TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Joe DeFrancesco, Interim Public Works Director
Jeff Page, Utilities Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 4 to the Professional Services Agreement with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., Adding $665,335 in Funding (Including Contingency) for Administration of the Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Plan on Behalf of the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group and Increasing the Total Contract Amount to $2,933,178, and Extending These Professional Services for One Year (Budgeted) (Interim Public Works Director DeFrancesco).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NOS. 26-0060 AND 26-0061
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
a) Adopt Resolution No. 26-0060 providing written consent to extend the term of Amendment No. 2 to the Beach Cities Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Plan (CIMP) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU);
b) Adopt Resolution No. 26-0061 approving Amendment No. 4 to the agreement with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., adding $665,335 in funding ($604,850 plus a $60,485 contingency) and increasing the total contract amount to $2,933,178 for Beach Cities CIMP Implementation and Coordination on behalf of the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group (WMG); and
c) Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreements, noting that Manhattan Beach’s total net expenses for the program will be $54,594 for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
A one-year amendment to the agreement with Geosyntec, Inc., adding $604,850 in compensation plus a $60,485 contingency ($665,335 total) is proposed for CIMP Implementation and Coordination activities. Approval of Amendment No. 4 would increase the agreement's maximum compensation amount to $2,933,178. The City of Manhattan Beach’s combined share under this agreement is $110,549.
The basis for cost-sharing of CIMP Implementation and Coordination is summarized in the CIMP Implementation Costs for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 attachment and is based on each agency’s proportional watershed area. However, as the program administrator of these agreements, the City of Manhattan Beach’s expenses will be offset by $66,534 (less $10,579 of Manhattan Beach’s own portion) in Administrative Cost reimbursements from the remaining Beach Cities WMG agencies. This brings the City’s total net expenditure under the CIMP MOU to $54,594 for monitoring and related stormwater activities for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Sufficient funds are available in the Storm Drain Maintenance Fund for these expenses.
BACKGROUND:
Attachment E of the Regional Phase I MS4 NPDES Permit - Order No. R4-2021-0105 NPDES Permit No. CAS004004 Waste Discharge Requirements and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Discharges within the Coastal Watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties (Regional Permit) requires Permittees to implement a Monitoring and Reporting Program to meet the following objectives:
1. Assess the chemical, physical, and biological impacts of stormwater discharges on surface and receiving water quality;
2. Assess compliance with receiving water and outfall-based pollutant limitations;
3. Characterize pollutant loads in stormwater discharges;
4. Identify sources of pollutants in stormwater discharges; and
5. Measure and refine the effectiveness of pollutant controls implemented under the Beach Cities Watershed Management Program (WMP).
The Beach Cities Watershed Management Group implements the Beach Cities Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Program to comply with the Monitoring and Reporting provisions of the Regional Permit. Key elements of the CIMP include: receiving water monitoring; stormwater (wet weather) outfall-based monitoring; non-stormwater (dry weather) outfall-based monitoring; and an annual monitoring report and semi-annual data submittals and watershed progress reports (June 15 and December 15). The CIMP was originally developed in 2015, updated in 2018, and most recently revised and resubmitted for review in March 2023 to incorporate new and updated provisions of the Regional Permit. Additional revisions to the CIMP have been made in response to LA Water Board staff comments; final approval of the updated CIMP is anticipated by July 1, 2026.
On April 12, 2016, the Beach Cities WMG entered into an MOU to cooperatively fund the implementation of the CIMP and the coordination of the Beach Cities' joint activities, including the preparation of semi-annual watershed progress reports and the administration of the WMP. The MOU has been amended twice, with the current Amendment No. 2 extending the term of the MOU through December 31, 2026, and including the option to further extend the term of Amendment No. 2 in increments of one calendar year up to two additional years by unanimous written concurrence of all parties. Furthermore, the consultant contracts for performing services under the CIMP MOU will expire on June 30, 2026.
DISCUSSION:
City staff has received written concurrence from each of the other parties to the CIMP MOU to extend the term of Amendment 2 through December 31, 2027.
The MOU provides for the hiring of a CIMP Implementation Consultant to carry out the CIMP's monitoring and annual reporting requirements, and a CIMP Coordination Consultant to assist the Beach Cities WMG in joint implementation activities and to prepare semi-annual watershed progress reports. The CIMP MOU further provides for the parties to contribute funds to the City of Manhattan Beach, which will act as the contract administrator on behalf of the Beach Cities WMG.
The City received an updated proposal for both CIMP Implementation and CIMP Coordination from Geosyntec Consultants. With the imminent retirement of Kathleen McGowan of McGowan Consulting, Susan Robinson, who currently serves as the McGowan Consulting Project Manager/Senior Scientist for the CIMP Coordination contract, is joining Geosyntec Consultants effective July 2026 and will be able to provide continuity of the CIMP Coordination activities in her new position at Geosyntec. Both Geosyntec Consultants and Susan Robinson have been performing this work since the inception of the Beach Cities CIMP in 2015, and their familiarity and experience working with the Beach Cities WMG make them highly qualified to continue performing this work; the representatives of the Beach Cities WMG expressed their full support of this proposed change at their meeting on May 5, 2026.
The basis for cost sharing of the CIMP Implementation and Coordination cost is based on each agency’s proportionate area within the Beach Cities CIMP total area. Having no jurisdiction over land use, but in consideration of its role as a co-Permittee of the Regional Permit and its responsibility for operation of significant portions of the storm drain system, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District contributes a 5% flat-rate share of the CIMP Implementation and Coordination total cost. The City of Manhattan Beach’s proportionate area is 15.9%, which serves as the basis for calculating its share of the total cost. In addition, the City receives a 10% administrative fee from the other parties to cover the costs of managing the MOU and administering the CIMP Implementation and CIMP Coordination contracts.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has approved the agreements as to form.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 26-0060
2. Resolution No. 26-0061
3. Amendment No. 4 - Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
4. Agreement and Amendment Nos. 1-3, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
5. CIMP Implementation Costs for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027
6. Beach Cities Consent Letters for Term Extension
7. CIMP MOU and Amendment Nos. 1 & 2