1 BASECAMP ENVIRONMENTAL, INC.
SCOPE OF WORK, SCHEDULE AND COSTS
PREPARATION AND PROCESSING OF CEQA INITIAL STUDY
AND STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD NEPA DOCUMENTATION
CITY OF RIPON
SURFACE WATER SUPPLY TRUNK LINES PROJECT
1.0 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The City of Ripon proposes to obtain additional potable water supply from the South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) South County Surface Water Supply Project system, which currently provides treated water to other south San Joaquin County cities. The City of Ripon has rights to a portion of this water. The project would connect dual 18-inch water trunk lines to nearest SSJID facility, an existing treated water trunk line along Lone Tree Road approximately 4.5 miles north of the City of Ripon. The proposed trunk lines that would connect to the City’s existing water storage and distribution facilities at Mistlin Park.
The proposed pipeline would be located along the west side of Jack Tone Road within the existing County road right-of-way. The project alignment is adjacent to agricultural land and associated residences in the unincorporated area. For the most part, the pipelines would be trenched; the crossing of SR 120 and several SSJID irrigation lines would be bored under the existing facilities.
The proposed project is subject to CEQA, and the City of Ripon is the CEQA Lead Agency. The environmental document will also need to fulfill NEPA requirements of the funding agency, which is the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, which administers federal funding through the State Revolving Fund.
BaseCamp Environmental, Inc. (BaseCamp) proposes the preparation and processing of a CEQA Initial Study for the project; it is anticipated that an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) will be the appropriate CEQA document for the project, and this assumption forms the basis for this proposal. It is also assumed for the purposes of this proposal that NEPA requirements will be met by Categorical Exclusion support documentation per DWSRF NEPA guidelines. Consistent with DWSRF NEPA guidelines, applicable NEPA requirements will be incorporated into the DWSRF Environmental Package.
EXHIBIT A
2 2.0 PROPOSED SCOPE OF SERVICES
Initiation: BaseCamp’s involvement in the project will be initiated on receipt of a written Notice to Proceed or a signed contract. We will attend an online kickoff meeting with City staff to review available mapping and design drawings, discuss details related to the environmental document, and define the schedule for project processing. We will also coordinate briefly with the funding agency representative to coordinate regarding the fulfillment of applicable NEPA requirements.
Subcontractor Studies: Immediately after authorization, BaseCamp will engage its subcontractors in the preparation of their respective technical studies. These subcontractors include 1) Moore Biological Consultants, which will prepare a biological inventory of the proposed pipeline alignment; and 2) Solano Archaeology, which will prepare a cultural resources inventory of the alignment.
Project Description: BaseCamp will prepare a written description of the project using the project plans and other available information provided by City staff. The project’s objectives, major elements, and timing will be described using text and graphics. The Project Description will include the project location, a thorough description of the physical elements of the project, the area and volume of land disturbance, and any proposed encroachment on or use of natural resources and public improvements.
Environmental Analysis: BaseCamp will collect environmental data relevant to the proposed project for inclusion in the Initial Study. This process will include detailed review of project plans, the City’s project file, the Ripon General Plan, the San Joaquin County General Plan and EIR and other available file data; a site visit; contacts with SSJID and other agencies with applicable environmental data or with service responsibility to the project.
Environmental data will be compiled in brief Environmental Setting sections for each environmental discipline addressed in the following Proposed Format. BaseCamp will assess potential for the occurrence of significant environmental impacts in each of these disciplines. The scope of study in each discipline will vary with the importance and complexity of anticipated issues. Potentially significant effects will be identified on the basis of the “significance thresholds” inherent in the CEQA Initial Study checklist questions, and effects not found to be significant will be identified, noting the reasons for the finding. The analysis will address potential for cumulative and growth-inducing impacts as well as any other subjects required by CEQA.
Mitigation Measures: For each potential significant effect, BaseCamp will identify and describe feasible mitigation measures that could avoid, substantially reduce, or minimize potentially significant effects. The document will specify the potential impact to be mitigated, the proposed mitigation, and the level to which potential environmental effects would be reduced by mitigation measures.
3 Initial Study: The analysis will be compiled in an Initial Study document based on the most recent CEQA Environmental Checklist Form, supplemented with text describing the project and environmental setting, impact analysis, and mitigation measures. The Initial Study will indicate BaseCamp’s recommended finding with respect to preparation of a Negative Declaration or, if required, an EIR.
Administrative Draft Initial Study: BaseCamp will submit an electronic copy of the Initial Study to the City of Ripon for review and comment. If needed, BaseCamp will meet with the City of Ripon to discuss the Initial Study and City staff comments on the document. Hard copies of the Initial Study will be provided on request for the cost of reproduction.
Mitigated Negative Declaration Option: If the Initial Study indicates that a Negative Declaration should be prepared, BaseCamp will prepare a Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration in a form acceptable to the City of Ripon. The Initial Study document will provide substantial evidence in support of the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
BaseCamp will coordinate conduct of the CEQA public review process in cooperation with City staff. The primary means of distributing the CEQA document will be posting to the City’s web site. BaseCamp will prepare and distribute a Notice of Intent based on a distribution list to be provided by the City. BaseCamp will prepare a Notice of Completion and a CEQA Summary and upload the notices and document to the State Clearinghouse. Hard copies of the CEQA document will be provided on request for the cost of reproduction.
