CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 10 Section Name: CONSENT CALENDAR Account Number: 10-4676 File ID: 26-11488 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: August 17, 2026
SUBJECT:
Permitting Support for Citywide Creeks Maintenance Program — Amendment RECOMMENDATION:
Approve an amendment to the agreement with Onterris USA, Inc. for permitting support for the Citywide Creeks Maintenance Program to increase the agreement amount by $40,956, for a new agreement total of $372,943; and authorize the Public Works Director to execute the amendment in substantially the form presented and issue amendments within the agreement amount.
BACKGROUND:
On December 1, 2025, the City awarded a professional consulting agreement to Onterris USA, Inc. (formerly Montrose Environmental Solutions, Inc.) to secure a multi-agency regulatory permit which would allow the City to operate a general maintenance program on an as-needed basis for City-managed creeks and channels. This work also includes securing a project-specific permit for maintenance of a segment of the 16th Avenue Channel, as well as preparation of guidance which would be available as a resource for private property owners who are responsible for maintaining private creeks and channels within the City.
Following localized flooding that occurred during the late 2025 and early 2026 storm season, the City requested that Onterris expand its support to include the 19th Avenue Channel. Both the 16th Avenue Channel and 19th Avenue Channel project-specific permits are intended to allow field staff to remove vegetation overgrowth and restore stormwater conveyance capacity within specific high-priority channel segments. Because the implementation of these activities are planned for the 2026 calendar year, ahead of implementation of the other routine creek maintenance efforts in Summer 2027, it was necessary to complete the environmental review and prepare separate permit applications for these channel segments.
Based on the above, staff recommends Council approve the amendment, which adds budget to support environmental documentation, permitting support, and agency coordination related to the 19th Avenue Channel in the amount of $40,956 for a new agreement total of $372,943.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Funding for these services is budgeted in the Stormwater Pollution operating budget in the Storm Fund; however, with the expansion of these services to include maintenance of the 19th Avenue Channel, any additional costs are planned to be absorbed from available budget in other Public Works programs of the Storm Fund operating budget. Staff will closely monitor and track expenditures throughout the fiscal year and absorb costs within the approved operation budget to the extent feasible. If additional funding is required beyond the approved budget amount, staff will return to the City Council
CITY OF SAN MATEO
to request an appropriation.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
Approval of this agreement amendment is exempt from CEQA as an “existing facility,” because it consists of the of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.)
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This staff report supports the Infrastructure initiative.
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Amendment No. 1
STAFF CONTACT
Gustavo Lopez, Environmental Programs Coordinator
[email protected]
(650) 522-7342