Agenda

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C. 46

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	April 25, 2017

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Amendment to Contract with Dr. Richard A. Denton, Water Resources Consultant

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 04/25/2017

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Ryan Hernandez (925) 674-7824

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: April 25, 2017
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with Richard A. Denton, Ph.D, PE, to extend the term from December 31, 2017 through December 31, 2019 and increase the payment limit by $120,000 to a new payment limit of $460,000 for water resource consulting related to the Delta and the San Francisco Bay to Stockton Navigation Improvement Study.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The $120,000 cost will be covered by the combination of funds from the Contra Costa County Water Agency and the Ship Channel Maintenance Assessment District.

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Conservation and Development has a contract with Richard A. Denton, Ph.D, PE, of Richard Denton and Associates, to provide water resources consulting for matters relating to the Delta. Dr. Denton provides expert scientific review and comment on numerous items including the Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California Water Fix (BDCP/CWF), the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, and the San Francisco Bay to Stockton Navigation Improvement Study.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Dr. Denton was hired on the basis of his technical expertise and his 42 years of experience in the areas of hydraulics, water quality and water quality modeling. Dr. Denton was previously Water Resources Manager for the Contra Costa Water District and has been involved in Bay Delta activities, including State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) water right and water quality hearings, since 1989. He has extensive experience analyzing Central Valley Project operations and flow and salinity regimes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The term of this contract currently expires on December 31, 2017. The Department seeks to extend his contract for another two years, to expire on December 31, 2019, to ensure that he remains under contract to the County through the completion of the BDCP/CWF planning process, a highly controversial project by the State and federal agencies and water export contractors. The BDCP/CWF application to the SWRCB to change the point of diversion began in January 2016 and the County has filed a formal protest. Dr. Denton is an integral part of the County’s team preparing testimony for this quasi-judicial hearing before the State Water Resources Control Board.

The Department also seeks to increase the maximum contract amount from its current level of $340,000 to $460,000. The additional $120,000 will cover the remaining calendar year plus two additional years being added to the contract term.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The contract with Dr. Richard Denton will expire on December 31, 2017, leaving the Department without critical expertise in water policy, Delta hydrology, water quality and fisheries during the BDCP/CWF application to the State Water Resources Control Board to change the point of diversion.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

None.