DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Xavier D. Urrutia
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Edwards Aquifer Protection Program - Demonstration Project with UTSA
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a funding agreement with the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in an amount not to exceed $2,671,236.00, for a water quality demonstration project under the 2015 Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Program for a period of three years. This ordinance also authorizes the execution of necessary documents by the Director of Parks and Recreation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In May 2015, voters renewed for the third time the Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, funded through a portion of a 1/8-cent sales tax in the amount of $100 million. Previous elections set the initiative at $90 million and included Edwards Aquifer protection efforts beyond Bexar County. The current voter-approved program includes $10 million dedicated for aquifer water quality projects within urbanized areas of Bexar County over the Recharge and Contributing Zones of the Edwards Aquifer. These projects have come to be known as “demonstration projects” which the City is pioneering in coordination with San Antonio River Authority, Edwards Aquifer Authority and San Antonio Water System.
A University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) demonstration project is recommended for the Research/Study and New Construction/Retrofit category. As part of their research proposal, UTSA will focus on the low-density and significantly forested Leon Creek Watershed to study the relation between land cover and water quality, with a focus on the replacement of forest cover/Ashe Juniper with impervious cover. This project will also provide three years of data analysis on the efficacy of Low Impact Development (LID) improvements including a bioswale, vegetative filter strip and sand filtration which will be incorporated into a UTSA-funded parking lot construction project on their campus to improve water quality within the developing watershed. Additionally, the project will construct a 2,000 square foot Edwards Aquifer Recharge Living Laboratory on the UTSA main campus located adjacent to the established National Wildlife Federation Certified Pollinator Habitat under the Mayor’s Monarch Challenge. This facility will be operated by the UTSA Office of Facilities and will serve as a permanent Best Management Practices (BMP) demonstration facility and will offer long-term educational opportunities to K-12 and higher education students throughout the community. LID features including rain garden, roof-top rain collection system and green roof will retrofit a four-acre watershed that is 70 percent impervious cover and is currently not required to have water quality treatment in accordance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules. This project is recommended for consideration and was endorsed by the Conservation Advisory Board on May 23, 2018.
The UTSA agreement will be executed in compliance with the Small Business Economic Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small minority, and women-owned business participation on the contract. The Goal Setting Committee set a 29% Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) subcontracting goal to the UTSA contract, which applies solely to the City’s funds appropriated toward the construction portion of this project’s scope of work. UTSA has committed a 29% Minority, Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) subcontractor participation.
In April 2016, the City entered into an interlocal agreement (ILA) with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) to serve as project manager for the $10 million “demonstration project” component of the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program. As project manager, SARA convened stakeholder meetings to assess demonstration project needs and define its scope. Through this process SARA created a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of key industry experts, City staff, and representatives from both the development and conservation communities. Once convened, the TAC created the scoring tool used to assess project submissions. An eligible project includes those projects that address and improve water quality in developed areas that do not meet current Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standards. Funding for projects will cover only the cost of implementing BMPs for storm water analysis that exceeds minimum TCEQ permit requirements. Projects must accommodate collection of pre- and post-construction storm water monitoring (SWM) data. Projects may also be research based and should assess major threats to groundwater quality; develop specific BMP long-term performance and life cycle costs; forecast regional impacts of urban development on groundwater quality; and/or evaluate the effectiveness of BMP innovations in preventing pollution of groundwater.
ISSUE:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of a funding agreement in an amount not to exceed $2,671,236.00 to UTSA for a water quality demonstration project for the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, a Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue funded Project as approved by voters in May 2015.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could choose not to authorize the execution of these agreements in lieu of considering future project submissions through SARA’s open solicitation process which allows projects to be submitted year round and reviewed on a quarterly basis. However, this would delay implementation of the initial phase of projects and may result in increased costs for similar projects.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This is a total fiscal impact of $2,671,236.00 to be used for the implementation of the aquifer protection project described herein. Funds for this project have been appropriated through 2015 Proposition 1 of the Edwards Aquifer Protection Sales Tax fund and are included in the FY 2018-2023 Capital Improvement Program Budget. All ongoing operation and maintenance costs for this project are the financial responsibility of UTSA.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this water quality demonstration project under the 2015 Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project.
The Contracts Disclosure Form required by the Ethics ordinance is attached.