REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Eric G. Parra, Interim City Manager
VIA: Chau Vu, Director of Public Works
PREPARED BY: Kristen Schroeder, Water Quality Supervisor
Subject:
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Approve and authorize execution of an Agreement for sharing consultant costs for completion of Joint Hazard Mitigation Plans and the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 Update Projects with the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC)
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Statement of Issue:
Submitted for City Council approval is an agreement to share consultant costs for completion of Joint Hazard Mitigation Plans and the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 Update Projects as required by Federal Mandate.
Financial Impact:
Expenditure appropriations totaling $89,700 are budgeted in Water Fund account 50685801.69365 for this project.
Recommended Action:
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Approve and authorize the Interim City Manager to execute an Agreement for sharing consultant costs for completion of Joint Hazard Mitigation Plans and the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 Update Projects with the Municipal Water District of Orange County.
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
The America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 requires water systems to recertify their Risk and Resilience Assessments (RRAs) and Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) every five years. Previously, the City of Huntington Beach executed a similar cost sharing agreement with the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) to achieve compliance with AWIA. This ongoing recertification is vital to securing water supplies by assessing vulnerabilities to both natural and human-made threats.
Key points of the AWIA include:
• Risk and Resilience Assessments (RRAs):
Assess the risks from natural hazards and malevolent acts, as well as the resilience of critical infrastructure (e.g., pipes, barriers, source water). Additionally, covers monitoring practices, financial infrastructure, chemical usage and storage, operational maintenance, and future capital and operational needs.
• Emergency Response Plans (ERPs):
ERPs are required for community water systems serving over 3,300 people and must be developed or updated accordingly.
• Enforcement:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may impose penalties of up to $25,000 per day for non-compliance with AWIA requirements.
Recognizing the commonality of these requirements across Orange County, the MWDOC has retained Herndon Solutions Group (HSG) to develop the Orange County Multi-Jurisdictional Water and Wastewater Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and AWIA Update Projects, which include the RRAs and ERPs for member agencies. HSG was selected via a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, with input from MWDOC member agencies throughout the RFP development and selection stages. The majority of Orange County Water Agencies have opted to participate in this collective effort.
The City’s share of $89,700 is based on the cost of MWDOC's consultant contract, proportionately divided among participating agencies. By partnering with MWDOC, the City benefits from economies of scale, reducing the expense of hiring an independent consultant and ensuring compliance with AWIA requirements by the mandated deadlines. Failure to meet these deadlines could result in penalties of up to $25,000 per day.
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 8 - Public Safety, Strategy B - Bolster City's emergency management preparedness and response plans to ensure seamless public safety response during crisis events.
For details, visit www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/strategicplan.
Attachment(s):
1. Agreement Between City of Huntington Beach and MWDOC
2. PowerPoint Presentation