At Tuesday night’s meeting the Santa Clarita City Council gave a unanimous vote of support for the “Bay Delta Conservation Plan” (BDCP). In case you’re not familiar with it, the California Delta is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in Northern California which supplies an ever growing amount of water to the Santa Clarita Valley.

And the Delta is vulnerable.

“The delta is in danger of collapse. If you’ve ever driven or flown over Northern California and looked at that thing. It’s a little terrifying,” said City Manager Ken Pulskamp.

Perhaps the vulnerability was not made clear.

“It’s a 100 year old man-made agricultural levy system that could explode very easily, particularly in an area that’s prone to earthquakes, floods, and some of the rising sea levels that we’ve been seeing,” said Pulskamp.

Cue Director Micheal Bay. Especially if the bay in his name means more water.

The BDCP is trying to identify an alternate water conveyance plan or a new way of routing freshwater supplies from the Sacramento River to the state and federal water facilities whose pumps send water to water agencies throughout California, including the Castaic Lake Water Agency.

“We live in a desert. I think people forget that. And a lot of people still want to live in this desert. There’s only so much water and there’s always been only so much water. So we have to buy or rent it from someplace else,” said Councilmember Timben Boydston.

According to Dirk Marks, Water Resources Manager from the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) about half of the water supply that the City of Santa Clarita and surrounding areas rely on is imported water.

Of that imported half, 2/3rds comes from the Delta.

“As we continue to develop in this area a larger percentage of that supply will come from that Delta,” said Marks.

According to Pulskamp the implementation of the BDCP would greatly reduce the salt levels delivered to the Santa Clarita Valley via the State Water Project.  A Delta Conveyance Facility (DCF) is part of the BDCP and early design includes measures that divert water from where salt levels are low (the Sacramento River).

It is expected to take 9-10 years to complete design and construction of the DCF, and it should be operational in the mid-2020s.

The city admits the timing of this Delta fix may not coincide with the requirements in the current Chloride Total Maximum Daily Load (Salt TMDL). City staff has been informed its construction would help in TMDL compliance by delivering water with low chloride (salt) levels to the City.

Lynne Plambeck, President, Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE) suggested the council form a study session the issue. She offered to make the council copies of a fiscal analysis reported in the Los Angeles Times.

“The public is gonna end up just paying a tons of money for basically the Metropolitan Water District who wants to get more water. Castaic–  it’s the same thing, they want to get more water,” said Plambeck.

Whether or not those agencies are going to succeed in getting more water is a whole other question in Plambeck’s mind.

“Because the Delta is a limited source, it may not, particularly with climate change be able to provide more water,” said Plambeck.

Although she agrees the levies are a concern, she says parlaying the BDCP as a safety issue is disingenuous.

“We passed a bond issue I think six years ago or something, Prop 1-E, that provided five billion dollars for the levies. So to bring this to you and say we need to pass it because of the earthquake and the levies — that is not what the Bay Delta Plan is about.

Plambeck says BDCP is about water agencies trying to take more water out of the Sacramento Delta. That she says will be a blow to the fisheries and to Santa Clarita Valley residents who will pay higher water fees.

“If you are supporting this plan, you are supporting a substantial increase in our valley’s water supply costs,” said Plambeck.

In the Bag

Sandra Cattell, representing the Sierra Club presented a stack of bags she’d collected from city promotional events to underscore her request that the city create an ordinance eliminating the use of plastic bags in the city limits. The ordinance would match a ban currently mandated in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

City Attorney Joseph Montes said he was monitoring lawsuits throughout the state before recommending the council move forward with any ordinance. Although the council members seemed to support the idea, he was concerned about potential lawsuits.

Item #13

ACQUISITION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS TO ENHANCE THE OPENING-DAY COLLECTION OF THE OLD TOWN NEWHALL LIBRARY

City staff recommended that the city council and the Board of Library Trustees authorize $250,000 for the purchase of library materials (books, CD’s, DVD’s) to enhance and increase the collection of library materials at the new Old Town Newhall Library. Library Systems & Services (LSSI) which manages the city’s libraries since taking over from Los Angeles County would buy the materials on the city’s behalf.

The was a question as to whether or not the $250,000 saved in construction costs would need to be returned to the state since the dissolution of redevelopment agencies.

Darren Hernandez, Deputy City Manager, assured the council that the redevelopment funds were not just intended for construction but also for furniture, fixtures and the library materials needed  to fill a much larger space than the old library.

Councilmember Laurene Weste recused herself from an otherwise unanimous vote.

The rest of the Consent Calendar was passed unanimously.

Item #4

AWARD ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR SECURITY SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA PARKS, METROLINK STATIONS AND VARIOUS CITY BUILDINGS

The City of Santa Clarita has a need for unarmed guard services for City facilities, including City Hall, Parks Division buildings, events, and Metrolink stations. The presence of an appropriately uniformed guard serves as a visible deterrent to reduce the threat of injury to the public and prevents damage and loss of property within the parameters of each service location.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council award the annual contract for security services for the City of Santa Clarita to Alltech Industries in the amount of $288,092.82, plus a 10% contingency of $28,809.28, for a total amount not to exceed $316,902.10 per year, plus annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases; and authorize the City Manager or designee to modify the award in the event issues of impossibility of performance arise, execute up to two annual renewals not to exceed $316,902.10 per year, plus CPI increases, contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the City’s annual budget for such fiscal year, and execute all documents, subject to City Attorney approval.

