TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jon Gjestvang, Chief Information Officer - Information Technology Services
REPORT BY: Julia Bordona, Staff Services Manager
SUBJECT: Agreement No. 250136B with Environmental Science Associates
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250136B with Environmental Science Associates for a maximum of $18,004, for the term August 6, 2024, through June 30, 2025, for cultural resources technical services to support environmental review of the Mount St. Helena telecommunications tower replacement project. (Fiscal Impact: $18,004 Expense; Information Technology Services Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
Over the past several years the microwave equipment located on the Mount St. Helena telecommunications tower has taken substantial damage due to excessive ice buildup during the winter months. The current tower is at maximum capacity and cannot safely support any form of ice protection. The microwave links at Mount St. Helena are critical in the operation of public safety radio throughout Napa County. The tower’s current condition can no longer reliably support County public safety communication, nor be considered effective in keeping up with the communication needs of our stakeholders. Therefore, a new tower would first need to be constructed and existing equipment moved over to the new tower. Once all equipment has been relocated, the original tower would then need to be removed from the site. A successful Cultural Resource Survey is required by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The BLM requires the entity applying for construction to choose a cultural contractor listed by the Northwest Information Center. Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is on the list of approved archeological consultants, has previously performed work with Napa County, and was recommended by the County’s Planning Building and Environmental Services department. Due to their transparent requirements to be a BLM contractor and familiarity with the Napa County processes, in addition to coordinating approval with the BLM and the Federal Communication Commission, ESA is the best vendor to perform the work. ESA is not a local vendor, but is based out of San Francisco, California.
Requested Action: Approval of Agreement 250136B with Environmental Science Associates for a maximum amount of $18,004 for the term August 6, 2024 through June 30, 2025 for cultural resources support services for Mount St. Helena telecommunications tower replacement project.
FISCAL IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Information Technology Services (ITS), Communications- Radio (Subdivision 42000-13) |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
A Cultural Resource Study is mandatory to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. As stewards of Napa County, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are considering any impacts that we may have on the land. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
This is a one-time expense; no future fiscal impacts are anticipated. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
Not approving the cultural study will place three critical microwave links in jeopardy each winter. This also creates a hazardous situation for technicians working at the site repairing damage due to inclement weather. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.