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ITEM: |
CONSENT CALENDAR |
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2. |
Consider Expenditure of Budgeted Funds to Contract
with Idias Consulting to Provide Assistance with Projects Related to the |
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Meeting Date: |
February 26, 2009 |
Budgeted: |
Yes |
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From: |
Darby Fuerst, |
Program/ |
Personnel |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
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Prepared By: |
Joe Oliver |
Cost Estimate: |
$20,000 |
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General
Counsel Approval: N/A
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Committee recommendation:
The Administrative Committee reviewed
this item on February 17, 2009 and recommended approval on a 3 to 0 vote. |
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CEQA
Compliance: N/A |
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SUMMARY: Staff
proposes to retain the services of Mark Dias, principal of IDIAS Consulting, to
provide assistance with Seaside Basin Watermaster and MPWMD Allocation Program
Mitigation Plan reporting requirements during the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY)
2008-09. It is anticipated that this
interim assistance will help to supplement staff’s resources until such time
that the vacant staff position in the Water Resources Division can be
filled. This assistance will be
allocated at $16,000 for Watermaster tasks, which are reimbursable through
existing contracts between the MPWMD and the Watermaster, and $4,000 for
Allocation Mitigation tasks (specifically the pending 2007-2008 report), which
are unreimbursable costs. Mr. Dias would
be retained under a professional services contract agreement with the District through
FY 2008-09, which ends on June 30, 2009.
It is anticipated that this interim assistance will entail approximately
20 hours per week.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Board authorize the General Manager to execute
a contract with IDIAS Consulting for a not-to-exceed amount of $20,000 for
technical assistance within the Water Resources Division until June 30, 2009. If this item is approved along with the
Consent Calendar, staff will process a contract agreement for these services
with IDIAS Consulting.
BACKGROUND: District
management and staff have been discussing the need for staffing within the
Water Resources Division for approximately the past two years. This need has been driven by: (a) the desire
to provide a “succession plan” for eventual replacement of existing hydrologic
and hydrogeologic staff expertise in the Division, and (b) significant new
technical tasks that have been added for Division staff, including recent
contract work with the Seaside Basin Watermaster. The assignment in 2008 of the former Water
Resources Division Manager to General Manager has accelerated the need to augment
the Division’s staff resources. Staff
solicited applications for the position of Senior Hydrogeologist in 2008. However, a successful candidate was not
retained for this position and staff is currently in the process of recruiting
candidates, either at the Senior or Associate level. The proposed assistance
from IDIAS Consulting will be an interim measure until the full-time permanent
position can be filled. Mr. Dias served
a similar role in supplementing staff’s resources in 2008; therefore, he is
well suited for this interim assistance as he is already familiar with these
Water Resources Division programs. Prior to 2008, Mr. Dias also had pertinent
experience through previous employment in the 1990s with the Monterey County
Health Department, Division of Environmental Health. In addition, Mr. Dias was retained by the
District in 2005 to provide technical assistance on implementation of the
District’s new regulations governing the creation and amendment of Water
Distribution Systems.
IMPACT
TO STAFF / RESOURCES: The proposed contract with IDIAS Consulting
will provide interim relief to existing staff in the Water Resources Division,
by helping to spread out and more effectively execute the current
workload. It is estimated that 80% of
the assigned tasks will be reimbursable through existing contracts between the
MPWMD and the Seaside Basin Watermaster.
Funds for the remaining 20% will be from unencumbered funds that were
already budgeted when General Manager
EXHIBITS
None
U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2009\20090226\ConsentCal\02\item2.doc