services to Central Coast and California clients similar to the NCMA TG.

The benefits of selecting WSC include:

Institutional Continuity. WSC has supported the NCMA Agencies for the past fifteen years, bringing direct expertise with NCMA water resource issues. Our Principal in Charge, Jeff Szytel, has worked with the NCMA TG throughout that history on a variety of water resources projects, while our Project Manager, Michael Steele, has a close working relationship with the NCMA TG and its staff. Our historical knowledge and contextual understanding of your agencies’ needs will streamline our work as an extension of staff.

Stewardship of Agency Resources. We will help you maintain ongoing initiatives and only spend time on strategic initiatives at the request of the agencies, minimizing agency staff time and maximizing the value you get with your resources. WSC has delivered every year of the past 5-year contract under budget, saving the agencies over $95k.

Technical Foresight. We will combine our detailed understanding of the NCMA TG’s water supply portfolio with our insight into ongoing initiatives and environmental/regulatory changes, to effectively deliver solutions that improve water resources management opportunities and provide sustainable water supplies for the region.

Implementation Capability. As strategic initiatives shift into implementation, there is value in a full-service firm that can carry an initiative from feasibility through design, permitting, construction, and commissioning without losing institutional knowledge at each handoff.

WSC’s full-service team is positioned to do that work with our in-house team of planners, engineers, and hydrogeologists.

We understand that this is an important decision for the NCMA TG and we hope this proposal demonstrates our continued interest and commitment to your future. We look forward to strengthening our trusted relationships with the NCMA TG member agencies, staff, and your strategic partners. WSC currently has contracts with the NCMA TG and we are confident that we can reach an agreement.

If you have any questions or would like clarification on any aspect of our proposal, please contact WSC’s Project Manager, Michael Steele or our Principal in Charge, Authorized Representative, and WSC President/CEO, Jeff Szytel.

Sincerely,
Water Systems Consulting
Michael Steele
Project Manager
Jeff Szytel
Principal in Charge | WSC President/CEO
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Qualifications
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 2 Beach
Pismo State
Tiber
Oceano
Beach
Pismo
Beach
Grover Grande
Arroyo
0 0.5 1.5
Miles
1 Nipomo Mesa Management Area
Northern Cities Management Area
Santa Maria Valley Management Area
Santa Maria DWR Basin
Northern Cities
Pismo Beach
Grover Beach
OCSD
Arroyo Grande
Pismo Beach 2025 UWMP & Water
Master Plan
Pismo Beach Recycled Water Facilities
Planning Study
Pismo Beach Well 31 Engineering Design
Grover Beach 2020 UWMP
Central Coast Blue Program Management
Arroyo Grande CIP Update and Water
Supply Analysis
Arroyo Grande Water and Sewer Master
Plan Update
Arroyo Grande Subbasin GSP
SSLOCSD Recycled Water Facilities
Planning Study
FY11-25 NCMA Staff Extension Services
Groundwater Model Development
SLO County 2020 UWMP
LEGEND

EXPERIENCE
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
12 12
9 9
10 10
11 11
WSC is Your Trusted Partner
WSC has successfully worked alongside the NCMA TG for fifteen years, supporting numerous water resources projects for the NCMA TG and its member and neighboring agencies.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 3 Organizational Chart
WSC has a deep team of qualifi ed staff , many of whom are located near enough to the NCMA TG's service area that they can respond in-person if required. WSC's Project Manager, Michael Steele, has worked with the NCMA TG on multiple projects in the past fi ve years. Michael will assemble a team of qualifi ed staff from the organizational chart below who have the appropriate experience and availability to meet the NCMA TG's staff extension needs. Our team includes planing engineers and a hydrogeologist with direct experience preparing groundwater basin management plans.

Project Manager
 Michael Steele PE
NCMA

NORTHERN CITIES

MANAGEMENT
AREA
• City of Arroyo Grande • City of Grover Beach •
Oceano Community Services District • City of Pismo Beach Principal in Charge
 Jeff Szytel PE
QA/QC & Technical Advisors
Project Managers
Planning & Asset Management
 Jeroen Olthof PE
 Heather Freed PE
 Brendan Hamilton PWAM
Groundwater
 Joe Kingsbury PG, CHG
 Michael Goymerac PE
Strategic Communications
 Sierra Orr
 Cynthia Kahn
 Rob Morrow PE
 Justin Pickard PE, CCM, LEED AP BD+C
 Kendall Houghton PE
Funding and Financing
 Justin Sutton
Data Management
 David Williams
 Brendan Hamilton PWAM
Offi ce Location
 San Luis Obispo
 Ontario
 San Diego
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 4 Staff Extension and
Engineering Support
Services

NCMA TG
For over fifteen years, WSC has provided integrated water resources planning and staff extension support services for the NCMA TG.

The WSC team has provided staff extension services and led specific initiatives to provide the NCMA TG with responsive water resources planning services including: demand analysis, water supply portfolio optimization, decision support, strategic planning, hydraulic modeling, source of supply reliability and alternatives analysis, and technical support services.

After seawater intrusion was detected in the coastal aquifer in 2009, WSC developed a water supply, production, and
delivery model that allowed the agencies to maximize interagency surface water deliveries and reduce groundwater pumping during the historic drought. The system model
incorporated constraints for available supply, treatment capacity, conveyance pipeline capacity, seasonal system demand, and intertie delivery capacity to develop optimized water supply portfolio management strategies. The most
reliable scenarios for potable water supply and delivery were modeled while considering implications of contractual surface water allocations and declining groundwater basin yields.

Starting/Completion Dates: October 2009 to present
Contract Amount: $1.2 million (total)
Central Coast Blue &
Phase 1B Groundwater
Model
NCMA TG and City of Pismo Beach
WSC provided program management, engineering
design, funding, and environmental document
support services for the Central Coast Blue project
and successfully partnered with our subconsultant,
Geoscience, on the Phase 1B Groundwater Model.

Central Coast Blue involves constructing an advanced
treatment facility to treat secondary wastewater effluent before injecting the treated effluent into the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin to supplement water supplies and
protect the basin from seawater intrusion.

WSC oversaw the development of the Phase 1B
Groundwater Model, which included modeling and
evaluation of the northern portion of the Santa Maria
Groundwater Basin and the modeling of Central Coast
Blue injection and extraction scenarios.

Geoscience’s work on the Phase 1B Model included
development of a lithologic model to identify physical
extents, thickness, continuity, and lithology of the
geologic unit across the model domain. The model
was calibrated for the period of January 1977 through
December 2016 to match observed water levels.

Following model calibration, the team developed and
conducted scenario runs to evaluate the effects of
future pumping and recycled water injection activities
on potential seawater intrusion and the reliability of
groundwater supplies in the region.

Starting/Completion Dates: April 2014 to present
Contract Amount: $2.5 Million
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 5 Arroyo Grande Subbasin
GSP
County of San Luis Obispo and the City of
Arroyo Grande
WSC managed the development of the Arroyo Grande
Subbasin GSP for the County of San Luis Obispo and City of Arroyo Grande.

WSC was responsible for project administration, the Projects and Management Actions chapter, and implementation
of the Communications and Engagement Plan. WSC also
led the development of an integrated groundwater-surface water model and dynamic integrated toolsets that enabled the County and its agency partners to model and better
understand the interrelationships between the operations of Lopez Reservoir and groundwater/surface water interactions in Arroyo Grande Creek to advance the development of the Habitat Conservation Plan.

WSC’s team completed four GSA workshops where
stakeholders were engaged in the GSP process and feedback was gathered from the public. The workshop was well
received by stakeholders and the public that attended.

Outreach and communications materials included a handout targeted for the public and other stakeholders.

Starting/Completion Dates: October 2020 to October 2022 Contract Amount: $847,000
On-Call Grant Writing
Management
Water Replenishment District (WRD) of
Southern California
WSC is leading efforts to help WRD, the largest
groundwater agency by population in California with a
420-square-mile service area, and its staff identify and pursue funding for various critical facilities and projects in an adjudicated basin.

WSC supported development of an EPA WIFIA application
to request $81,500,000 to help fund the Torrance
Groundwater Desalter Expansion project. WSC performed
project management and QA/QC for preparation and
submittal of a USBR WaterSMART Planning and Project
Design Grant which was awarded $173,645 to support
development of a Drought Contingency Plan. WSC also
led preparation of an EPA STAG application to request
$2,500,000 secured under Federal appropriations (CPF
Program) to fund a PFAS remediation project for the
benefit of La Habra Heights County Water District. WSC
assisted WRD with development and submittal of an
NOI and full application for the Cal OES FY24 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program for Local and Tribal
Governments grant program to perform cybersecurity and
vulnerability assessments of WRD’s operational technology network, which resulted in a successful $200,000 grant
award. WSC also assisted with updates to a Title XVI WIIN Act Feasibility Study for multiple PFAS projects to secure funding eligibility. Additional funding support focused on identifying opportunities for STEM educational programs at the WRD ARC facility and electric vehicle and infrastructure funding for WRD’s fleet.

Starting/Completion Dates: October 2023 to present
Contract Amount: $269,000
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 6

REFERENCES
Number of years engaged in providing the services included within the scope of the specifications under the present business name: _________
Describe fully the last three contracts performed by your firm that demonstrate your ability to provide the services included with the scope of the specifications. Attach additional pages if required. The City reserves the right to contact each of the references listed for additional information regarding your firm's qualifications.

Reference No. 1
Customer Name
Contact Individual
Telephone & Email
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Date of Services
Contract Amount
Description of Services
Project Outcome
Reference No. 2
Customer Name
Contact Individual
Telephone & Email
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Date of Services
Contract Amount
Description of Services
Project Outcome
17 Northern Cities Management Area TG
October 2009 to present
Services including demand analysis, water supply portfolio optimization, decision support, strategic planning, hydraulic modeling, source of supply reliability and alternatives analysis, and technical support services. $1.2 million (total)
For over 15 years, WSC has provided integrated water resource planning and staff extension support services for the NCMA TG.

County of San Luis Obispo and the City of Arroyo Grande WSC managed the development of the Arroyo Grande Subbasin GSP for the County of San Luis Obispo and City of Arroyo Grande.

WSC was responsible for project administration, the Projects and Management Actions chapter, and implementation of the Communications and Engagement Plan. WSC also led the development of an integrated groundwater-surface water model and dynamic integrated toolsets October 2020 to October 2022
$847,000
(805) 473-5464 | [email protected]
300 E. Branch St.

Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Shane Taylor, Former Utilities Manager
Shannon Sweeney, City Engineer
(805) 473-5444 | [email protected]
300 E. Branch St.

Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Reference No. 3
Customer Name
Contact Individual
Telephone & Email
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Date of Services
Contract Amount
Description of Services
Project Outcome
WSC is leading efforts to help WRD, the largest groundwater agency by population in California with a 420-square-mile service area, and its staff identify and pursue funding for various critical facilities and projects.

WSC supported development of an EPA WIFIA application to request $81,500,000 to help fund the Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion project. For additional examples, see page 5.

Water Replenishment District of Southern California
October 2023 to present
$269K
4040 Paramount Blvd
Lakewood, CA 90712
Esther Valle Rojas, Manager of Watermaster and Water Resources (562) 275-4259 | [email protected]
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 7

EDUCATION
BS, Civil Engineering, Texas A&M
University

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer - Civil, California,
No. 91874
“I am passionate about
developing sustainable
solutions to complex
problems, especially
as it relates to keeping
water safe, available,
and affordable.”

PROJECT MANAGER
Michael has over eight years of engineering and project management experience for water and sanitation projects. He has worked with a range of organizations to implement solutions in contexts ranging from small, rural villages to large municipalities. He is passionate about leveraging interdisciplinary teams with diverse viewpoints to create innovative solutions to challenging problems. Michael’s expertise includes project management, water resources planning and management, data analysis and visualization, funding and fi nancing, facilitation and communication, rural water system design, and community development.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Staff Extension Services, Northern Cities
Management Area Technical Group, San Luis
Obispo County, CA. Project Manager. Providing
sta extension services for the cities of Arroyo
Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, and the
Oceano Community Services District to help them
meet their court-mandated requirements for their
collective management of the shared groundwater
basin. Michael coordinates and facilitates monthly
meetings of the NCMA Technical Group.

Additional support tasks include updating monthly
groundwater production reports and database,
managing an Annual Report consultant, providing
as-needed technical analysis for a variety of
potential impacts to the groundwater basin.

Central Coast Blue, City of Pismo Beach, CA.

Deputy Program Manager. Implemented and
managed program controls, coordinated designs
between di erent teams, provided engineering
review and oversight, developed and managed
a program cash-fl ow model, and supported
the environmental evaluation and permitting.

