MPWMD BOARD MEETING--FEBRUARY 13, 2014--ITEM 6--CONSIDER APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF INTERNET LICENSE FOR WATER WISE GARDENING IN MONTEREY COUNTY

ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR

6.	CONSIDER APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF INTERNET LICENSE FOR WATER WISE GARDENING IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Meeting Date:			February 13, 2014	Budgeted:	Yes

From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	Conservation Program
			General Manager	Line Item No.: 4-2-2-C

Prepared By:			Stephanie Pintar	Cost Estimate:	$5,300 (Reimbursable)

General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee considered this item on February 12, 2014; action taken by the Committee will be reported at the February 13, 2014 Board meeting.
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: In 2009, the District purchased an annual license for the Water Wise Gardening for Monterey County. The license costs $5,000 per year and allows unlimited links to the host website. A monthly web traffic report provides detailed information about visits to the software. During 2012, there were over 2,600 unique visit hits on the Water Wise Gardening software.

Staff is requesting authorization to renew its one-year license for $5,000. Funding for this license is reimbursable from California American Water. District costs are reimbursable through the 2012-2014 conservation budget approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in 2012.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Administrative Committee approve expenditure of $5,000 and authorize the General Manager to renew the contract with GardenSoft to purchase a web license for the Water Wise Gardening for Monterey County software. Funding is currently in the budget for this project under 4-2-1-C, Conservation Programs.

BACKGROUND: In 2005, the Water Awareness Committee of Monterey County (WAC), of which MPWMD and California American Water are founding members, contracted with GardenSoft to develop a Water Wise Gardening CD-ROM tailored to Monterey County. The information contained in the software helps property owners be “garden smart” by reducing water use while still meeting landscaping requirements. The software provides photos of various types of local gardens; examples of front and back yards, hillsides, raised planters, shrub and perennial borders, walkways, parking strips, patio areas, theme gardens, native gardens, decks, fences, gates, surfaces, benches, trellises, low-maintenance gardens, and Mediterranean style gardens. There are hot-links embedded within the garden images of plants which link to photography, plant or material identification, and related information. Users are able to search for plants relevant to specific Monterey County areas by botanical name or common name, by look or color, by general variety, and much more. A brief questionnaire leads the user to the appropriate plants to solve their gardening wants or needs. A series of information pages are also provided that list watering tips on a month-by-month basis and general lawn and planting area instructions for each month of the year.

EXHIBIT

None

U:\staff\Boardpacket\2014\20140213\ConsentClndr\06\item6.docx

February 13, 2014

Budgeted:

Yes

General Counsel Approval: N/A

Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee considered this item on February 12, 2014; action taken by the Committee will be reported at the February 13, 2014 Board meeting.