Following public review of the document, BaseCamp staff will work with staff to address any comments received on the IS/MND. Documentation needed to support the Council’s action on the project will be prepared in consultation with City staff.
BaseCamp will prepare a Mitigation Monitoring/Reporting Program (MMRP) for the project for adoption by the City in accordance with CEQA requirements.
NEPA Documentation: BaseCamp will coordinate with the DWSRF staff during the preparation of the IS/MND. Addition technical work in support of NEPA documentation will include the preparation of cultural resource studies to Section 106 standards, including required Native American consultations. In addition, environmental documentation will address the potential presence/absence of federally protected plant and wildlife species, wetlands, farmlands, wild and scenic rivers, and floodplains, among others.
DWSRF’s NEPA determination is assumed to be a Categorical Exclusion. BaseCamp will complete the DWSRF Environmental Package documentation in support of this finding.
4 Public Meeting Attendance: The BaseCamp Project Manager will attend up to two public City meetings to answer questions about, and discuss issues related to, the IS/MND or Environmental Package as required.
The Initial Study will address all of the potential environmental issues included in the most recent CEQA Environmental Checklist, highlighted below by subject.
Aesthetics
Agricultural Resources
Air Quality
Biological Resources
Cultural Resources
Energy
Geology and Soils
Greenhouse Gases
Hazards and Hazardous Material
Hydrology and Water Quality
Land Use and Planning
Mineral Resources
Noise
Population and Housing
Public Services
Recreation
Transportation
Tribal Cultural Resources
Utility and Service Systems
Mandatory Findings of Significance
3.0 COMPLETION SCHEDULE
BaseCamp proposes to complete the required documentation within the following calendar-day schedule. Task times are initially based on receipt of Notice to Proceed.
Submit Administrative Draft IS/MND 75
City Review 20
Revise and Submit Draft IS/MND 15
Public Review Period 30
Submit Final Documents, including Mitigation Monitoring Plan 15 BaseCamp understands that the proposed project involves funding for which certain deadlines apply. BaseCamp is prepared to work closely with the City of Ripon as required to meet the applicable deadlines.
5 4.0 PROPOSED COSTS
BaseCamp proposes to complete environmental document for the project on a Time and Materials basis. Costs will not exceed $57,673.75 without the authorization of the City.
Costs will be billed monthly on a progress basis, in accordance with BaseCamp’s 2023 Rate and Charge Schedule, attached. The breakdown of estimated cost is shown below.
PROPOSED COSTS
CITY OF RIPON, WATER SUPPLY TRUNK LINE PROJECT
CEQA AND NEPA DOCUMENTATION
TOTAL
LABOR HOURS COST
CEQA PROCESS (assumes Negative Declaration)
Initiation, Meetings, Project Management 16 $2,960.00
Prepare Administrative Draft IS/MND 124 $21,420.00
Revise, Prepare Public Review Draft IS/MND 26 $4,270.00 Public Review, Distribution, Notices 14 $2,110.00
Final Documents, Response to Comments 32 $4,940.00
Mitigation Monitoring/Reporting Program 10 $1,610.00
Public Meeting Attendance 4 $900.00
NEPA PROCESS (assumes Categorical Exclusion)
Environmental Package 22 $4,050.00
Other NEPA Documentation 10 $1,890.00
TOTAL LABOR 258 $44,150.00
EXPENSES
Mileage 250 $163.75
In-House Copies $50.00
Miscellaneous (Cost+10%) $100 $110.00
Subcontractors
Biological, including Section 7 issues $5,000 $5,500.00 Cultural, Archaeology (Section 106) $7,000 $7,700.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $13,523.75
TOTAL PROPOSED COST $57,673.75
EXCLUDING SUBCONTRACTORS $44,473.75
6 STANDARD SCHEDULE OF RATES AND CHARGES
BASECAMP ENVIRONMENTAL, INC.
2023
HOURLY FEES FOR PERSONNEL
Principal $225
Senior Planner $180
Project Planner $165
Assistant Environmental Planner $145
Graphics Technician $125
Document Processing $125
COPYING CHARGES
Charges for copying by BaseCamp Environmental will be charged as follows:
Copies (b/w) $0.15/page
Copies (color) $0.25/page
EXPENSES
Subcontractor charges and other materials and services purchased by BaseCamp in connection with services provided under this Agreement will be invoiced at actual cost plus 10%. Materials and services include but are not limited to costs for subcontractor services, travel and subsistence, insurance certificates necessitated by the job, document and map reproduction, computer time, telecommunications, out-of-house fax, rented or leased equipment, supplies, and postage and shipping expenses.
NOTE REGARDING PROJECT APPLICATION AND PROCESSING FEES
CLIENT is responsible for payment of all application fees, processing fees or other project-related charges imposed by government agencies, including payment of California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEQA fees at the filing of the Notice of Determination https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Environmental-Review/CEQA/Fees.