Additionally, he authored grant funding applications,
developed permit applications, and coordinated with
stakeholders, the public, regulators, and funding
agencies.
2024 Capital Improvement Program and Water
Supply Update, City of Arroyo Grande, CA. Project
Manager. The City of Arroyo Grande is updating
their water and wastewater Capital Improvement
Program to inform future budgeting e orts and
prioritize system maintenance and improvements.

Michael is serving as the Project Manager,
overseeing the work and ensuring the CIP update
will provide the city a fl exible and implementable
plan for the next decade.

On-Call Grant Management, Water
Replenishment District of Southern California,
Lakewood, CA. Engineering Support. The Bureau of
Reclamation’s WaterSMART Drought Response
Program provides fi nancial assistance for applicants
to develop a drought contingency plan. Michael
authored a funding application to help WRD
formalize their drought management strategies into
a formal multi-stakeholder plan to help prepare for
future droughts in an adjudicated basin.

Water Reclamation Facility Replacement
Program, City of Atascadero, CA, CA. Engineering
Support. WSC is helping the City of Atascadero to
determine what is needed to keep the City's Water
Reclamation Facility in compliance with current and
future regulations. Authored a funding application
to leverage state grant funds to support the
development of a recycled water feasibility study.

Drought Contingency Plan, East Valley Water
District, Highlands, CA. Engineering Support.

Funded by a Bureau of Reclamation grant, Michael
led the development of a dynamic data analysis
and visualization tool that helps the District meet
their state reporting requirements and helps them
develop a range of potential future water supply and
demand scenarios based on the identifi cation and
extrapolation of historical trends.

Michael Steele PE
Michael Steele
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 8

EDUCATION
MBA, UCLA Anderson
School of Management
MS, Civil Engineering, University
of California Los Angeles
BS, Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of
California Davis

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer - Civil,
CA, No. 63004
“I am passionate about
creating a better water
future for our communities
and environment. I founded
WSC in 2007 to pursue
this vision with a focus
on the human connection
that brings transformative
solutions to life. I look
forward to earning your
trust and building a better
water future together!

PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE
Jeff Szytel has 27 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering specializing in water, wastewater, and recycled water systems. He founded WSC in 2007 to pursue a simple premise: provide personalized service, sustainable solutions, and lasting value to the communities we serve. Jeff 's expertise includes project and program management, integrated water resources planning, capital improvement planning, and water and wastewater treatment facility evaluation, optimization and design. Jeff is a skilled organizational strategist focused on developing and implementing regional, multibenefi t projects and programs. He specializes in strategic analysis and communication, inter-agency negotiations and facilitation and organizational development.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Staff Extension Services, Northern Cities
Management Area Technical Group, San Luis
Obispo County, CA. Principal in Charge. Provided
as-needed engineering services for the City of
Arroyo Grande, City of Grover Beach, City of
Pismo Beach, and the Oceano Community
Services District. Coordinated monthly meetings of
the Northern Cities Management Area Technical
Group. Interfaced with local and statewide
regulatory agencies as an authorized agent of the
Northern Cities.

Water Resources Engineering Services, Northern
Cities Management Area Technical Group, San
Luis Obispo County, CA. Project Manager. Provided
as-needed water resources engineering services
to support the Northern Cities Management
Area Technical Group, which consists of the
Cities of Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover
Beach, and the Oceano Community Services
District. Responsibilities include technical review
and guidance, planning assistance, groundwater
management assistance, and general water
resources engineering support.

Lopez Pipeline Hydraulic Analysis, Northern Cities
Management Area Technical Group, San Luis
Obispo County, CA. Project Manager. Conducted
a hydraulic evaluation of the Lopez Pipeline that
delivers water from the Lopez Water Treatment
Plant near Lopez Reservoir to the Cities of Pismo
Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and the
Oceano Community Services District. The pipeline
extends roughly 16 miles and ranges in size from
8- to 36-inches in diameter. The goal of this project
is to determine the pipeline’s capacity for delivering
additional State Water Project water to the
Northern Cities on an emergency basis. Gathered
and compiled existing information on the Lopez
Pipeline, developed operational and evaluation
criteria and modeling scenarios, developed a
WaterGEMS model of the system, planned,
coordinated and conducted a four hour fl ow test
on the pipeline for the purpose of model calibration,
and completed capacity analysis.

Water and Sewer Master Plans, City of Arroyo
Grande, CA. Principal in Charge. Prepare hydraulic
models for the City’s water distribution and
wastewater collection systems using WaterGEMS
and SewerGEMS, respectively. Prepare update
system mapping using GIS, developed spatially
allocated demands using customer data, conducted
fl ow monitoring, lift station draw down tests, and fi re hydrant fl ow tests to calibrate the models. Used the
models to complete a capacity-based assessment
and recommend capital improvement projects.

Recycled Water Facilities Planning Study, City of
Pismo Beach, CA. Principal in Charge. Prepare a
facilities planning study, funded in part by a planning grant from the California State Water Resources
Control Board Water Recycling Funding Program.

Investigated multiple alternatives to put the City’s
treated wastewater to benefi cial use.

Jeff Szytel
Jeff Szytel PE
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 9

QA/QC AND TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Rob Morrow’s 26 years of engineering experience centers on integrated water resources planning with a focus on long-term supply planning and implementation of recycled water projects from concept to operation for applications ranging from agricultural irrigation to potable reuse. He has led large and small recycled water master plans and preliminary designs across California and has led integrated water resources planning projects that analyzed water supply and demand portfolios that include imported water supplies, surface water, groundwater, stormwater, rainwater, graywater, groundwater recharge, and in-lieu recharge. Rob is experienced with fi nancial revenue and funding strategy planning as well as preparation of multiple successful state and federal grant and loans.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Test Injection Well and Data Collection Phase,
Central Coast Blue, City of Pismo Beach, CA.

Project Manager. Managed the pre-design data
collection e orts funded by a $2.0 million grant
from the State Water Resources Control Board
under Proposition 1 Groundwater Sustainability
Grant Program. The primary e ort entailed
permitting, design, construction, and testing of one
injection well and two monitoring wells to inform
modeling and design of the Central Coast Blue
project. The e ort also included a groundwater
antidegradation analysis, aerial geophysics
investigation, soil leaching study, and well siting
analysis. Aquifer testing data from the test injection
well and aerial geophysics data were used to update
the groundwater model to determine injection
well capacity and locations. Soil and water quality
data were used to conduct the groundwater antidegradation analysis and soil leaching study, which informed treatment design for water conditioning.

Holds weekly coordination meetings with City Sta
and technical teams and provides updated schedules
and progress reports. Researches permits, reviews
technical drawings and designs, assesses CEQA
scoping, analyzes myriad data, and reviews work
plans, among other various tasks.

Basin Management Plan Program Management
and Implementation, Pajaro Valley Water
Management, Watsonville, CA. Project Engineer.

Manage implementation team for Pajaro Valley
Water Management Agency’s (PVWMA)
Basin Management Plan, including construction
of 22-mile pipeline to deliver an import water
supply (CVP) that will be blended with recycled
water from an 8 mgd tertiary treatment plant
and delivered to agricultural water users along
the coast via a 30-mile distribution pipeline. Rob
led project controls e ort that included detailed
scheduling, cost tracking and projections, consultant
management, and weekly and monthly reports.

He worked with agency and fi nancial consultant to
develop fi nancial revenue and funding strategies
for phased implementation of the projects that
addresses cash fl ow and capital constraints. Rob is
also managing the design consultant’s fi nal design
of the recycled water agricultural distribution
system and provided technical support for the
environmental document consultant’s e orts during
writing of the Basin Plan’s EIS and the import water
supply EIR/EIS. Rob provided technical support
for acquisition of numerous federal, state, and local
environmental permits in preparation for pipeline
and distribution system construction.

Groundwater Basins Master Plan, Water
Replenishment District of Southern California,
Lakewood, CA. Project Engineer. Provide technical
and strategic support for the development of a longterm plan for two adjudicated basins: the Central and West Coast Groundwater Basins of southern
Los Angeles County. Working closely with the basin
pumpers and other stakeholders, the plan identifi ed
and evaluated alternatives for meeting anticipated
future groundwater demands.

Rob Morrow
Rob Morrow PE

EDUCATION
MS, Civil / Environmental
Engineering, U.C. Berkeley
BS, Civil / Environmental
Engineering, Vanderbilt University

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer - Civil,
California, No. C68916
“I have dedicated
my career to helping
agencies cost-effectively
navigate today’s complex
water challenges with
integrated, system wide
approaches to water
resources management.”
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 10

QA/QC AND TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Justin Pickard has more than 24 years of experience as a construction manager, supervising engineer, and project manager on a diverse range of civil engineering projects. He has worked both as a consultant for numerous public agencies and as a supervising engineer for one of the largest municipal water districts in California, managing complex water, wastewater, and recycled water projects. Justin’s expertise includes program, project, and construction management for water resources projects.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Central Coast Blue, City of Pismo Beach, Pismo
Beach, CA. Program Manager. Provided program
management, detailed design, funding, and
permitting support services for an indirect potable
reuse, groundwater replenishment and seawater
intrusion prevention project. The project included
design of a new advanced water purifi cation facility
with ultrafi ltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet disinfection/advanced oxidation; design of injection
and monitoring wells; design of purifi ed water and
secondary e
uent pipelines; grant funding and
low-interest fi nancing application preparation;
regulatory coordination; and public outreach.

On-Call Grant Writing Management, Water
Replenishment District of Southern California,
Lakewood, CA. Project Manager. Prepared
application materials to pursue grant funding and
low-interest fi nancing in support of the District’s
capital improvement program. Researched and
identifi ed available funding opportunities that
aligned with District’s projects. Prepared grant
applications for USBR Drought Contingency
Planning Program, US EPA Community Grant
Program, and Cal OES Cybersecurity Grant
Program. Prepared loan application materials for
US EPA WIFIA Program.

Community Workforce Agreement Support,
City of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA.

Project Manager. Assisted City sta with an analysis
of the potential implementation of a community
workforce agreement (i.e., project labor
agreement) for the City's capital improvement
projects. Served as member of negotiating team
and supported negotiations with Tri-Counties
Building and Construction Trades Council to
negotiate fi nal agreement. Prepared meeting
materials and presented updates to City Council.

Title 22 Engineering Report, City of San Luis
Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA. Project Manager.

Project included preparation of an Engineering
Report to satisfy Title 22 requirements governing
the use of recycled water produced though an
upgraded treatment process (MBR and UV) at
the City’s Water Resource Recovery Facility.

Authored report sections and coordinated with
City sta to compile report content related to
City’s operation and maintenance of the recycled
water treatment process. Coordinated with the
State Water Resources Control Board Division of
Drinking Water to facilitate approval of report.

CSA16 Shandon Dual Water Tank Project, County
of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department,
Shandon, CA. Project Manager. Project includes
design of a new 375,000-gallon welded steel
storage tank to provide supplemental storage and
meet fi re fl ow demands in the Shandon area.

Improvements include a new storage tank, control
panel and instrumentation with solar power system,
tank overfl ow and drain piping, and miscellaneous
site improvements. Prepared detailed design
drawings, technical specifi cations, and opinion of
probable construction cost.

North Pleasant Valley Desalter Project, City of
Camarillo, CA. Construction Manager. Provided
program and construction management support
for construction and operation of a $42 million
reverse osmosis groundwater desalter facility. The
desalter facility treats 4,500 AFY of brackish
groundwater and yields 3,800 AFY of potable
water, allowing the City to more than double its
local water supply.

Justin Pickard
Justin Pickard PE, CCM,
LEED AP BD+C

EDUCATION
BS, Civil Engineering, University of
Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer - Civil, California,
No. 71816
Certifi ed Construction Manager, No.
14107
LEED AP BD+C, No. 10183662
“I’m passionate about
helping our clients deliver
projects and programs
from concept through
construction and operation.

It’s incredibly rewarding
to see the culmination of
a team’s hard work in the
physical improvements that
benefi t the communities
where we live and work.”
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 11

QA/QC AND TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Kendall is a Professional Civil Engineer with environmental engineering experience specializing in water and wastewater treatment design. She has experience in hydraulic analysis, pump station design and analysis, wastewater and wastewater treatment and water master planning. Her graduate studies focused on water security analysis, water demand management optimization, with an emphasis on characterizing the drivers of household water demand.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Northern Cities Staff Extension Services Fiscal
Years 16-17, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20, and 20-21,
Engineering Services. Cities of Arroyo Grande, Pismo
Beach, Grover Beach, and Oceano, CA. Project
Engineer. Provided as-needed engineering services
for the City of Arroyo Grande, City of Grover
Beach, City of Pismo Beach, and the Oceano
Community Services District. Coordinated
monthly meetings of the NCMA Technical Group.

