Agenda Item: 19
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: June 23, 2026
SUBJECT: COORDINATED INTEGRATED MONITORING PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT AND NPDES PERMIT
COMPLIANCE CONTRACT AND MEMORANDUM OF
AGREEMENT
DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood Services
PRESENTER: Darin Seegmiller
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Award a three-year contract to Larry Walker and Associates to provide Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Plan (CIMP) implementation, water quality monitoring, data analysis and results investigation, and reporting assistance consistent with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit compliance, in the amount not to exceed $1,926,237.
2. Approve a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Santa Clarita, County of Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County Flood Control District, for CIMP implementation cost share for a five-year term in the amount not to exceed $3,602,112.
3. Increase Stormwater Fund Miscellaneous Revenues Account 356-462101 and authorize an ongoing appropriation from the Stormwater Fund (Fund 356) to Stormwater Professional Services Expenditure Account 3567200-516102 as outlined in the Budget Impact.
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute up to two additional one-year contract renewal options beginning in Fiscal Year 2029-30, and any adjustment consistent with the appropriate Consumer Price Index, contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the City Council in the annual budget for such fiscal years.
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clarita (City) is required to comply with the Federal Clean Water Act through the state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate
Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. The Permit regulates discharges from the City’s storm drain system and requires ongoing water quality monitoring, pollutant sampling, laboratory analysis, and reporting. Failure to comply with these requirements could expose the City to regulatory enforcement actions and significant penalties.
For the Upper Santa Clara River (USCR) watershed, agencies subject to these permit requirements include the City, County of Los Angeles (County), and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD).
COORDINATED INTEGRATED MONITORING PROGRAM (CIMP)
The NPDES Permit allows for a customized monitoring plan in lieu of the generic monitoring plan, as long as all objectives are achieved and justified. To meet these water quality monitoring requirements efficiently and avoid duplicative efforts, the watershed agencies jointly developed a CIMP specific to the USCR watershed.
The CIMP was reviewed and approved by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board on January 9, 2024, and serves as the official monitoring and reporting program for the watershed. It outlines the monitoring locations, sampling frequencies, pollutant parameters, laboratory methods, and reporting obligations necessary to comply with the NPDES Permit.
The CIMP is designed to:
• Assess the chemical, physical, and biological impacts of stormwater discharges; • Determine compliance with water quality limits and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs);
• Characterize pollutants in stormwater and dry-weather flows; • Identify pollutant sources; and
• Support adaptive management to improve water quality outcomes.
Implementing the approved CIMP allows the City, County, and LACFCD to maintain “deemed compliance” status under the NPDES Permit. This status protects the City, County, and LACFCD from enforcement actions and third-party litigation even when water quality standards are exceeded, provided the City continues to implement the CIMP and the watershed’s Enhanced Watershed Management Plan (EWMP).
Since 2015, the City has administered the CIMP monitoring contract on behalf of the City, County, and LACFCD within the USCR watershed. The current contract expires June 30, 2026, requiring a new consultant agreement and an updated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among the watershed agencies.
CIMP MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The CIMP requires a comprehensive suite of monitoring and reporting activities, including:
• Receiving Water Monitoring: Water sampling in the Santa Clara River at designated reaches during both wet- and dry-weather to evaluate drainage area and watershed-scale water quality.
• Outfall Monitoring: Sampling at storm drain outfalls representing different land-uses, including monthly bacteria monitoring and additional sampling where persistent dry-weather flows occur.
• Adaptive Management Investigations: Follow-up investigations when monitoring identifies water quality exceedances, including upstream inspections, additional sampling, and coordination with regulators.
• Reporting: Preparation and submittal of semi-annual and annual monitoring reports, data uploads to the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN), and documentation required under the NPDES Permit.
• Optional Special Studies: Targeted studies to identify pollutant sources or evaluate pollutant behavior, conducted as needed and approved by the watershed group.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) PROCESS
To implement the CIMP for the next five years, the City conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified consulting firms that demonstrated experience in MS4 compliance, watershed monitoring, laboratory coordination, and regulatory reporting. The RFP was published and circulated via the City’s e-procurement system BidNet on February 25, 2026.
The City transmitted the solicitation to 1,688 vendors on BidNet, of which 69 vendors downloaded the RFP. Four companies provided proposals for consideration.
The proposals were reviewed and evaluated based on each company’s ability to meet the specific needs of the City, County, and LACFCD. An evaluation panel of staff from the Environmental Services Division scored the responses using the following categories of weighted criteria:
• Qualifications, plan of scope of work, program management (20 points); • Experience with similar monitoring programs and references (15 points); • Approach to providing services and meet objectives and standards (20 points); • Coordination with a multi-agency watersheds and obtain water samples (10 points); • Ability to effectively modify programming, apply adaptive management, and adjust to shifting regulations and policies from regulatory agencies (20 points); and • Cost of services provided (15 points).
The evaluation panel scored the responses based on a 100-point system, with the results outlined below.
Rank Company Location Score
1 Larry Walker and Associates Davis, California 94
2 California Watershed Engineering Fullerton, California 90 3 WSP USA Los Angeles, California 87
4 Exodus Water Services Thousand Oaks, California 71
In reviewing proposals, the evaluation team awarded the highest score to Larry Walker and Associates (LWA). The evaluation team determined that LWA proposal offered the best overall value and demonstrated the strongest technical approach, extensive experience implementing CIMPs throughout Los Angeles County, and direct familiarity with the USCR watershed. Their proposal meets all requirements of the RFP, the USCR CIMP, and the NPDES Permit.
Staff has completed a due diligence review of LWA’s professional references and determined its past work history with the City, and meets the City’s standards and performance expectations.
Based on the above, staff recommends awarding the contract to LWA.
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA) AND COST SHARE
The USCR CIMP is a watershed-specific program, requiring the City, County, and LACFCD to jointly manage and fund the monitoring and reporting requirements. A new five-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been developed to continue this partnership.
The MOA:
• Establishes the cost-sharing formula for all monitoring, reporting, and program management;
• Identifies the City as the Project Administrator responsible for contracting with the consultant;
• Includes a 5 percent administration cost to reimburse the City for contract management; • Includes a 10 percent contingency, used only with approval of all parties; • Incorporates an estimated 3 percent inflation factor in years four and five; • Covers both CIMP and EWMP implementation requirements
Cost sharing is allocated based on the proportion of watershed acreage within each agency’s jurisdiction. While the total five-year program cost is estimated at $3,602,112, the City’s share is $1,357,900, with the remaining costs funded by the County and the LACFCD.
Approval of the MOA ensures continued regional compliance with the NPDES Permit’s monitoring and reporting responsibilities while reducing the cost burden to each agency.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action decided by City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Upon approval of the recommended actions, the Stormwater Fund (Fund 356) Miscellaneous Revenues Account 356-462101 and the budget for the Stormwater Professional Services Expenditure Account 3567200-516102 will increase as outlined in the Budget Impact.
ATTACHMENTS
LWA Cost File, CIMP Monitoring
Cost Share Tables - USCR MOA 2026
Budget Impact CIMP MOA Cost Share
2026 MOA USCR City County LACFCD
Upper Santa Clara River CIMP (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) RFP # ES-25-26-20 (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Larry Walker Associates, Stormwater Monitoring, Santa Clara River (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)