ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
3.	CONSIDER AUTHORIZATION FOR PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT FOR RETROFITS AT MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS
Meeting Date:		December 5, 2011	Budgeted:	Yes
From:		David J. Stoldt,	Program/	Water Conservation
		General Manager	Line Item No.: 4-2-2-B
Prepared By:		Stephanie Pintar	Cost Estimate:	$50,000
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee considered this item on December 5, 2011, and _______________________.
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: Staff is seeking authorization to expend $30,000 in budgeted funds to purchase water saving irrigation equipment for installation at five Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) schools. In addition, staff is requesting authorization to reimburse MPUSD up to a maximum of $20,000 ($4,000 per school) for installation by December 31, 2011. A related funding request was approved by the Board in May 2011 (Exhibit 3-A). This current request updates the cost estimates for the equipment, modifies the type of irrigation system controllers to be installed and adds a bulk purchase of high efficiency rotator sprinkler nozzles. Staff is also requesting authorization to purchase the equipment due to time constraints on the funding. Funding for school retrofits in the California American Water system expire on December 31, 2011.

Staff from the District and MPUSD obtained quotes for specific equipment, including sophisticated weather-based irrigation system controllers. The very basic irrigation system controllers contemplated by the auditor and approved in the May 2011 funding request do not meet the needs of MPUSD. MPUSD has requested the District purchase seven Toro Intelli-Sense WeatherTRAK irrigation system controllers for the five schools selected for retrofitting. Use of the Intelli-Sense and WeatherTRAK technology, in addition to the use of high efficiency spray nozzles for turf irrigation, will result in accurate and exceptionally efficient irrigation water use. The Intelli-Sense controller differs from the controller included in the audit report in that it does not involve maintenance of an adjacent weather station and sensors and offers a number of intelligent irrigation solutions including remote communication. The Intelli-Sense controller is secured in a steel housing and receives real-time weather data through the WeatherTRAK satellite communication system. The controller utilizes this information to automatically schedule irrigation based on individual landscape needs and local weather conditions. The cost of these controllers is approximately $2,400 each.

The District currently has approximately $100,000 remaining available for school retrofits. Funding for school retrofits is fully reimbursable through the Conservation Budget approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2009. The Conservation Budget for School Retrofits provides funding to local educational facilities to upgrade high water use areas and water fixtures with new technology. This program is directed primarily toward schools that have limited budgets and that could not otherwise afford to upgrade toilets, urinals, food service facilities and landscaping devices to water-efficient levels. In exchange for funding school retrofits, MPUSD must agree that water savings from these retrofits will be added to community water savings and not available as a water credit.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Administrative Committee support this request by recommending the Board approve the expenditures of $30,000 to purchase irrigation equipment (Exhibit 3-B) and $20,000 to reimburse MPUSD for equipment installation costs incurred by a contractor to install the approved equipment before December 31, 2011. Time is of the essence in this matter. MPWMD staff should be directed to review and approve the installation costs associated with this funding as shown on contractor bid sheets prior to MPUSD’s expenditure of funds. Staff further recommends this approval be time-limited through December 2011, in keeping with the approved CPUC Conservation Budget.

EXHIBITS

3-A May 16, 2011, Staff Report

3-B Purchase Estimate

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