Interfaced with local and statewide regulatory
agencies as an authorized agent of the Northern
Cities. Tasks include preparing monthly agendas,
updating the monthly groundwater production
report and database, reviewing their Annual Report,
developing a comparison summary of Annual
Reports from the NCMA and NMMA, drafting
a Case Management Conference Statement,
preparing GIS exhibits and excel graphics for the
NCMA Case Management Conference.
2020 Urban Water Management Plan, San
Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water
Conservation District, CA. Contributing Author.

Developed the Zone 3 2020 UWMP which
included a Demand Management Measures
Technical Memorandum. In addition to developing
the 2020 UWMP, Dan has assisted the Zone
3 stakeholders in developing a plan to limit
downstream releases and municipal diversions from
Lopez Reservoir during periods of low reservoir
storage (i.e. less than 20,000 AF) to preserve
water within the reservoir, above the minimum pool
level, for a minimum of 3 to 4 years.

Alternatives Analysis for Water Reclamation
Facility Improvements and Upgrades, City of
Atascadero, CA. Sta Engineer. Assisted with
development of an alternatives analysis for the
City of Atascadero's WRF to determine what the
City needed to do to keep the treatment facility in
compliance with regulations. Assisted the City in
gaining a better understanding of the e
uent limits
that will apply to the WRF. The alternatives analysis
established e
uent limit targets, updated WRF
fl ows and loads, and created two alternatives for
further economic and non-economic evaluations.

On-Call Groundwater Modeling and Well
Equipping, City of San Luis Obispo, CA. Sta
Engineer. Assisted with program management
services for a groundwater modeling and well
equipping project. Aided development of a
preliminary design to equip the existing well on
the Water Resource Recovery Facility site near
Highway 101 and evaluated treatment alternatives
and benefi cial uses for the well. Provided as-needed
support the City in funding opportunities for the
project.

Central Coast Blue, City of Pismo Beach,
CA. Engineering Support. Providing Program
Management, Preliminary Design, Funding, and
Environmental Document Support services for
the Indirect Potable Reuse project that will recover
secondary e
uent from the City of Pismo Beach
and the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation
District’s wastewater treatment plants, a resource
currently discharged to the Pacifi c Ocean.

Kendall Stahl
Kendall Houghton PE, MS

EDUCATION
MS, Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of Adelaide
BS, Environmental Engineering,
California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obispo

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer, Civil, CA
No. 91431
“I am passionate about
creating practical
yet innovative water
solutions for our
communities and helping
to make them a reality.”
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 12

GROUNDWATER
Joe is a Professional Geologist and Certifi ed Hydrogeologist with 25 years of diversifi ed experience with groundwater, geotechnical, and environmental projects performed for numerous municipalities, state agencies, and private clients throughout California. His recent project expertise includes well siting assessments, preliminary and fi nal municipal well designs, construction management and inspection for municipal supply and injection wells, and well rehabilitation prioritization plans. Joe has a keen ability to recognize how and when to initiate leadership and eff ective communication needed to maintain successful collaboration among groups consisting of technical and non-technical participants alike on water supply projects.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Central Coast Blue Proposition 1 Planning Grant
Activities, Multiple Agencies, Pismo Beach,
CA. Hydrogeologist. Lead hydrogeologist for the
planning and implementation of project injection
and monitoring wells. For the initial phase, he
prepared the technical plans and specifi cations
and provided construction management services
(CMS) and fi nal design for a test injection
well and associated nested monitoring well.

He recently completed a siting study for the
remaining Phase 1 & 2 injection wells and is
currently updating planning level cost estimations
for construction and CMS of six injection wells
and nine nested monitoring wells.

On-Call Hydrogeological Services, Eastern
Municipal Water District, Perris, CA. Project
Manager. Since 2019, provided on-call
hydrogeologic and management services to
the District’s Groundwater Development
group on a variety of projects/programs, such
as groundwater resource studies, groundwater
monitoring programs, well condition assessments,
well permitting, Drinking Source Water Drinking
Water Source Assessment and Protection
(DWSAP), and well installations. Additionally,
the District relies on his technical expertise
and support to develop and update Standard
Operational Procedures for fi eld groundwater
sampling methods, technical specifi cations for
well drilling, construction and testing, and design
Joe Kingsbury
Joe Kingsbury PG, CHG

EDUCATION
BA, Geology, The Ohio State
University

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Geologist,
California, No. 8680
Certifi ed Hydrogeologist,
California, No. 1019
“I strive to provide my
clients the type of service
that I would expect:
responsive, informed
and committed to their
success. The reward
comes with identifying
effective ways to reduce
costs and working
through technical
challenges.”
and selection of groundwater monitoring and
sampling trailers and equipment. One highlight
includes the Perris II Reverse Osmosis Treatment
Facility project which Joe:
• Participated in Technical Advisory Committee
meetings and assisted with fi nalizing the
Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MRP).
• Developed a sampling plan and summary
report for a pilot program to demonstrate the
use of sonde technology to vertically profi le
TDS and nitrate concentrations in wells.

Another highlight includes Joe’s role with the
Perris North Program, which he:
• Developed the MRP and preliminary
pumping plan in accordance with the
requirements of the Proposition 1 grant
agreement.
• Technical team member during the siting,
preliminary design, and development of bid
packages (specifi cations) for nested and
clustered monitoring wells at 15 sites.

Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Model Update
and Supplemental Water Supply Options
Study, San Luis Obispo County Flood Control
and Water Conservation District, Paso Robles,
CA. Project Manager. Joe completed the role of
project manager for the update, refi nement and
recalibration of the Paso Robles Groundwater
Basin Model.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 13

PLANNING AND ASSET MANAGEMENT
Jeroen Olthof brings 30 years of experience in planning, design, and management of water and wastewater infrastructure. He specializes in hydraulic modeling of pipe networks, feasibility studies, infrastructure condition assessment, and comprehensive master planning. His experience includes database development and integration of geographic information systems (GIS) with hydraulic models, recycled water customer databases, and asset databases. He has developed and maintained custom databases to track recycled water customers and generate reports for regulatory agencies and other stakeholders. Jeroen has also developed condition assessment programs and decision algorithms to support capital improvement planning and maintenance optimization.

He has published several technical papers on hydraulic modeling and infrastructure condition assessment.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Coastal Branch Capacity Assessment, County of
San Luis Obispo, CA. Project Engineer. Prepared
a capacity assessment of the Coastal Branch of
the State Water Project and the Chorro Valley
Pipeline for the County of San Luis Obispo and the
Central Coast Water Authority. Project includes
developing a computer model of the pipelines
using WaterGEMS GIS based hydraulic modeling
software, developing various supply and delivery
scenarios, and completing a comprehensive
capacity assessment. The Coastal Branch facilities
include more than 100 miles of pipeline varying in
diameter from 60-inches to 33-inches, three (3)
100 cfs pump stations, multiple valve and hydraulic
control structures, and nine (9) reservoirs varying in
size from 3 to 6 million gallons. The Chorro Valley
Pipeline includes 12 miles of pipeline varying in
diameter from 16 to 12-inches.

Enhanced State Water Project Delivery,
Assessment, San Luis Obispo County Flood
Control and Water Conservation District, San
Luis Obispo, CA. Project Engineer. Conducted
a hydraulic evaluation of the Lopez Pipeline that
delivers water from the Lopez Water Treatment
Plant near Lopez Reservoir to the Cities of Pismo
Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and the
Oceano Community Services District. The pipeline
extends roughly 16 miles and ranges in size from
8-inches to 36-inches in diameter. The goal of this
project is to determine the pipeline's capacity for
delivering additional State Water Project water to
the Northern Cities on an emergency basis.

On-Call Reservoir Safe Annual Yield Analysis, City
of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA. Role.

In order to account for unprecedented drought
conditions, completed are-assessment of the safe
annual yield provided by two water supply reservoirs,
Salinas Reservoir and Whale Rock Reservoir. The
City relies on water from both reservoirs to meet
demands. The reservoirs have di erent sizes relative
to their annual infl ow and are located in di erent
climate zones. Another operational constraint is that
Whale Rock Reservoir is a shared-use reservoir with
additional withdrawals by the State and the Town
of Cayucos. Developed a spreadsheet model that
uses historical data for precipitation, evaporation,
and fl ow to simulate the annual withdrawal the City
can make from each reservoir without violating
any operating criteria. The model was also used to
assess how climate change could a ect the reliability
of the City’s future supply from these reservoirs.

The results of this analysis indicated a signifi cantly lower safe yield than previously used for integrated
water resources planning. The signifi cant results
of the analysis were incorporated into the City’s
2018 Water Resources Status Report and will be
incorporated in the 2020 UWMP. Jeroen Olthof
Jeroen Olthof PE, MS, MBA

EDUCATION

MBA, USC
MS, Civil Engineering,
University of Washington
BS, Civil Engineering,
University of Colorado Boulder

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer - Civil, California,
No. C58597
Professional Engineer – Civil, Oregon,
No. C94671

ARTICLES
San Diego’s Recipe for Overfl ow
Reduction, Public Works, June, 2004.

Capacity Assurance Sets Stage for
CMOM Success, Waterscapes, Vol. 13,
No. 2, May, 2002
“Reliable access to clean
drinking water and
sanitation is fundamental to
maintaining and improving
our quality of life.”
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 14

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Heather Freed is a Professional Engineer with nine years of experience in integrated planning, modeling, and master planning for water supply, treatment, and distribution systems. She has supported integrated water resources planning projects that evaluate demand projections and water supplies, including surface water, imported water, groundwater, recycled water, stormwater, and desalinated water, by assessing availability, constraints, future risks, climate change impacts, and costs to develop and recommend a future supply portfolio. She has performed hydraulic modeling and distribution system analysis for future demand projection, capacity evaluation, supply balancing, system operations, and infrastructure analysis for design projects.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS
Central Coast Blue Program Management,
Permitting, and Final Design, City of Pismo
Beach, CA. Engineering Support. Provided hydraulic
modeling and preliminary design for the indirect
potable reuse project that will recover secondary
e
uent from the City of Pismo Beach’s and the
South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District’s
wastewater treatment plants, a resource currently
discharged to the Pacifi c Ocean. Modeled the
existing treatment plant e
uent pump station and
developed a solution to eliminate the need to a
new infl uent pump station the proposed advanced
treatment facility.

Chorro Valley Pipeline Modeling, County of San
Luis Obispo Public Works Department, CA. Project
Manager. Evaluated impacts along the Chorro Valley
Pipeline (CVP) with a new intertie to deliver State
Water Project (SWP) water to Los Osos. Using the
existing CVP hydraulic model, evaluated baseline
conditions using maximum water delivery amounts
to the California Men’s Colony, Cuesta, County
Operations Center, and City of Morro Bay, and the
impact to baseline conditions with delivery of water
through the proposed Los Osos Intertie. Modeled
pipeline velocity and pressures and provided
comparison to the CVP design criteria.

District Engineering Services, San Miguel
Community Services District, CA. Project Manager.

Project Manager for a variety of engineering
services to support the San Miguel Community
Services District. This includes acting on the
District's/owner's behalf providing design program
oversight, an alternatives analysis and feasibility
study, environmental compliance and permitting,
and grant funding administration for the District's
Wastewater Treatment Plant Updates Program
and similar services for the District's Sewer Lining
and Manhole Rehabilitation Program. Additional
services include oversight and review of designs
prepare by others for District projects and routine
District engineering tasks.
2020 and 2015 UWMPs and Water Master Plan
Update, City of Pismo Beach, CA. Sta Engineer.

Performed an update of the City of Pismo Beach
2004 Water Master Plan. Created and calibrated
an all-pipes, spatially allocated demand hydraulic
model of the City’s water distribution system
using Bentley’s WaterGEMS software. Used the
hydraulic model to evaluate capacity limitations
for current and future buildout scenarios and
opportunities to optimize operations. Developed
condition-based replacement plans for aging
infrastructure and an updated CIP project list to
prepare the City for budget planning.

Hydraulic Model Update & Booster Pump Station
Alternatives Evaluation, San Miguel Community
Services District, CA. Project Manager. Developed
and calibrated a new water system hydraulic
model for the District. Developed future demand
scenarios that include signifi cant development
within the water system. Develop and model
multiple alternatives with new storage and booster
pump station facilities to improve existing system
defi ciencies and meet future demand. Provide a
recommended storage and pump station solution.