Item #5

2011-12 OVERLAY AND SLURRY SEAL PROGRAM, PROJECT M0084 – AWARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT

The Annual Overlay and Slurry Seal Program project is an integral part of the City’s pavement management program and provides pavement and slurry seal asphalt maintenance treatments to selected City streets.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council approve the plans and specifications for the 2011-12 Overlay and Slurry Seal Program, Project M0084; award the construction contract to All American Asphalt in the amount of $5,995,000, and authorize a contingency in the amount of $599,500, for a total contract amount not to exceed $6,594,500; award professional services contract to Pavement Engineering, Inc., in the amount of $65,000, for pavement inspections and updates for the Pavement Management System; award professional services contract to BTC Labs-Vertical Five in the amount of $372,000 for project inspection and materials testing; authorize an expenditure increase not to exceed $50,000, to the existing professional services contract with Pavement Engineering, Inc., for design and construction support services; authorize the transfer of $365,000 from the 2010-11 Federal Overlay Program Account M0083233-5161.001 to the 2011-12 Overlay and Slurry Seal Program Account M0084233-5161.001; increase Expenditure Account M0077233-5161.001 by $212,000 and decrease Expenditure Account M0077230-5161.001 by $212,000; and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents, subject to City Attorney approval.

Item #6

AWARD HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

This contract will provide heating and air conditioning service and maintenance of the HVAC systems located at City Hall; the Corporate Yard facility; the JoAnne Darcy, Valencia, Newhall, and Old Town Newhall libraries; three Metrolink stations; the Transit Maintenance Facility’s administration and bus maintenance buildings; and SCVTV Channel 20 studio.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council award a contract to F. M. Thomas Air Conditioning Inc. for heating and air conditioning maintenance at various City facilities in the amount of $115,116; authorize a 10 percent contingency of $11,512, for a total price of $126,628, plus Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments; and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents, including up to four annual renewals not to exceed $126,628 per year, plus CPI increases, contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the City’s annual budget for such fiscal year in accordance with the terms of the contract and to modify the award in the event other issues of impossibility of performance arise, subject to City Attorney approval.

Item #7

2012 NATIONAL INCLUSION PROJECT’S LET’S ALL PLAY GRANT

Accept the 2012 National Inclusion Project’s ‘Let’s All Play’ Grant to assist children with special needs as they participate in City Recreation programs.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council accept the National Inclusion Project’s Let’s ALL Play Grant in the amount of $9,500.00; increase estimated revenues in account 259-4621.001 by $9,500 in Fiscal Year 2012-2013; increase estimated expenditures in account 15116-5002.001 by $9,500.00 in Fiscal Year 2012-2013; and authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any contract documents, change orders, or amendments arising out of this program, subject to City Attorney’s approval.

Item #8

SUPPLEMENTAL LEVY OF THE STREETLIGHT MAINTENANCE DISTRICT ASSESSMENT – COPPERSTONE ANNEXATION

This required procedural matter orders, approves, and sets the Public Hearing for the supplemental levy of the Streetlight Maintenance District Assessment for the Copperstone area which is scheduled to annex into the City of Santa Clarita on or before July 1, 2012.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council adopt resolutions initiating proceedings for the levy and collection of assessments for Fiscal Year 2012-13 for the Streetlight Maintenance District specific to the Copperstone Annexation Area; adopt resolutions declaring the City’s intention to levy assessments and preliminarily approving the Supplemental Engineer’s Reports for the Streetlight Maintenance District; and set a Public Hearing for July 10, 2012.

Item #9

AWARD CONTRACT FOR BID NUMBER LMD 11-12-32, FOR LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES IN LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT ZONE 28 NEWHALL

Award landscape maintenance service contract for Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) Zone 28 Newhall to the lowest and responsive bidder Marina Landscape.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council award a contract to Marina Landscape, Inc. for landscape maintenance services to LMD Zone 28 Newhall in the annual amount of $30,160 plus a 15 percent contingency of $4,524, for a two-year contract in the amount not to exceed $69,368; authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents, or modify the awards in the event issues of impossibility of performance arise, and execute up to three (3) annual renewal options not to exceed the annual bid amounts plus Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments, contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the City Council in the annual budget for such Fiscal Year, and execute all documents subject to City Attorney approval.

Item #10

JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES APPROVING THE NEGOTIATED EXCHANGE OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE RESULTING FROM THE PROPOSED NORTH COPPERHILL ANNEXATION AND A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TRANSFER OF THREE PARKS WITHIN THE NORTH COPPERHILL ANNEXATION AREA TO THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA –

This item is for the City Council to adopt a Joint Resolution of the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles for the negotiated exchange of property tax revenue resulting from the proposed annexation of the North Copperhill annexation area and approving a resolution to transfer three parks within the annexation area from the County of Los Angeles to the City of Santa Clarita.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council adopt a Joint Resolution of Negotiated Exchange of Property Tax Revenue for the North Copperhill annexation area; and authorize the City Manager or his designee to sign, subject to the approval of the City Attorney, a Park Property Transfer Agreement to accept Deputy March Park, Pacific Crest Park, and Copperhill Park into the City of Santa Clarita parks system upon completion of the annexation.

Item #12

AWARD POOL CHEMICAL CONTRACT FOR CITY POOLS

Request awarding of contract for pool chemicals used in all City pools.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council award a contract to Waterline Technology for pool chemicals, for an initial term of one year, with the option of two additional renewals in an amount not to exceed $85,554.71 annually; authorize the City Manager, or designee, to modify the award in the event issues of impossibility of performance arise, subject to City Attorney approval; and authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents, subject to City Attorney approval, and execute two renewals at an annual cost not to exceed $85,554.71 plus the cost of any Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases.