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 over 7,000 staff hours for geologic evaluations and monitoring assistance under the City’s aquifer program. These services require the use of technical scientific software and equipment and general subject matter expertise to augment resources otherwise not present in EAPP. The proposed agreement reflects just a portion of the total costs incurred by EAA for their assistance with the program, which they will also contribute $186,503.00 annually over the next five years as part of their share for the geological assessments and monitoring assistance under the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.
ISSUE:
Since program inception in 2000, the City’s aquifer protection program has secured development rights in excess of 142,000 protected acres over the Edwards Aquifer either through conservation easement or fee simple purchase across Bexar, Medina, and Uvalde counties, all of which require monitoring on an annual basis. Since 2008, EAA has assisted with the identification and monitoring of each of these protected properties free of charge and now requires contribution by the City to offset its operating costs under the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program which has an annual monitoring requirement. The proposed Interlocal Agreement was approved by the EAA’s Board of Directors at their September 13, 2016, meeting and recommended for Council authorization by the Conservation Advisory Board on September 28, 2016.
ALTERNATIVES:
In lieu of the Interlocal Agreement, the City could elect to issue a Request For Qualifications for geological assessments and monitoring assistance for properties under the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program subject to current market rates. However, this course of action would not realize the efficiency in utilizing the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s expertise in hydrogeology and aquifer science and their familiarity with existing program properties.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds in an amount not to exceed $175,000.00 annually for a total contract amount of $875,000.00 will be paid for by the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Project funded by the 2015 Proposition 1 Parks Development & Expansion Fund. The Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Project was approved in the FY 2017-2022 Adopted Annual Capital Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the proposed Interlocal Agreement with the Edwards Aquifer Authority for continued support under the City’s Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.