Heather Freed
Heather Freed PE

EDUCATION
MS, Civil and Environmental
Engineering, California State
Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
BS, Environmental Engineering,
California State Polytechnic University,
San Luis Obispo

PROFESSIONAL

REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer – Civil, CA, No.
89406
“Water is life, and I’m
motivated to help our clients
fi nd creative solutions for
their water resources to
continue to provide clean,
reliable, and affordable
water to our communities.”
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Work Program
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Understanding the NCMA TG’s Needs
The NCMA TG agencies have a long history of collaboration in the management of local water resources. These efforts were recognized by the court in the groundwater basin adjudication process, and the court subsequently appointed the NCMA TG agencies with implementing a monitoring program and maintaining reporting on the basin. Local water supply reliability is increasingly strained, with threats ranging from litigation and environmental constraints to seawater intrusion and over pumping. Mitigating these threats and managing court-appointed responsibilities constitutes a heavy workload for the NCMA TG agency staff, who are already stretched thin due to their broad range of responsibilities. The NCMA TG agencies are seeking knowledgeable and efficient support from a consulting firm to provide staff extension services and help achieve the NCMA TG’s objectives. The NCMA TG relies upon its staff extension consultant to provide regular technical, managerial, and administrative support in coordination with the agencies to facilitate the regular activities of the NCMA TG. Additionally, the consultant partner is expected to provide valuable leadership and guidance as the agencies navigate ongoing water supply threats on the path to a sustainable, drought-resilient water supply portfolio.

Understanding and Approach
WSC’s responsive, cost-effective approach to staff extension engineering services will continue to meet the NCMA TG’s requirements under the Stipulation while supporting the NCMA TG agencies in protecting and enhancing local water resources.

Our approach to continue providing exemplary staff extension services is built upon four pillars:

Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 15 Institutional Continuity: We have supported the NCMA TG Agencies for the past fifteen years, bringing direct expertise with NCMA TG water resource issues. Our Principal in Charge, Jeff Szytel, has worked with the NCMA TG throughout this fifteen year history on a variety of water resources projects, while our Project Manager, Michael Steele, has a close working relationship with the NCMA TG and its staff on multiple different projects. Our historical knowledge and contextual understanding of your agencies’ needs will streamline our work as an extension of staff.

Stewardship of Agency Resources: The NCMA TG knows from experience it is getting a truly asneeded partner with WSC. We will help you maintain ongoing initiatives and only spend time on strategic initiatives at the request of the agencies, minimizing agency staff time and maximizing the value you get with your resources. WSC has delivered every year of the past 5-year contract under budget, saving the agencies over $95k.

Technical Foresight: We will combine our detailed understanding of the NCMA TG’s water supply portfolio with our insight into ongoing initiatives and environmental/regulatory changes, to effectively deliver solutions that improve water resources management opportunities and provide sustainable water supplies for the region.

Implementation Capability: As strategic initiatives shift into implementation, there is value in a fullservice firm that can carry an initiative from feasibility through design, permitting, construction, and commissioning without losing institutional knowledge at each handoff. WSC’s full-service team is positioned to do that work with our in-house team of planners, engineers, hydrogeologists, strategic communications professionals.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Institutional Continuity
No learning Curve on the
Stipulation and Ongoing
Initiatives such as the
Management Agreement
WSC has worked closely with the NCMA TG for the past 15 years. This work includes providing staff extension services and leading specific initiatives to provide the NCMA TG with responsive water resources planning. Our broad understanding of the regional context integrated with our deep understanding of the NCMA TG history prevents lost context and eliminates time spent explaining prior decisions to a new consultant team.

We function as a historian of previous decisions, regularly producing and summarizing historical records of conversations for the NCMA TG context.

Past Experience
WSC is ready to continue delivering high-quality service to the NCMA TG. Our past experience, in addition to staff
extension services, includes:

NCMA TG Management Agreement and Adaptive
Management Plan. WSC managed development of the
updated the NCMA TG Management Agreement and
Adaptive Management Plan, facilitating multiple workshops to gather agency feedback, coordinating reviews from agency legal counsels, and developing the updated documents. The updated Management Agreement formalizes decades of
management practices by the NCMA TG in accordance with
the Stipulation, and the Adaptive Management Plan provides a framework for the agencies to better utilize their existing groundwater supplies.

Effective Meeting Facilitation and
Solutions for Complex Challenges
Since 2010, WSC has attended hundreds of Zone 3 TAC, the NCMA TG, Zone 3 Agriculture Coordination, and regional
stakeholder meetings. Our existing relationships allow us to coordinate cost-effectively with the member agencies and their regional partners and wholesale agencies like the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (SLOCFC&WCD), Zone 3 agencies, and other key regional
stakeholders to ensure compliance with the stipulation and efficient solutions to challenges.

Past Experience
The NCMA TG 2025 Strategic Plan Facilitation. In 2025,
WSC facilitated an update to the NCMA TG Strategic
Plan, getting buy-in from the TG, NCMA agencies, agency executive management, and ultimately agency governing
bodies. This update enabled the NCMA TG agencies to
document past successes, evaluate current needs, and identify and prioritize initiatives for future implementation. The yearlong process — which included multiple coordination meetings, a workshop, multiple drafts and revisions, and support for Agency adoption — was completed for less than $20k, which was split between the four agencies.

Arroyo Grande Subbasin GSP. WSC lead the development
of the Arroyo Grande Subbasin GSP and integrated surface water, groundwater, and reservoir operations models.

Zone 3 Contract Changes. WSC assisted the Zone 3
Agencies and the SLOCFC&WCD with proposed changes
to the Zone 3 contracts that will enable the Zone 3 agencies to store unused entitlements and unreleased downstream
releases in individual agency storage accounts. These changes will provide the NCMA TG with enhanced water supply
management and conjunctive use opportunities.

Deep Knowledge of Historical
Information and Data to Support RealTime Analysis and Recommendations Institutional memory of prior decisions, model runs,
monitoring records, and Stipulation correspondence lets us respond to questions promptly and provide the agencies with relevant information to support robust decision making.

WSC has maintained a library of historical records which are regularly queried to support Stipulation questions, development of the Management Agreement, memberagency board questions and public inquiries, and support for technical analysis. WSC’s role in the development of resources such as the basin groundwater model and various scenarios prevent rework and expedite scoping of new
scenarios likely to be needed for future planning and adaptive management initiatives.

Past Experience
NCMA TG Monitoring Well Database. WSC worked with
Cleath-Harris Geologists to develop a comprehensive
database of wells in the NCMA. This database provides a foundation for future initiatives to enhance or modify the NCMA TG monitoring program.

Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 16 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Identification of Grant Funding
opportunities to maximize agency dollars
We have helped our clients leverage over $400 million
in grants and low-interest loans to deliver their projects, maximizing value to their ratepayers. We routinely evaluate new funding opportunities for alignment with the NCMA TG’s objectives and present aligned opportunities to the group for consideration.

Past Experience
Prop 1 GWGP Test Injection Well. Through grant funding
obtained from Central Coast Blue, WSC navigated a lengthy permitting process to construct a test injection well and new monitoring well in the identified pathway for seawater intrusion. These new wells provided new information on
aquifer properties at this critical location and present an opportunity expand the NCMA TG monitoring network to
improve the understanding of basin conditions.

Our experience navigating the permitting through
construction phases of the test injection well means the NCMA TG has a partner who understands the basin and its complex regulatory landscape.

Central Coast Blue Aerial Geophysics. WSC facilitated the completion of an Aerial Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey of the onshore and offshore portions of the NCMA and other areas of the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin. This survey provided critical information on the current extent of the fresh water/seawater interface and the threat of seawater intrusion in the basin.

Phase 1C Model Update. WSC collaborated with Geoscience to incorporate the results of the AEM survey into the Phase 1C Groundwater Model. With the incorporation of the survey results, the model was able to run predictive future scenarios projecting the movement of seawater intrusion in the basin under various pumping and Central Coast Blue scenarios.

Stewardship of Agency
Resources
Continuity of Service for CostEfficiency
We are ready on day one to continue providing staff extension services at the level you depend on. You don’t need to pay us to get up to speed. WSC has delivered every year of the past five-year contract under budget, saving the agencies over $95k, returning approximately 20% of the total contract value back to the agencies.

Achieve the goals of the NCMA TG
efficiently and effectively
Sharing staff extension services between four agencies creates cost efficiencies by sharing responsibilities. However if a thoughtful, aligned approach is not taken toward advancing common goals, unneeded time and expense can be wasted on efforts that never come to fruition. We focus on first creating alignment among agencies around shared goals and getting buy-in before moving forward with larger efforts, translating individual member priorities into shared TG positions. An aligned approach with consistent technical messaging will be critical as the updated Management Agreement is moved
forward for adoption from each agency.

The updated Strategic Plan was specifically developed to be a living document, allowing agencies to update initiative scores and priority weights, with annual review scheduled prior to fiscal year budgets being developed. WSC will continue to be thoughtful in how we approach the implementation of
the NCMA TG’s strategic objectives to maximize value to all member agencies.

Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 17 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Technical Foresight
Consistent, Proactive Planning
for the Future
We track regulatory developments at the state and local level to alert the NCMA TG agencies to issues that may impact supply reliability while there is time to respond proactively.

We couple this risk identification with supporting data and opportunities to create holistic regional solutions. WSC’s focus on being a go-to resource for local municipal utilities on the Central Coast has provided us with a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of local challenges and opportunities.

Past Experience
Low Reservoir Response Plan. WSC worked closely with
the County, the Zone 3 agencies and numerous agriculture representatives to identify a strategy for managing releases from Lopez Reservoir during extended drought conditions.

Analysis of Zone 3 Contract Changes. WSC assisted the
Zone 3 Agencies and the SLOCFC&WCD with proposed
changes to the Zone 3 contracts that have enabled the Zone 3 agencies to store unused entitlements and unreleased
downstream releases in individual agency storage accounts.

These changes provide the NCMA TG with enhanced water
supply management and conjunctive use opportunities.

Right-Sized Effort for NCMA TG’s
Needs
Familiarity with the agencies’ needs and decision-making processes lets us scope studies to the question being asked, avoiding oversized deliverables and rework. For example, the Phase 1C groundwater model and the Arroyo Grande Creek
integrated surface/groundwater model are the analytical foundation for adaptive management triggers, conjunctive use planning, and infrastructure investment decisions. We build scenarios to inform a specific decision, not to demonstrate modeling capability.

Past Experience
Lopez Pipeline Capacity Evaluations. Through close
coordination with the NCMA agencies and the County,
WSC planned and implemented flow tests, evaluated the
capacity of the Lopez pipeline, identified flow restricting sections, recommended improvements and quantified the
benefits of those improvements. These efforts allowed the NCMA agencies to significantly increase surface water
deliveries, which played a key role in reducing groundwater pumping and preventing further seawater intrusion.

Implementation
Capability
WSC Brings Full-Service
Capabilities
Our team of engineers, planners, hydrogeologists,
construction professionals, and communications specialists have the experience and expertise to support the NCMA in all of your potable water, wastewater, and recycled water needs.

Past Experience
Central Coast Blue Communications. WSC provided strategic communications services to the Central Coast Blue Program for more than six years. WSC helped the partner agencies envision, fund, and design Central Coast Blue. Our team supported Program branding, outreach, and stakeholder
engagement through significant milestones, including piloting, environmental review, funding, permitting, and more.

Well 31 Engineering Design. WSC provided planning,
design, permitting, and construction support services for a new groundwater production well for the City of Pismo Beach. The project included well siting, detailed drilling and equipping design, preparation of technical specifications and bid documents, and development of a fully integrated facility including electrical systems, controls, chemical treatment, and site infrastructure. WSC also assisted the city in evaluating different available lots and site-specific considerations to locate the new well facility.

Delivery Method Experience Matched
to the Initiative
The implementation of strategic initiatives includes projects that are best suited to various project delivery methods. We bring experience selecting and implementing various delivery methods so the TG can match the delivery method to the
specific project rather than defaulting to a single approach.

Permitting and Regulatory Execution
Successful project implementation will depend on a
comprehensive regulatory compliance and jurisdictional
coordination strategy that considers CEQA, biological resources assessments, agency entitlements, and water rights. WSC has navigated each of these considerations for prior NCMA work and for other projects throughout the Central Coast.

Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 18 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 meetings, enabling quick resolution of questions and issues so the project can continue to progress smoothly. We know the importance of responding rapidly when you need us and are committed to being responsive, including being available for impromptu phone calls, in person meetings, and site visits.

