HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 09d - Authorize Watershed Management JPA Payment
STAFF REPORT
PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES DEPARTMENT
DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Paul Cranmer, Assistant City Manager/Public Works Services Director
By: Carmen Masud, Deputy Public Works Services Director
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE PAYMENT TO THE RIO HONDO/SAN GABRIEL RIVER
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY FOR ARCADIA’S
COST SHARE OF THE FIFTH AMENDMENT TO THE CURRENT WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AGREEMENT WITH CRAFTWATER
ENGINEERING, INC. FOR MULTI-BENEFIT STORMWATER PROJECT
CONCEPT REPORTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $64,824.02
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
To comply with state mandated stormwater requirements, the City of Arcadia
became a member of the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management
(“RH/SGRWM”) Joint Powers Authority (“JPA”), which is comprised of the Cities of
Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre.
Prior to the formation of the JPA, the City of Arcadia was responsible for processing
invoices and making payments to consultants for the development of multi-benefit
stormwater projects on behalf of the participating member agencies. Following the
formation of the RH/SGRWM JPA, the JPA assumed responsibility for the financial
administration of these projects. Accordingly, the City of Arcadia is no longer
responsible for processing consultant payments and is required to remit its
respective cost-share contribution directly to the JPA.
It is recommended that the City Council authorize payment to the RH/SGRWM JPA,
representing the City of Arcadia’s cost-share contribution toward the fifth
amendment to the current Watershed Management Program agreement with
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Payment
October 6, 2026
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Craftwater Engineering, Inc. for the preparation of multi-benefit stormwater project
concept reports, in the amount of $64,824.02.
BACKGROUND
In 2012, the Los Angeles Region Water Quality Control Board adopted the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer
System Permit (“MS4 Permit”), establishing waste discharge requirements for
stormwater and non-stormwater discharges within the watersheds of Los Angeles
County. The MS4 Permit provides permittees with flexibility to achieve compliance
over time through the development and implementation of a Watershed
Management Program (“WMP”) at the watershed scale. The WMP framework allows
participating agencies to implement customized strategies, control measures, and
Best Management Practices (“BMPs”) designed to address watershed-specific water
quality priorities and achieve the requirements of the MS4 Permit.
In 2013, the Cities of Arcadia, Azusa, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre,
together with the County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Flood Control
District, formed the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Water Quality Group (“Group”) to
fulfill the requirements of the Los Angeles County MS4 Permit. The Group established
an Oversight Committee consisting of City Managers or their designated staff, from
each participating city to provide guidance and oversight of the program. A
Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) was executed by all agencies for cost
sharing, the development of the WMP, and the Coordinated Integrated Monitoring
Plan (“CIMP”) for the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River watersheds.
During the initial formation of the Group, the City of Arcadia took the lead on
management of membership payments and consultant contracts for the Group and
its projects, including the CIMP and WMP development. This meant that Arcadia
collected the annual membership payments from participating cities and used the
funds to pay for the Group’s contracts, which were also administered by the City of
Arcadia.
On May 17, 2022, the City Council authorized the City of Arcadia to participate in a
JPA with the cities of Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre to create the
RH/SGRWM JPA. Due to policy limitations, the County of Los Angeles and the Los
Angeles County Flood Control District could not be a participant in the JPA; however,
both entities continue to enter into project-specific cost-share agreements with the
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Payment
October 6, 2026
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JPA. With the formation of the JPA complete, responsibility for managing membership
payments and consultant contracts for the RH/SGRWM JPA has transitioned to the
JPA.
DISCUSSION
In July 2020, the City of Arcadia, serving as the lead agency for the consultant
agreements, entered into an agreement with Craftwater Engineering, Inc. to prepare
multi-benefit stormwater project concept reports for the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel
River Water Quality Group. The agreement was amended in April 2021 to revise the
scope of services, and again, in July 2022, to further modify the scope and extend the
term through July 20, 2024. Following formation of the RH/SGRWM JPA, responsibility
for the agreement was transferred from the City of Arcadia to the JPA, with Craftwater
Engineering, Inc.’s consent.
A third amendment, executed in July 2024, revised the scope of work to include
updating the Watershed Management Plan (“WMP”) consistent with the Adaptive
Management Process under the Los Angeles Regional MS4 Permit, and extended the
agreement term. A fourth amendment, executed in July 2025, incorporated
necessary revisions to the multi-benefit project concepts, removed completed or no-
longer-needed work, and adjusted budget line items to reflect the revised scope, with
no change to the overall contract amount.
The current WMP agreement requires a fifth amendment to continue consultant
support. The proposed amendment will allow Craftwater Engineering, Inc. to apply
tools developed through the most recent Reasonable Assurance Analysis update,
helping ensure compliance pathways remain aligned with the implementation
program and WMP targets.
On April 15, 2026, the RH/SGRWM JPA presented the proposed fifth amendment to
the RH/SGRWM Authority Board. The Board unanimously approved a motion
authorizing the fifth amendment for continued WMP support.
With upcoming final compliance deadlines for the San Gabriel River and Los Angeles
River, the fifth amendment will enable Craftwater Engineering, Inc. to support the
development of a decision matrix, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of
pursuing a Time Schedule Order to extend compliance timelines, incorporate current
WMP implementation progress, and coordinate with Regional Board staff.
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Payment
October 6, 2026
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ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action of authorizing a payment to the RH/SGRWM JPA does not
constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), as it can
be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Any
environmental reviews that might be necessary would be overseen by the JPA, acting
as the lead agency for all efforts of the RH/SGRWM JPA.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City of Arcadia’s cost share for the fifth amendment with Craftwater Engineering,
Inc. is $64,824.02. Safe Clean Water Program (“Measure W”) Funds in the amount of
$70,000 are budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Capital Improvement Program
(“CIP”) for the fifth amendment to the current WMP agreement.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a
project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and authorize
payment to the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Joint Powers
Authority for Arcadia’s cost share of the fifth amendment to the current Watershed
Management Program agreement with Craftwater Engineering, Inc. for multi-benefit
stormwater project concept reports in the amount of $64,824.02