MEMORANDUM SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 TO: ERIC KUHN, GENERAL MANAGER CC: ENTERPRISE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM: DAVE KANZER, P.E. SUBJECT: NO CHICO BRUSH (FARMER-LED GROUP) REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FISCAL AGENT SERVICES – CWCB ATM GRANT Staff requests Enterprise Board action to authorize the General Manager to enter into a contractual agreement with the CWCB and to act as the Fiscal Agent on behalf of the No Chico Brush group. This request is specifically for Alternative Transfer Method (ATM) grant funds not to exceed a total of $174,000 over a period of approximately 3 years and is in addition to the previously authorization for this group. We further request that the Enterprise Board authorize the General Manager to enter into contracts with subcontractors and consultants necessary to perform elements of the work pursuant to the CWCB ATM grant. It is anticipated that this may include Stephen Schrock, SC Environmental, LLC, Colorado State University and related vendors. All agreements will be contingent upon final review and approval of the General Manager and General Counsel. The CWCB agreement would be subject to 3% management fee paid to the Enterprise. Background In January, the Enterprise Board of Directors authorized River District staff to enter into contractual arrangements with the CWCB and vendors to act as the Fiscal agent for the unincorporated and independent, No Chico Brush (NCB) group, for up to $90,000 of Water Supply Reserve Account (WSRA) funds. Since that time, there have been several significant changes that have led to this new request. The primary change is that the CWCB funding available for the original NCB on-farm research project for agricultural water use efficiency as recommended by the Gunnison Basin Roundtable was decreased by the CWCB from $90,000 to $35,000 due to WSRA programmatic funding constraints. Hence, the NCB was encouraged to apply for, and subsequently received additional supplemental funding from the CWCB under the ATM program for an additional $173,000, which along with additional NGO matching funds makes the total project budget greater than $265,000 for an expanded scope of research activities. The River District will not manage the NGO matching funds. Because NCB is a volunteer group, without formal legal status, and the the River District Enterprise has the knowledge and expertise to facilitate this project, the Enterprise has been asked to manage these funds to support the study of a series of agricultural sites. The project is to be performed in conjunction with Colorado State University and other partners to determine the Page 2 of 2 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FISCAL AGENT SERVICES – CWCB ATM GRANT impacts of conversion to agricultural practices with higher water use efficiencies, primarily by measuring changes in resultant water quality and water quantity used. River District staff would work with the NCB committees and members to identify, select and contract with appropriate contractor(s) to carry out the study and to meet the project objectives. The contracts are contingent on CWCB annual funding. Although it is recognized that this could require significant staff time and effort, the proposed activities and group vision is consistent with both the River District and its Enterprise’s water activity goals and objectives. In light of related agricultural conservation and efficiency efforts, such as the Water Bank Workgroup and Denver Water’s System Conservation initiative, Contingency Planning, as well as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP; see related Board memo) it is recommended that the Board direct River District staff to not only support NCB efforts but expand such agricultural activities with other partners, as appropriate, to ensure consistency, to avoid redundancy and to ensure findings are used to promote agricultural sustainability within the River District.
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