Resource Management
WSC is proposing a robust and flexible team to meet the NCMA TG’s needs. We will consider each project at the
outset to determine best fit and availability from our deep team of technical and managerial staff. Once the key staff are set for each task, we will proactively manage their workload to avoid competing priorities. We hold weekly
workload planning meetings with our local and company-wide team to assess workload and make adjustments as needed to assure we can meet our commitments to the NCMA TG and
other clients.

Cost-Effective and Efficient Project
Delivery
Project delivery must be cost-effective and efficient to take advantage of the opportunity for streamlined procurement through the on-call agreement. We use earned value
management to identify discrepancies between planned
and actual progress, allowing corrective measures to be implemented early to prevent cost overruns and schedule delays. Our proven project controls will lead to the delivery of projects on time and within budget.

Consistent communication. Our project managers will
establish an open and continuous line of communication with the NCMA TG’s project manager for each engagement. A
well-established line of communication facilitates exchange of information outside of regularly scheduled progress meetings and allows us to be responsive and provide timely updates on the status of project issues and deliverables. We build trust and long-standing relationships with our clients through our ability to be responsive to their needs.

Follow-through. Unresolved issues impact project momentum and undermine confidence in the team. Our team members
take ownership of issues and follow them through to successful resolution. We track outstanding issues in action item lists and document key project decisions in decision logs as a part of our robust document control and project management procedures.

Quality assurance and quality control. The WSC team will implement a comprehensive quality control process for each of our projects/task orders.

Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 19 Quality Service Delivery
WSC Brings Proven Project Management
Capabilities for Responsive, Cost-Effective,
High Quality Service
The NCMA TG would like to deliver a diverse range of projects through its as-needed staff extension program and WSC’s team brings the right mix of skilled project managers and subject matter experts who are qualified to successfully deliver on projects both large and small. WSC has provided as-needed staff extension services to the NCMA TG for over 15 years as well as numerous public agencies throughout California, and we pride ourselves on our ability to consistently exceed our clients’ expectations. We have extensive local knowledge and established, long-standing relationships to assist the NCMA TG achieve its goals.

Our initial approach to your projects will be to start with quality and cost effectiveness in mind. These initial project steps include:

Build the right team. Our team’s deep bench of resources will allow us to dedicate the best qualified staff members to the NCMA TG’s projects. We will combine our subject matter
experts with staff of varying experience levels to cost-effectively deliver your projects. The NCMA TG will benefit from our clientfocused approach and best-in-industry technical expertise.

Contracting process that flexes to meet the NCMA TG’s
needs. WSC routinely accommodates clients to meet their unique contracting, accounting, and reporting requirements and preferences.

Critical Success Factors
We put people first and listen intently to define and deliver success. Through the project scoping process, we seek clarity on covert and overt success factors unique to each project and client. The critical success factors are often different from the typical budget and schedule drivers, and can include priorities such as facility operability, stakeholder buy-in, minimized impacts to adjacent property owners, or receipt of outside funding. Critical success factors are used to guide delivery of the project from initial planning through design, construction, and operation and help meet the client’s strategic goals.

Communication and Responsiveness
WSC’s project manager establishes an open and continuous line of communication with the client’s project manager for each engagement. A well-established line of communication, and relationship based on trust, facilitates effective exchanges of information outside of regularly scheduled progress
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 20 Scope of Services

1.1 Core Services
y Assist NCMA TG agencies in meeting legal and
regulatory requirements, including contract
administration, management of groundwater consultant,
support preparing annual report, technical review of
consultant deliverables, submittal of annual report to the court, and coordination to meet DWR data and reporting
requirements.
y Organize and facilitate monthly NCMA TG meetings.
y Collect, compile, and maintain NCMA TG production
data and generate monthly production reports.
y Attend Zone 3 TAC meetings on behalf of the NCMA
TG, as-needed.
y Organize and facilitate annual report summary to NCMA agricultural representatives.
y Maintain NCMA document library and provide
background documents and historical reference materials as needed.
y Identify funding opportunities relevant to NCMA TG
objectives.
y Facilitate ongoing strategic planning and strategic
initiative reviews.
y Prepare monthly progress reports summarizing work
completed.
y Conduct quality assurance verifications for well data submitted by the participating agencies twice annually.

Deliverables:

Meeting notes

Monthly production reports

Comments on Annual Report Administrative Draft

Monthly progress reports

1.2 On-Demand Services
y Perform research, technical analysis, and develop
recommendations to support NCMA agency priorities
and initiatives.
y Advise on proposals by the County and/or provide
independent technical review of various work products
and reports.
y Provide project management and/or technical support for NCMA TG strategic initiatives.
y Participate and coordinate regional water management
activities on behalf of the NCMA TG.
y Organize and facilitate efforts relating to the basin adjudication and liaison with NCMA Agency lawyers as
necessary on active and pending litigations.
y Prepare for and present to NCMA City Councils/Board
of Directors, as needed.
y Lead or support development of funding applications.

Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 20 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Submittal Forms
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 22

SECTION D - PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL FORMS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The undersigned declares that she or he:
 Has carefully examined the Proposal Specification
 Is thoroughly familiar with its content
 Is authorized to represent the proposing firm; and
 Agrees to perform the work as set forth in the specification and this proposal.

Firm Name and Address:

Contact Name:

Email: Fax: Phone:

Signature of Authorized Representative: Date:

INSURANCE CERTIFICATE
Insurance Company’s A.M. Best Rating
Certificate of insurance attached
Water Systems Consulting, inc.

Jeff Syztel
[email protected] (805) 463-6933
6/25/2026
805 Aerovista Place, Suite 201, San Luis Obispo CA 93401 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

ANY PROPRIETOR/PARTNER/EXECUTIVE
OFFICER/MEMBER EXCLUDED?

INSR ADDL SUBR LTR INSD WVD

PRODUCER CONTACT
NAME:

PHONE FAX (A/C, No, Ext): (A/C, No):

E-MAIL
ADDRESS:

INSURER A :

INSURED INSURER B :

INSURER C :

INSURER D :

INSURER E :

INSURER F :

POLICY NUMBER POLICY EFF POLICY EXP TYPE OF INSURANCE (MM/DD/YYYY) (MM/DD/YYYY) LIMITS

AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY

UMBRELLA LIAB

EXCESS LIAB

WORKERS COMPENSATION

AND EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY

AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
EACH OCCURRENCE $
DAMAGE TO RENTED CLAIMS-MADE OCCUR PREMISES (Ea occurrence) $ MED EXP (Any one person) $
PERSONAL & ADV INJURY $
GEN'L AGGREGATE LIMIT APPLIES PER: GENERAL AGGREGATE $

PRO- POLICY JECT LOC PRODUCTS - COMP/OP AGG
OTHER: $

COMBINED SINGLE LIMIT
(Ea accident) $
ANY AUTO BODILY INJURY (Per person) $
OWNED SCHEDULED AUTOS ONLY AUTOS BODILY INJURY (Per accident) $ HIRED NON-OWNED PROPERTY DAMAGE AUTOS ONLY AUTOS ONLY (Per accident) $ $

OCCUR EACH OCCURRENCE
CLAIMS-MADE AGGREGATE $
DED RETENTION $

PER OTH- STATUTE ER
E.L. EACH ACCIDENT
E.L. DISEASE - EA EMPLOYEE $
If yes, describe under
DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS below E.L. DISEASE - POLICY LIMIT INSURER(S) AFFORDING COVERAGE NAIC #

COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY
Y / N
N / A
(Mandatory in NH)

SHOULD ANY OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED POLICIES BE CANCELLED BEFORE

THE EXPIRATION DATE THEREOF, NOTICE WILL BE DELIVERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY PROVISIONS.

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE POLICIES OF INSURANCE LISTED BELOW HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THE INSURED NAMED ABOVE FOR THE POLICY PERIOD INDICATED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY REQUIREMENT, TERM OR CONDITION OF ANY CONTRACT OR OTHER DOCUMENT WITH RESPECT TO WHICH THIS

CERTIFICATE MAY BE ISSUED OR MAY PERTAIN, THE INSURANCE AFFORDED BY THE POLICIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO ALL THE TERMS, EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS OF SUCH POLICIES. LIMITS SHOWN MAY HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY PAID CLAIMS.

THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED AS A MATTER OF INFORMATION ONLY AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS UPON THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER. THIS

CERTIFICATE DOES NOT AFFIRMATIVELY OR NEGATIVELY AMEND, EXTEND OR ALTER THE COVERAGE AFFORDED BY THE POLICIES BELOW. THIS CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE ISSUING INSURER(S), AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OR PRODUCER, AND THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER.

IMPORTANT: If the certificate holder is an ADDITIONAL INSURED, the policy(ies) must have ADDITIONAL INSURED provisions or be endorsed.

If SUBROGATION IS WAIVED, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, certain policies may require an endorsement. A statement on this certificate does not confer rights to the certificate holder in lieu of such endorsement(s).

COVERAGES CERTIFICATE NUMBER: REVISION NUMBER:

CERTIFICATE HOLDER CANCELLATION
ACORD 25 (2016/03) © 1988-2015 ACORD CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE DATE (MM/DD/YYYY)
$
$
$
$
$
The ACORD name and logo are registered marks of ACORD
6/11/2026
License # 0E67768
(925) 249-7958
13056
Water Systems Consulting, Inc.
805 Aerovista Place, Suite 201
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
34690
11150
A 1,000,000
PSB0001311 4/7/2026 4/7/2027 1,000,000
10,000
1,000,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
A 1,000,000
PSA0001082 4/7/2026 4/7/2027
A 5,000,000
PSE0004546 4/7/2026 4/7/2027 5,000,000
B
57WEGAK8WVV 4/7/2026 4/7/2027 1,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
C Professional Liab. PAAEP0009110 12/6/2025 Per Claim 2,000,000 C Professional Liab. PAAEP0009110 12/6/2025 12/6/2026 Aggregate 4,000,000 DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS / LOCATIONS / VEHICLES (ACORD 101, Additional Remarks Schedule, may be attached if more space is required)

PROOF OF COVERAGE
All operations of the Named Insured, including the aforementioned project, if any.

A.M. Best Rating:

RLI Insurance: A+
Hartford: A+
Arch Insurance A+
SAMPLE
WATESYS-01 ROGERST
IOA Insurance Services
4301 Hacienda Dr
Ste 220
Pleasanton, CA 94588-2711
Andrea Michael
[email protected]
RLI Insurance Company
Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford
Arch Insurance Company
X
12/6/2026
X
X
X
X
X
X
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 Water Systems Consulting, Inc. NCMA TG AS-NEEDED STAFF EXTENSION | 24

STATEMENT OF PAST CONTRACT DISQUALIFICATIONS
The Consultant shall state whether it or any of its officers or employees who have a proprietary interest in it, has ever been disqualified, removed, or otherwise prevented from proposing on or completing a federal, state, or local government project because of the violation of law, a safety regulation, or for any other reason, including but not limited to financial difficulties, project delays, or disputes regarding work or product quality, and if so to explain the circumstances.

Do you have any disqualification as described in the above paragraph to declare?
Yes No
If yes, explain the circumstances.

Executed on ______________________at _______________________________________ under penalty of perjury of the laws of the State of California, that the foregoing is true and correct. ______________________________________
Signature of Authorized Consultant Representative
June 24, 2026 2 p.m.

WSC’s contract with the California Water Data Consortium to provide communications services dated April 1, 2022, was terminated on June 3, 2022, due to a change in needs and expectations by the client relative to the contracted scope of services.

The total contract value was $23,000 and was approximately 75% complete.

WSC’s contract with the California Water Data Consortium to provide communications services dated April 1, 2022, was terminated on June 3, 2022, due to a change in needs and expectations by the client relative to the contracted scope of services. The total contract value was $23,000 and was approximately 75% complete.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 NCMA TG Staff Extension Services, Fiscal Years 2026-31
Estimated FY 2026-27 Fee $90,394.00
Assumed Escalation 3.00%
Year 1 $90,394.00
Year 2 $93,106.00
Year 3 $95,899.00
Year 4 $98,776.00
Optional Task - Strategic Plan Update $25,000.00
Year 5 $101,739.00
Estimated Total Contract Fee, 5 years $504,914.00
Initial
Groundwater
Allocation (AFY)
Ag Conversion
Credits (AFY)
Current
Groundwater
Allocation
(AFY)
Fraction of
Groundwater
Allocation
Arroyo Grande 1,202 121 1,323 0.31
Grover Beach 1,198 209 1,407 0.32
Oceano Community Services District 900 900 0.21
Pismo Beach 700 700 0.16
Total 4,000 4,330 1
Agency
5-Year Contract
Amount
FY 2026-27
Amount
Arroyo Grande $156,523.00 $28,022.00
Grover Beach $161,572.00 $28,926.00
Oceano Community Services District $106,032.00 $18,983.00 Pismo Beach $80,786.00 $14,463.00
Total $504,913.00 $90,394.00
Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

rev 7-2026

EXHIBIT B

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Without limiting CONSULTANT’S indemnification of CITY, and prior to commencement of Work, CONSULTANT shall obtain, provide and maintain at its own expense during the Term of this Agreement, policies of insurance of the type and amounts described below and in a form satisfactory to CITY.

