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BACKGROUND On June 18, 2019, City Council approved the Professional Services Agreement with WRA, Inc., to provide environmental review and initial permitting strategy guidance for maintenance performed on certain waterbodies within City limits to preserve their flood control and stormwater treatment capacities. Routine maintenance work includes removal of debris, sediment, and vegetation. The Utilities Division originally obtained permit coverage for such maintenance work through a Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), on June 22, 2009, which was extended on February 23, 2015, with an expiration of December 31, 2019. Following initial contract authorization, staff prioritized City-owned stream and detention pond sites, and subsequently reassessed the necessity to include seven study areas identified within private property as listed within the existing permit with CDFW. Confirmation of existing easements for storm water related entry confirmed the need for inclusion of these seven study areas. In addition, preliminary mapping work identified the necessity for relocation/refinement of one study area section within the existing study areas. Staff also identified one additional stream section necessary for inclusion as a study area under permit coverage, previously omitted from the original scope. In total, the effort resulted in nine stream and/or detention basins requiring further field work by the consultant and inclusion into the environmental review to ensure full and accurate coverage of all potential areas subject to regulatory permits for routine maintenance. Furthermore, after evaluation of the type of maintenance activities conducted in streams and detention basins, WRA, Inc. outlined three regulatory agencies anticipated to require permit coverage for full regulatory compliance. These included: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), and CDFW. Due to the potential for maintenance work to affect special-status plant and/or wildlife species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) or California Endangered Species Act (CESA), a Section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) will also be required as part of the permit application process. In addition to the continued biological and cultural resources assessments and environmental review work, the City needs WRA Inc. assistance to include all identified sensitive areas requiring permit coverage, and prepare/support the regulatory agency permit process, including facilitation of the Section 7 consultation with the USFW. Work is expected to be completed within 2020. However, to accommodate for the undetermined timeframe to complete the permit application process, the proposed Amendment extends the contract with WRA, Inc. through June 30, 2021 (one-year beyond the original expiration date). DISCUSSION The current work underway by WRA, Inc. includes the completion of the Biological Resources Assessment, a cultural resources analyses, and an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. The already completed memorandum of permitting requirements identified the regulatory agencies requiring permits for the type of maintenance work performed for flood control and stormwater treatment capacities. Page 2 of 3