DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Xavier D. Urrutia
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Interlocal Agreement with the Edwards Aquifer Authority
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of an Interlocal Agreement with the Edwards Aquifer Authority for a five (5) year term ending December 2021 in an amount not to exceed $175,000.00 annually, for a total amount of $875,000.00 from the 2015 Proposition 1 Parks Development & Expansion Fund available in the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Project.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The purpose of the Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP) is to protect the quality and quantity of water recharging into the aquifer. Since 2000, the City has worked to secure property development rights over the sensitive recharge and contributing zones of the Edwards Aquifer. In 2008, the City entered into an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) to provide geologic assessments and monitoring assistance for all properties considered for and accepted into the EAPP. Historically, EAA provided these services free of charge to the City in the interest of protecting the Edwards Aquifer system for which it was created. However, the size and scope of the program has grown from 6,500 acres of protected land in 2005 to over 142,000 protected acres today. As acreage under EAPP has increased through four consecutive sales tax elections, so have the responsibilities of the City and the work load to the EAA to continue identifying and monitoring these lands, which currently sixty-eight (68) conservation easements exist under the program.
The proposed ILA will provide for approximately 48% of the cost for evaluation and monitoring services for all current and future aquifer protected properties, and allows for annual payments of $175,000.00 over the next five (5) years for a total amount not to exceed $875,000.00. The services provided by EAA equate to ove...
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