General liability insurance. CONSULTANT shall maintain commercial general liability insurance with coverage at least as broad as Insurance Services Office form CG 00 01, in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate, for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage. The policy must include contractual liability that has not been amended. Any endorsement restricting standard ISO “insured contract” language will not be accepted.

Automobile liability insurance. CONSULTANT shall maintain automobile insurance at least as broad as Insurance Services Office form CA 00 01 covering bodily injury and property damage for all activities of the CONSULTANT arising out of or in connection with work to be performed under this Agreement, including coverage for any owned, hired, non-owned or rented vehicles, in an amount not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit for each accident.

Professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance. CONSULTANT shall maintain professional liability insurance that covers the Services to be performed in connection with this Agreement, in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate. Any policy inception date, continuity date, or retroactive date must be before the Effective Date of this Agreement and Consultant agrees to maintain continuous coverage through a period no less than three (3) years after completion of the services required by this Agreement.

Workers’ compensation insurance. CONSULTANT shall maintain Workers’ Compensation Insurance (Statutory Limits) and Employer’s Liability Insurance (with limits of at least $1,000,000).

Consultant shall submit to CITY, along with the certificate of insurance, a Waiver of Subrogation endorsement in favor of CITY, its officers, agents, employees and volunteers.

Umbrella or excess liability insurance. CONSULTANT shall obtain and maintain an umbrella or excess liability insurance policy with limits that will provide bodily injury, personal injury and property damage liability coverage at least as broad as the primary coverages set forth above, including commercial general liability, automobile liability, and employer’s liability. Such policy or policies shall include the following terms and conditions:
• A drop down feature requiring the policy to respond if any primary insurance that would otherwise have applied proves to be uncollectible in whole or in part for any reason; • Pay on behalf of wording as opposed to reimbursement; • Concurrency of effective dates with primary policies; • Policies shall “follow form” to the underlying primary policies; and • Insureds under primary policies shall also be insureds under the umbrella or excess policies.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

rev 7-2026
Other provisions or requirements
Proof of insurance. CONSULTANT shall provide certificates of insurance to CITY as evidence of the insurance coverage required herein, along with a waiver of subrogation endorsement for workers’ compensation. Insurance certificates and endorsements must be approved by CITY’s Risk Manager prior to commencement of performance. Current certification of insurance shall be kept on file with CITY at all times during the Term of this Agreement. CITY reserves the right to require complete, certified copies of all required insurance policies, at any time.

Duration of coverage. CONSULTANT shall procure and maintain for the duration of the Agreement insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property, which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work hereunder by CONSULTANT, his agents, representatives, employees or subconsultants.

Primary/noncontributing. Coverage provided by CONSULTANT shall be primary and any insurance or selfinsurance procured or maintained by CITY shall not be required to contribute with it. The limits of insurance required herein may be satisfied by a combination of primary and umbrella or excess insurance.

Any umbrella or excess insurance shall contain or be endorsed to contain a provision that such coverage shall also apply on a primary and non-contributory basis for the benefit of CITY before the CITY’S own insurance or self-insurance shall be called upon to protect it as a named insured.

CITY’S rights of enforcement. In the event any policy of insurance required under this Agreement does not comply with these specifications or is canceled and not replaced, CITY has the right but not the duty to obtain the insurance it deems necessary and any premium paid by CITY will be promptly reimbursed by CONSULTANT or CITY will withhold amounts sufficient to pay premium from CONSULTANT payments.

In the alternative, CITY may cancel this Agreement.

Acceptable insurers. All insurance policies shall be issued by an insurance company currently authorized by the Insurance Commissioner to transact business of insurance or is on the List of Approved Surplus Line Insurers in the State of California, with an assigned policyholders’ Rating of A- (or higher) and Financial Size Category Class VI (or larger) in accordance with the latest edition of Best’s Key Rating Guide, unless otherwise approved by the CITY’S Risk Manager.

Waiver of subrogation. All insurance coverage maintained or procured pursuant to this Agreement shall be endorsed to waive subrogation against CITY, its elected or appointed officers, agents, officials, employees and volunteers or shall specifically allow CONSULTANT or others providing insurance evidence in compliance with these specifications to waive their right of recovery prior to a loss. CONSULTANT hereby waives its own right of recovery against CITY, and shall require similar written express waivers and insurance clauses from each of its subconsultants.

Enforcement of contract provisions (non estoppel). CONSULTANT acknowledges and agrees that any actual or alleged failure on the part of the CITY to inform CONSULTANT of non-compliance with any requirement imposes no additional obligations on the CITY nor does it waive any rights hereunder.

Requirements not limiting. Requirements of specific coverage features or limits contained in this Section are not intended as a limitation on coverage, limits or other requirements, or a waiver of any coverage normally provided by any insurance. Specific reference to a given coverage feature is for purposes of clarification only as it pertains to a given issue and is not intended by any party or insured to be all inclusive, or to the exclusion of other coverage, or a waiver of any type. If the CONSULTANT maintains higher limits than the minimums shown above, the CITY requires and shall be entitled to coverage for the Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

rev 7-2026
higher limits maintained by the CONSULTANT. Any available insurance proceeds in excess of the specified minimum limits of insurance and coverage shall be available to the CITY.

Notice of cancellation. CONSULTANT agrees to oblige its insurance agent or broker and insurers to provide to CITY with a thirty (30) day notice of cancellation (except for nonpayment for which a ten (10) day notice is required) or nonrenewal of coverage for each required coverage.

Additional insured status. General liability policies shall provide or be endorsed to provide that CITY and its officers, officials, employees, and agents, and volunteers shall be additional insureds under such policies. This provision shall also apply to any excess/umbrella liability policies.

Prohibition of undisclosed coverage limitations. None of the coverages required herein will be in compliance with these requirements if they include any limiting endorsement of any kind that has not been first submitted to CITY and approved of in writing.

Separation of insureds. A severability of interests provision must apply to all additional insureds ensuring that Consultant’s insurance shall apply separately to each insured against whom claim is made or suit is brought, except with respect to the insurer’s limits of liability. The policy(ies) shall not contain any crossliability exclusions.

Pass through clause. CONSULTANT agrees to ensure that its subconsultants, subcontractors, and any other party involved with the PROJECT who is brought onto or involved in the PROJECT by CONSULTANT, provide the same minimum insurance coverage and endorsements required of CONSULTANT.

CONSULTANT agrees to monitor and review all such coverage and assumes all responsibility for ensuring that such coverage is provided in conformity with the requirements of this section. CONSULTANT agrees that upon request, all agreements with consultants, subcontractors, and others engaged in the PROJECT will be submitted to CITY for review.

CITY’s right to revise specifications. The CITY reserves the right at any time during the term of the Agreement to change the amounts and types of insurance required by giving the CONSULTANT ninety (90) days advance written notice of such change. If such change results in substantial additional cost to the CONSULTANT, the CITY and CONSULTANT may renegotiate CONSULTANT’S compensation.

Self-insured retentions. Any self-insured retentions must be declared to and approved by CITY. CITY reserves the right to require that self-insured retentions be eliminated, lowered, or replaced by a deductible. Self-insurance will not be considered to comply with these specifications unless approved by CITY.

Timely notice of claims. CONSULTANT shall give CITY prompt and timely notice of claims made or suits instituted that arise out of or result from CONSULTANT’S performance under this AGREEMENT, and that involve or may involve coverage under any of the required liability policies.

Additional insurance. CONSULTANT shall also procure and maintain, at its own cost and expense, any additional kinds of insurance, which in its own judgment may be necessary for its proper protection and prosecution of the work.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738

rev 7-2026

EXHIBIT C

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICE

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Explanation:

Signature
Date
Name
Company
Address
Additional page(s) attached.

City, State, Zip
YES* NO
1 Are you currently in litigation with the City of Grover Beach or any of its agents?
2 Do you represent any firm, organization or person who is in litigation with the City of Grover Beach?
3 Do you currently represent or perform work for any clients who do business with the City of Grover Beach?
4 Are you or any of your principals, managers or professionals, owners or investors in a business which does business with the City of Grover Beach, or in a business which is in litigation with the City of Grover Beach? 5 Are you or any of your principals, managers or professionals, related by blood or marriage to any City of Grover Beach employee who has any significant role in the subject matter of this service? 6 Do you or any of your subcontractors have, or expect to have, any interest, direct or indirect, in any other contract in connection with this Project? * If the answer to any question is yes, please explain in full below.

Docusign Envelope ID: 6C822D2E-3D45-8749-80F3-6976C8119738 X
X
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
PO Box 4255
X
N/A
X
X
7/17/2026
Jeffery Szytel
Water Systems Consulting, Inc.

X

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 11
Placement: Consent
Meeting Date: July 27, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Nick Szamet, Director of Administrative Services SUBJECT: Resolution to Amend the Master Fee Schedule for Community Services Special Events/Outdoor Assemblies

RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution to amend the Master Fee Schedule for FY 2026-27 for Community Service Facility Fees and provide a graduated level of costs for Special Event/Outdoor Assembly of 100 or more people and adjust the pricing as provided in the amended Master Fee Schedule.

BACKGROUND
The City routinely reviews its fee structure to ensure that fees adequately recoup the cost of providing specific services. The annual review is typically done each spring as part of a comprehensive Master Fee Schedule update. However, this past spring, adjustments to Community Services outdoor assembly fees were not included and are now proposed to be updated. The attached Resolution will incorporate the changes requested which are aimed at making permits for gatherings at City facilities more affordable. These changes are based on Community Services staff’s assessment of the event’s requirements and necessary levels of review, which can be simple or complex based on the nature of the event, rather than the current one-size fits all approach in the Master Fee Schedule.

The proposed amendments would create a graduated table of fees based on the level of review for special events or public assemblies of 100 or more. Currently, fees are set at a flat rate of $500 or $1,581 if reviewed by City Council (staff would note that there have not been recent examples of special events or public assemblies reviewed by Council). Instead, staff is recommending a revised fee structure at a minimum of $99 for an initial feasibility review. If an event moves to the application phase, an additional $150 will be assessed and if the event is determined to require Public Works or Public Safety review, an additional $125 will be assessed for each. The most that an event would be charged is $499 under the revised fee schedule which is consistent with the current flat rate and some events may end up with a lower fee as a result of the level of review required. In addition, the requirement for a Council review with a fee of $1,581 is proposed to be eliminated.

Pending Council adoption, this revised fee structure would go into effective beginning July 28, 2026 and used for future events from that point forward.

Staff Report: Resolution to Amend the Master Fee Schedule to Update Community Services Fees Page 2 July 27, 2026

FISCAL IMPACT
Although one or more events per year may pay less in fees, overall, this adjustment is not expected to have a material effect on City’s revenues or budgeted expenditures. The proposed amendments will also bring the City in line with neighboring jurisdictions’ fees for similar events.

ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:

1. Adopt the Resolution amending the FY 2026-27 Master Fee Schedule for fees associated with Special Event/Public Assembly Fees; or

2. Provide alternative direction to staff.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Resolution
Multi-Year Goals
☒ Public Safety and Community Services ☐ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☒ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☐ Street Improvements and Maintenance
RESOLUTION NO. 26-

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH,

CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR COMMUNITY

SERVICES SPECIAL EVENT/PUBLIC ASSEMBELIES FESS
WHEREAS, the City of Grover Beach has established a Citywide Master Fee Schedule which summarizes all fees charged by the City for various services and permits; and WHEREAS, the Citywide Master Fee Schedule ensues transparency and consistency in the fees charged to provide the services and permits; and WHEREAS, adjusting fees in accordance with increased costs due ensures sufficient cost-recovery for the City; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Grover Beach finds recommended adjustments necessary to the Master Fee Schedule; and
WHEREAS, City Staff recommends adjusting specific fees to reflect both actual service delivery costs, thereby ensuring appropriate cost recovery for City services.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Grover Beach, California as follows:

1. The Citywide Master Fee Schedule is hereby amended as set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated by reference.

2. The fees listed in Exhibit A of this Resolution shall become effective July 28, 2026.

On motion by Council Member _____, seconded by Council Member ____, and on the following roll-call vote, to wit:

AYES: Council Members –
NOES: Council Members –
ABSENT: Council Members –
ABSTAIN: Council Members –
RECUSED: Council Members –
the foregoing Resolution was PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Grover Beach, California this 27 day of July 2026.

