Memorandum
Date: August 13, 2024
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Matthew Rothstein, Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer
Subject: Consideration of an Agreement in the Not-to-Exceed Amount of $691,068 Between the County of Lake and SLR International Corporation for Analysis of Effects of Proposed Scott Dam Decommissioning
Executive Summary:
As you will be aware, earlier this year, the County of Lake was awarded a $700,000 Grant from the California Department of Water Resources to conduct an analysis of potential effects of PG&E’s proposed decommissioning of Scott Dam. The Funding Agreement relevant to this Grant was executed June 12, 2024.
RFP 24-32 was issued by the County May 2, 2024, seeking qualified firms to conduct this analysis, which encompassed the following tasks, developed in collaboration in Department of Water Resources staff:
Task A. Assessment of Potential Impacts of Dam Removal to Lake County Resources
Impact Areas to be analyzed include:
1. Recreation
2. Wildfire suppression
3. Ecosystem
4. Power
5. Sediment
6. Water supply
7. Infrastructure (e.g. Roads)
8. Others (Please define, if applicable)
Task B. Identify Potter Valley Project Decommissioning and Climate Change Scenarios
Task C. Evaluate Impacts to Resources and Develop Adaptation Strategies
Task D. Evaluate Adaptation Strategies for Potential Implementation
Task E. Report Findings
Two Proposals were received by the June 3, 2024, Proposal Submission Deadline. University of California Cooperative Extension (in collaboration with UCD) Davis SLR International Corporation’s Proposal had a cost of $449,751, and proposed assigning two Water Management Lab Master Students to develop modeling under the supervision of two PhD staff. SLR International Consulting’s Proposal was more robustly staffed (with more than a dozen highly qualified and experienced contributors), in consideration of the very aggressive Study timeline, and carried a cost of $691,068; as your Board will appreciate, both were within the Budget provided by the California Department of Water Resources Grant.
A Consultant Selection Panel was convened the afternoon of June 12, 2024, pursuant to County policy, and a follow-up meeting was held with the preliminarily top-ranked Proposer, SLR International Corporation July 3, 2024. On July 8, 2024, SLR provided written clarifications of their Proposal and a corrected Budget.
Following all appropriate due diligence, the Consultant Selection Panel unanimously found SLR International Corporation to be the firm most qualified and prepared to meet the Scope of Services in an appropriately timely manner. Panelists cited the depth and range of qualified personnel that would be devoted to undertaking this important project as a determinative factor, as well as SLR’s anchoring their Proposal to FERC and other regulatory timelines. Notices of Intent to Award this Agreement were distributed Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
Staff recommends your Board Approve the Agreement in the not-to-exceed amount of $691,068 Between the County of Lake and SLR International Corporation for Analysis of Effects of Proposed Scott Dam Decommissioning, and Authorize the Chair to sign.
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: ___N/A___ Amount Budgeted: __N/A____ Additional Requested: ___$0_____ Future Annual Cost: ___$0___
Purchasing Considerations (check all that apply): ☐ Not applicable
☒ Fully Article X. <https://library.municode.com/ca/lake_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTXPU_S2-38EXCOBI>- and/or Consultant Selection Policy <http://lcnet.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/Intranet/Policy/Policies+$!26+Procedures+Manual/Ch4_2021v2.pdf>-Compliant (describe process undertaken in “Executive Summary”)
☐ Section 2-38 <https://library.municode.com/ca/lake_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTXPU_S2-38EXCOBI> Exemption from Competitive Bidding (rationale in “Executive Summary,” attach documentation, as needed)
☐ For Technology Purchases: Vetted and Supported by the Technology Governance Committee <http://lcnet.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/Intranet/Intranet+Forms/Information+Technology/AdvPlan.pdf> (“Yes,” if checked)
☐ Other (Please describe in Executive Summary)
Consistency with Vision 2028 <http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/Administration/Visioning/Vision2028.htm> (check all that apply): ☐ Not applicable
☒ Well-being of Residents ☐ Public Safety ☐ Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, Recovery
☐ Economic Development ☒ Infrastructure ☐ County Workforce
☒ Community Collaboration ☒ Business Process Efficiency ☐ Clear Lake
Recommended Action: Approve the Agreement in the not-to-exceed amount of $691,068 Between the County of Lake and SLR International Corporation for Analysis of Effects of Proposed Scott Dam Decommissioning, and Authorize the Chair to sign.