KASSI DEE, MAYOR
Attest:

WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK
Attachment 1
Fee Description & Unit/Time Effective 7/1/26
Special Event/Outdoor Assembly (non-City sponsored events) for 100 participants and over Preliminary Application Review Fee $ 99.00
Application Fee (upon review acceptance) $ 150.00
Public Works Review Fee (if needed for special event) $ 125.00 Police and Fire Review Fee (if needed for special event) $ 125.00 Application Fee (No City Council Review) $ 500.00
Application Fee (With City Council Review) $ 1,581.00
(A waiver request may be submitted for those activities related to the exercise of a first amendment right to free speech) Non-Resid.

Facility Rental Fees
Ramona Garden Park & Community Center
Weekday Hourly $ 37.00 $ 47.00 $ 82.00 $ 92.00
Weekend Hourly $ 49.00 $ 62.00 $ 109.00 $ 120.00
Weekend (12 hours) $ 435.00 $ 543.00 $ 1,047.00 $ 1,141.00 Deposit
* Low Impact $ 450.00 $ 450.00 $ 450.00 $ 450.00
** High Impact $ 750.00 $ 750.00 $ 750.00 $ 750.00
Special Use deposits
** High Impact Functions (per reservation) $ 272.00 $ 272.00 $ 272.00 $ 272.00 Cleaning / BBQ Key $ 87.00 $ 87.00 $ 87.00 $ 87.00
$284.00
$284.00
Liability Insurance 1-50 guests (resv.)
Liability Insurance 50-500 guests (resv.)
Cleaning fees of the Facilities will be at contract cost + 30% overhead.

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

MASTER FEE SCHEDULE

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Effective 7/1/26
The following items will be charged for actual cost & 10% administrative fee Cleaning Fee (events w/alcohol) Ramona (per event)
Cleaning Fee (events w/alcohol) Comm. Center (per event) Grover Beach
Non-Profit
Other
Non-Profit Resident
Cleaning Fee - City Park BBQ/Picnic areas
Cancellation Fee per facility reservation if less than 30 days notice 25% of fee paid; up to a maximum of $200 Effective: 7/1/25 5
Exhibit A
Fee Description & Unit/Time Effective 7/1/26

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

MASTER FEE SCHEDULE

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Must be approved by the Community Services Supervisor.

Non-Profit: Non-profit agencies or other groups that by nature serve the needs of the City and community.

Must be approved by the Community Services Supervisor.

Private: All groups or individuals that do not qualify as City Sponsored, Grover Beach Non-Profit or Non-Profit.

Impact Definitions
* Low Impact: Event is defined as any meeting/party/event which does NOT include any of the following: food, drink, alcohol served or sold, band or DJ, bounce house, and/or pony rides. ** High Impact: Event is defined as any meeting/party/event which DOES include any of the following: Food, drink, alcohol served or sold, band or DJ, bounce house, and/or pony rides.

Effective 7/1/26
Portable Public Address System $ 11.00
Projection Screen $ 11.00
100 Cup Coffee Pot $ 5.00
Stereo System $ 5.00
Podium $ 5.00
Tables & Chairs
Less than 25 Guests $ 21.00
26-49 Guests $ 41.00
50+ Guests $ 62.00
City Sponsored: Activities sponsored by the City of Grover Beach Community Services Department, or used by a Federal, State, or Local Government Agency.

City of Grover Beach Building Facility Usage Fees
User Group Definitions
Any requested services not covered by Master Fee Schedule will be charged actual costs based on time and materials. A deposit may be required by the City.

Grover Beach Non-Profit: Non-profit agencies or other groups that by nature serve the needs of the City and community and are based in Grover Beach. The Agency's mailing address must be in Grover Beach.

Any requested services not covered by Master Fee Schedule will be charged actual costs based on time and materials. A deposit may be required by the City.

Amenities Fees (Include amenities in rental fee with exception of tables and chairs)
All Renters
6 CITY OF GROVER BEACH

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 12
Placement: Business
Meeting Date: July 27, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Larry Kim, Community Services Supervisor
SUBJECT: Recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission Regarding 2026 Holiday Events

RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report on the recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (PRBC) regarding the City’s holiday events for 2026 and provide direction to staff.

DISCUSSION:

For the past several years, the City’s main holiday event has been the annual Grover Beach Holiday Parade. This past year’s event showcased nearly 40 organizations and businesses with approximately 800 people in attendance. With a parade route covering six blocks along Grand Avenue, this parade typically includes three announcement booths with over 25 community volunteers and approximately 20 City staff supporting the event. An award ceremony and pictures with Santa is typically held at Ramona Center immediately following the end of the parade.

Pursuant to previous direction from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (PRBC), the holiday parade was moved to the second Saturday of December instead of its traditional first Saturday of December to separate the parade from competing holiday events in other cities on the same weekend. The 2025 parade was the first year of this change as the 2024 parade was rained out. Despite this change, parade participation this past year was lower than expected and the relatively short parade time led to some people telling staff they missed the parade entirely.

Staff also heard community feedback indicating that changing to the second weekend in December may have negatively impacted attendance given the number of other parades held on the first weekend, which compete for parade participants and community attendance.

At the December 18, 2025 PRBC meeting, the Commission asked staff to study the feasibility of adding a holiday park event in addition to our annual parade. Such an event would consist of crafts, activities, and entertainment in a winter holiday theme, complete with photos with Santa, similar to the Santa’s Village events that were held several years ago.

Community Services staff reached out to the Police Department and Public Works Department, to see what additional needs and costs would be associated with adding an event. Staff determined that adding an additional holiday event at the scale discussed by the PRBC would require significant funding (an estimated $8,000) that is not currently budgeted. These costs would include equipment rentals, artist and performer fees, overtime for police and City staff, as well as promotional costs. Additionally, existing staff resources do not provide capacity for successfully Staff Report: PRBC Recommendation for Holiday Park Event Page 2 July 27, 2026
planning and executing two large-scale holiday events in a single year. Having two events would also be challenging in the recruitment of volunteers, especially during the holiday season.

Staff brought this information to the PRBC at the April 16, 2026 meeting for the Commission to consider an alternative park event at Ramona Garden Park in lieu of a parade that would be comparable in cost. Replacing the parade with a holiday event would also require fewer staff resources and fewer street closures. A park event would be a longer multi-hour event for the community to enjoy throughout the day, whereas the annual parade generally lasts approximately 40 minutes.

During this meeting, the Commission unanimously recommended that the City host a holiday park event as the City’s main holiday event in lieu of a parade. Commissioners indicated during their deliberation that they had carried out public outreach individually to inform their decision. The Commissioners noted that the City may analyze the success of this change in the following year, with the option to have a holiday parade again in future years. If the Council provides direction concurring with this recommendation, staff will plan for this event and reach out to various community groups to advise them of this change of holiday events and encourage participation in this new event.

FISCAL IMPACT
Changing the Grover Beach Holiday Parade to a Holiday Park Event will not impact the current budget as the costs between the two events are comparable. Costs for a holiday event are included in the Community Service operating budget for FY 2026-27.

ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:

1. Receive a report on the recommendations from the PRBC regarding the City’s holiday events in 2026 and provide direction to staff; or

2. Provide alternative direction to staff.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.

Multi-Year Goals
☒ Public Safety and Community Services ☐ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☐ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☐ Street Improvements and Maintenance

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 13
Placement: Business
Meeting Date: July 27, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission Regarding Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts and Consideration of Changes to City Park Hours

RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report on recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (PRBC) regarding the Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts; and consider possible changes to City park hours and operations; and provide direction to staff.

BACKGROUND
Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts
On February 15, 2022, the City Council approved a pickleball pilot program at Mentone Basin Park, installing temporary lines for two pickleball courts on one existing and rarely used tennis court. Community response to the pilot program was very positive and park usage increased as a result. On April 18, 2024, staff provided the Parks, Recreation, and Beautification Commission (PRBC) with an update on the pilot program, indicating the success of the program and the community feedback that the City should install permanent pickleball courts. The PRBC agreed and recommended permanent conversion of these courts to the City Council, which the Council approved on May 28, 2024. The permanent courts were installed and opened in fall 2024 for a cost of approximately $16,000.

In the nearly two years since permanent conversion of the courts, the park has seen increased activity, with an average of more than 100 community members playing pickleball each month.

The community feedback has remained largely positive, with many community members expressing their appreciation for having another set of pickleball courts in the area. However, the City has received complaints related to noise caused by the play from some residents who live near the park. Those residents requested that the Council revisit the use and operation of the pickleball courts to reduce noise levels and hours of the park.

On April 13, 2026, the Council directed staff to bring a discussion of possible mitigating measures suggested by the residents to the PRBC for consideration, including conducting a noise study, installing an acoustic barrier around the courts, reducing the hours of the courts, and requiring softer paddles be used by players. Staff compiled an overview of the requested modifications, including the estimated cost of each and presented them to the PRBC on June 18, 2026.

Staff Report: Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts and City Park Hours Page 2 July 27, 2026

After deliberation of each proposed mitigation measure, the PRBC recommended two actions for staff to bring forward to the Council for consideration. The first is to change the hours of the courts to only allow play from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. This would require an ordinance, as under Grover Beach Municipal Code (GBMC) Section 93.05, all City parks including sports courts are open to the public between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. The second recommendation is to encourage the use of equipment with acoustic materials to reduce the sound of play through signage at the courts, which would include information on where to obtain such equipment. The estimated cost to install this signage is approximately $200.

Ramona Garden Park Playground Hours and Noise
At its June 16th meeting, the PRBC also heard public comment from residents who expressed concern with noise emanating from the newly installed Ramona Garden Park playground, in particular during the early morning and late evening hours. During Commission comments, the PRBC directed staff to bring back an item to discuss park hours at Ramona Garden Park.

However, given other public communications to staff and the Council on the topic of park hours particularly at this playground, the Council subsequently directed staff on June 22 to bring this topic to the Council in conjunction with the changes for the pickleball courts at Mentone Basin Park recommended by the PRBC.

As a result, staff is recommending that the Council consider whether to change park hours citywide and provide direction on whether to bring back an ordinance to amend GBMC Section

93.05 more broadly. More specifically, the Council could consider whether to set general hours that City parks are available to the public and potentially more restricted hours at recreational courts, fields, and playgrounds which tend to produce the greatest level of noise. To inform this discussion, staff researched park hours in our neighboring cities, which are largely in line with the City’s hours, with some exceptions for specific uses as shown in the chart below:

City General Park Hours Special Park Area Hours
Arroyo Grande 5:00a.m.-10:00p.m. None
Atascadero 6:00a.m.-10:00p.m. in Code;
listed as Dawn-Dusk
None
Morro Bay 6:00a.m.-10:00p.m. in Code;
listed as Dawn-Dusk
None
Paso Robles 6:00a.m.-11:00p.m. Pickleball Court – 6:00a.m.- 9:00p.m.

Pismo Beach Dawn-Dusk Pier Area 4:00a.m.-11:00p.m.

San Luis Obispo 5:00a.m.-10:00p.m. Skate Park – 7:00a.m.-Dusk In addition to operating hours, the City has also received some concerns from residents near Ramona Garden Park about noise from the new zipline equipment and a request for the City to muffle this noise or lock the zipline to the base at night to prevent use after hours. Staff has discussed this issue with the playground manufacturer and learned that there is not a noise muffling device for this equipment and that any locking device the City would add would nullify the warranty on the equipment as it could potentially damage or otherwise interfere with the operation of the equipment. Further, locking the equipment would require additional staffing resources to lock the equipment after normal work hours. As an example, if the City were to use Public Works Maintenance Workers for this task, the City would have to pay standby and overtime pay to complete this daily task, which is estimated to cost an estimated $57,000 annually.

Staff Report: Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts and City Park Hours Page 2 July 27, 2026
The Council is requested to provide direction on whether staff should return with an ordinance to update the hours of public access for City parks in general and/or at specific park areas and whether to post signage encouraging the use of noise mitigating equipment at the Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts, as recommended by the PRBC. Such an ordinance would be brought to the Council for consideration this fall. Additionally, the Council is recommended to provide direction if desired on any other actions at the Ramona Garden Park playground.

FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report. Updated signage related to any change in park hours or to encourage the use of noise-mitigating equipment for pickleball is estimated to cost between $200 and $2,000. Additional staff resources required to lock playground equipment after hours are estimated to cost at least $57,000 annually.

ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:

1. Receive a report on recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (PRBC) regarding the Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts; and consider possible changes to City park hours and operations; and provide direction to staff; or

2. Provide alternative direction to staff.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.

Multi-Year Goals
☒ Public Safety and Community Services ☐ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☐ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☐ Street Improvements and Maintenance

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 14
Placement: Business
Meeting Date: July 27, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
SUBJECT: Report from Ad Hoc Council Committee on Measure F-26

RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report from the ad hoc Council committee on the building heights and commercial space measure placed on the November 3, 2026 ballot as Measure F-26 and provide input and direction as warranted.

BACKGROUND
On June 8, 2026, the Council provided direction to create an ad hoc Council committee related to the citizen initiative to reduce building heights in commercial and industrial areas and establish a commercial space requirement. This direction was provided in conjunction with the Council’s action to place the initiative as a measure on the November 3, 2026, general election which is now established as Measure F-26. An ad hoc committee consisting of two members of the Council can be established for any purpose by Council action and can meet on an as-needed basis. On June 22, 2026, the Council approved the creation of this ad hoc committee consisting of Council Members McCorry-Driscoll and Tuggle with the intent of meeting with the measure proponents to discuss potential impacts and alternatives that could be considered.

The ad hoc committee met on June 26 with staff support provided by the City Manager, City Attorney, and Community Development Director. The ad hoc committee subsequently sent the three named proponents of the measure (Ron Arnoldsen, Donna De La Rosa, and Michael Wilson) a request on June 26 to meet with the ad hoc committee in July. The proponents responded and declined the offer for a meeting and instead suggested holding a “town hall meeting” for all residents to discuss concerns with building heights and balancing State law with local needs.

These responses were received from Ms. De La Rosa and Mr. Wilson. Separately, the Council received correspondence from Kelvin Coveduck regarding the initiative speaking on behalf of the measure proponents.

Following receipt of these responses, the ad hoc committee met again on June 29, July 1, and July 22 to discuss the committee’s next steps. The ad hoc committee determined no additional meeting requests would be made and decided to submit a report on its efforts to the full Council at the July 27th meeting. Staff will defer to the ad hoc committee members Council Members McCorry-Driscoll and Tuggle to provide this report during the meeting and Council may provide input and direction as warranted. The ad hoc committee also wished to include a copy of a letter the City recently received from the California Housing Defense Fund about Measure F-26 for the Council’s information as shown in Attachment 1. Lastly, the City anticipates receiving a letter from the California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) outlining HCD’s review Staff Report: Report from Ad Hoc Council Committee on Measure F-26 Page 2 July 27, 2026
Multi-Year Goals
☐ Public Safety and Community Services ☒ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☐ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☐ Street Improvements and Maintenance
process if Measure F-26 is approved and the necessary actions that must be taken for the City to remain compliant with State housing law. This letter will be provided to the Council as well as posted on the agenda page on the City’s website if received by the July 27th meeting.

FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report.

ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1) Receive a report from the ad hoc Council committee on the building heights and commercial space measure and provide input and direction as warranted; or 2) Provide alternative direction to staff.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Letter from California Housing Defense Fund
Jul 16, 2026
City of Grover Beach
154 S 8th Street
Grover Beach, CA 93433
By email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]
Re: Proposed Amendments to the City’s Zoning Code
Dear Grover Beach City Council,
The California Housing Defense Fund (CalHDF) submits this letter as a public comment concerning Measure F-26, a proposed referendum that would amend the City’s zoning code to lower height limits and establish minimum commercial percentages in mixed-use buildings.

CalHDF writes to reinforce what the City’s staff memo and City Attorney memo on the referendum have already pointed out. Specifically, the City may be in violation of SB 330 if it fails to enact a simultaneous upzoning to compensate for the referendum’s reduction in residential zoning capacity, as discussed infra. Furthermore, the referendum, if approved, will contravene the City’s Housing Element, which will need to be revised to address these new constraints.

Of note, CalHDF is currently in litigation with the County of Santa Clara based on a similar action that violated SB 330’s downzoning prohibition. You may read our brief before the California Court of Appeal here.

Background - SB 330
SB 330 prohibits local agencies from reducing residential zoning and general plan capacity in affected geographies (including the City) below what was permitted on January 1, 2018, unless the City concurrently adjusts zoning and general plan capacity elsewhere within its boundaries to preserve its total residential capacity.
2201 Broadway, PH1, Oakland, CA 94612
[email protected]
Attachment 1
Government Code section 66300, subdivision (b)(1) (emphasis added):

Notwithstanding any other law except as provided in subdivision (h), with respect to land where housing is an allowable use, an affected county or an affected city shall not enact a development policy, standard, or condition that would have any of the following effects:
(A) Changing the general plan land use designation, specific plan land use designation, or zoning of a parcel or parcels of property to a less intensive use or reducing the intensity of land use within an existing general plan land use designation, specific plan land use designation, or zoning district in effect at the time of the proposed change, below what was allowed under the land use designation or zoning ordinances of the affected county or affected city, as applicable, as in effect on January 1, 2018, except as otherwise provided in clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) or subdivision (h). For purposes of this subparagraph, “reducing the intensity of land use” includes, but is not limited to, reductions to height, density, or floor area ratio, new or increased open space or lot size requirements, new or increased setback requirements, minimum frontage requirements, or maximum lot coverage limitations, or any other action that would individually or cumulatively reduce the site’s residential development capacity.

Additionally, Government Code section 66300, subdivision (h) (emphasis added) provides:
(1) This section does not prohibit an affected county or an affected city, including the local electorate acting through the initiative process, from changing a land use designation or zoning ordinance to a less intensive use, or reducing the intensity of land use, ifthe city or county concurrently changes the development standards, policies, and conditions applicable to other parcels within the jurisdiction to ensure thatthere is no netloss in residential capacity.
(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, “concurrently” means the action is approved at the same meeting of the legislative body.
…
(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in the case of an initiative measure, “concurrently” means the action is included in the initiative in a manner that ensures the added residential capacity is effective atthe same time as the reduction in residential capacity.

As is discussed below, the referendum, if approved, would violate these provisions of SB 330. 2 of 6
Measure F-26 Would Violate SB 330
Measure F-26 would reduce height limits for mixed-use buildings and require that at least 33% of such mixed-use buildings be devoted to commercial space.

These changes would potentially reduce the City’s residential zoning capacity below that which was in effect on January 1, 2018.

To avoid a violation of SB 330, the City would be obligated to enact concurrent changes “applicable to other parcels within the jurisdiction to ensure that there is no net loss in residential capacity.” (Gov. Code, § 66300, subd. (h)(1).) SB 330 defines “concurrently” as 1) an action approved “at the same meeting” as one where a city reduces residential development capacity and 2) where the city “ensures the added residential capacity is effective at the same time as the reduction in residential capacity.” (Ibid.) The City should be sure to perform a concurrent upzoning of other parcels to make up for the residential capacity that will be lost as a result of this downzoning.

Of note, SB 330’s downzoning prohibition is separate and distinct from the Housing Element Law’s “no net loss” requirements, which the City must also analyze and address.

Measure F-26 Would Violate the Housing Element Law
The proposed height limits and commercial component requirement represent a new governmental constraint on housing, which the City’s Housing Element fails to analyze. A city’s housing element must analyze potential and actual governmental constraints on housing maintenance and production. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (a)(5).) The City’s Housing Element must include a specific analysis of how Measure F-26 will constrain housing development. The current Housing Element does not contain this analysis, obviously.

Furthermore, the Housing Element must include programs to actively remove constraints. (Gov. Code, § 65583, subd. (c)(3).) By imposing new land use regulations (i.e. Measure F-26) that inhibit development, the referendum, if approved, will cause the City’s Housing Element to fall out of compliance with this aspect of Housing Element Law.

Additionally, Measure F-26 runs counter to goals and policies in the City’s Housing Element:
● Goal 1: Provide an adequate supply of sound housing affordable to all residents of Grover Beach.
● Goal 2: Provide a variety of housing choices and increase the supply of new housing to meet the community’s fair share of regional needs.
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● Goal 5: Reduce development constraints, where appropriate, encourage creativity, and provide incentives for the development of affordable housing. ● Goal 7: Ensure equal housing opportunities for all persons regardless of age, race, sex, religion, or national origin, and remove potential barriers that prevent choice in housing.
● Policy 1.1: Policy 1.1 The City shall ensure there is an adequate supply of vacant or underutilized land for development or redevelopment at specific densities to meet the housing objectives for affordable housing. This will include meeting or exceeding the RHNA. The City shall also explore effective developer incentives for affordable housing, especially if the development is 100 percent affordable. ● Policy 1.2: The City shall encourage development of a mix of different housing types including multi-family and single-family homes, mixed-use developments, accessory dwelling units, caretaker units, manufactured homes, transitional housing, emergency shelters, and farmworker and employee housing, in appropriate locations.
● Policy 4.3: The City shall support the redevelopment of residential or commercial property for farmworker housing, transitional housing, and other special needs housing, in appropriate locations.
● Policy 6.1: The City shall review site development standards, development review procedures, and development fees and shall modify them if necessary, to ensure they do not unreasonably constrain the development, conservation, and rehabilitation of housing.

Measure F-26 also contravenes Program 1.1 Adequate Sites; Program 1.5 Not Net Loss; Program 6.2 Annual Review of Housing Constraints; and Program 8.2 Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

Instead of reducing constraints and encouraging housing development, including for historically marginalized groups, Measure F-26 does the contrary. Measure F-26 is therefore a direct violation of the City’s Housing Element.

If voters approve Measure F-26, the City may fail to meet its RHNA obligations and violate the No Net Loss Law, i.e., Government Code section 65863. Pursuant to State law, the City must:
“. . . ensure that its housing element inventory. . . can accommodate, at all times throughout the planning period, its remaining unmet share of regional housing need. . .At no time. . . shall a city . . . by administrative, quasi-judicial, legislative, or other action permit or cause its inventory of sites identified in the housing element to be insufficient to meet its remaining unmet share of the regional housing need for lower and moderate-income households.” (Gov. Code, § 65863, subd. (a).) 4 of 6
Since the City’s Housing Element has already been approved by HCD and adopted, the City must ensure that the proposed Measure F-26 will not interfere with its RHNA obligations for each income category by reducing the residential capacity of any inventoried sites in the Housing Element. If Measure F-26 would reduce an inventoried site’s residential capacity, the City must first make written findings, supported by substantial evidence, that the remaining inventoried sites can still accommodate its RHNA requirements. (Gov. Code, § 65863, subd. (b)(1).)
If the remaining inventoried sites cannot accommodate the City’s RHNA requirements, then the City must immediately identify and add additional, adequate sites to its Housing Element to ensure there is no net loss of residential unit capacity. (Gov. Code, § 65863, subd. (c)(1).) Any “actions to identify additional sites or rezone must occur before or concurrently with any action or approval to reduce a parcel’s density.” (Gov. Code, § 65863, subd. (c)(1); Memorandum from HCD on No Net Loss Law Gov. Code, § 65863 (Oct. 2, 2019).) If those actions “represent a fundamental alteration” to the City’s approved Housing Element, the City is required to amend their Housing Element’s inventoried sites pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (b), which requires revisions to be submitted to HCD for review, prior to or concurrently with, any action or approval to reduce a parcel’s residential density.

The City may not use Measure F-26 to disapprove certain residential development projects on sites in the City’s housing element site inventory. This follows from the portion of the HAA known as the “baby builder’s remedy,” i.e. Government Code Section 65589.5, subdivision (d)(5)(A):
[A local jurisdiction may not cite inconsistency with the zoning code to] disapprove or conditionally approve a housing development project if the housing development project is proposed on a site that is identified as suitable or available for very low, low-, or moderate-income households in the jurisdiction’s housing element, and consistent with the density specified in the housing element, even though it is inconsistent with both the jurisdiction’s zoning ordinance and general plan land use designation.

The City must exempt such projects from the provisions of Measure F-26 . ◄►
Our housing crisis was created by cumulative actions taken over decades that collectively reduced residential zoning capacity across the state. SB 330’s downzoning prohibition exists in order to stop this steady erosion of residential zoning capacity. Measure F-26 could potentially violate this state law. If the City’s voters pass Measure F-26, then the City must concurrently upzone other land within the City, as is required by SB 330. It must also amend 5 of 6
its Housing Element to analyze this new constraint and ensure that the City’s zoning will continue to be able to adequately facilitate the development of its RHNA obligations at each income level.

CalHDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose mission includes advocating for increased access to housing for Californians at all income levels, including low-income households. You may learn more about CalHDF at www.calhdf.org.

Sincerely,
Dylan Casey
CalHDF Executive Director
James M. Lloyd
CalHDF Director of Planning and Investigations
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