C260490_Exhibit_A_SOW.pdf

RFP 260490

EXHIBIT A

SCOPE OF WORK

Support for M2 Environmental Cleanup Program Calls for Projects

Introduction and Background

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) administers the Environmental Cleanup

Program (ECP), also known as Measure M2 (M2) Project X. Project X provides M2 revenues to improve overall water quality in Orange County by reducing transportation-generated pollution. In accordance with Orange County Local Transportation Ordinance No. 3, two percent of gross M2 revenues are dedicated to protecting Orange County beaches and waterways from urban runoff associated with transportation-generated pollution. Project X provides funding on a countywide competitive basis for eligible water quality improvement projects that demonstrate a direct nexus to transportation-related pollution and support compliance with applicable water quality requirements.

The ECP is administered through two competitive grant programs, Tier 1 and Tier 2, with guidance from the Environmental Cleanup Allocation Committee (ECAC). Tier 1 generally funds smaller-scale best management practices (BMPs), including catch basin and street-scale treatment projects. Tier 2 funds larger-scale, potentially multi-jurisdictional, capital-intensive structural treatment BMP projects, such as constructed wetlands, detention or infiltration basins, and other regional water quality improvements. The Comprehensive Transportation

Funding Programs (CTFP) Guidelines establish the program requirements, application procedures, selection criteria, programming provisions, reimbursement and reporting requirements, and other procedures applicable to Project X.

OCTA seeks the services of a qualified water quality technical consultant to provide as-needed support for administration and continued development of Project X. The consultant will support future Tier 1 and Tier 2 calls for projects, applicant assistance, technical review and scoring, use and refinement of technical evaluation methods and tools, CTFP Guidelines updates, post-award technical review, and other related ECP activities. Services will be provided on a time-and-materials basis at the direction of the OCTA Project Manager. The activities below describe the anticipated range of services.

LIMITATION ON GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS

CONSULTANT shall not make, participate in making, or use its position to influence any governmental decisions as defined by the Political Reform Act, Government Code section

81000 et seq., and the implementing regulations in Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations section 18110 et seq. CONSULTANT’s personnel performing services under this Agreement shall not authorize or direct any actions, votes, appoint any person, obligate, or commit

AUTHORITY to any course of action or enter into any contractual agreement on behalf of

AUTHORITY. In addition, CONSULTANT’s personnel shall not provide information, an opinion, or a recommendation for the purpose of affecting a decision without significant intervening substantive review by AUTHORITY personnel, counsel, and management.

Tier 1 Grant Program Support

• Support development and administration of Tier 1 calls for projects, including updates to application materials, technical instructions, scoring criteria, schedules, workshop materials, and related CTFP Guidelines provisions.

• Support pre-application activities, applicant workshops, and technical assistance regarding project concepts, transportation pollution nexus, water quality benefits, BMP selection and feasibility, drainage areas, cost estimates.

• Review Tier 1 applications for technical completeness, accuracy, and consistency with

Project X requirements, and provide technical calculations, scoring, and quality assurance/quality control in accordance with current CTFP Guidelines, including evaluation of cost-benefit, pollutant reduction, and BMP effectiveness.

• Support application evaluation, project ranking, and development of funding recommendations, including applicant clarifications authorized by OCTA and preparation of technical review notes, scoring documentation, and responses to technical questions.

• Provide post-award technical support, including review of proposed scope, BMP quantity or location, or other project changes; technical and/or field review of completed projects and final reports; and assessment of consistency with approved project benefits and applicable

Project X requirements.

• Recommend and support updates to Tier 1 application materials, scoring methods, technical guidance, and CTFP Guidelines based on program experience, evolving BMP technologies, regulatory requirements, and OCTA direction.

Tier 2 Grant Program Support

• Support development and administration of Tier 2 calls for projects, including updates to application materials, technical instructions, scoring procedures, schedules, workshop materials, and related CTFP Guidelines provisions for larger-scale, potentially multi-jurisdictional structural treatment BMP projects.

• Support pre-application activities, applicant workshops, and technical assistance regarding project concepts, watershed and drainage characteristics, transportation pollution nexus, water quality need, BMP selection and design, project readiness, cost estimates, implementation considerations, operations and maintenance, regional benefits, and use of

Orange County Stormwater Tools (OCST) or other OCTA-approved technical tools and methodologies.

• Provide OCST technical support and quality assurance/quality control, including review and validation of applicant inputs, drainage-area delineations, geospatial information, BMP parameters, modeling assumptions, pollutant loading and water quality need, modeled performance, pollutant or water-volume load reduction, project cost, and other technical metrics used in the applicable Tier 2 evaluation methodology.

• Provide technical application review and scoring support in accordance with the current

CTFP Guidelines, including review of OCST-generated or other approved metrics addressing transportation nexus or priority, water quality need, BMP performance, pollutant/load reduction, cost effectiveness, and other applicable technical and non-technical criteria; support consistent and reproducible evaluation across applications.

• Support application evaluation, project ranking, and development of funding recommendations, including preparation of technical review notes, comparative analyses, scoring documentation, and responses to technical questions.

• Provide post-award technical support, including review of project development and implementation information, proposed scope or cost changes, performance commitments, technical and/or field review of completed projects and final reports, and assessment of consistency with approved water quality benefits, transportation nexus, and applicable

Project X requirements.

General Environmental Cleanup Program Support

• Provide ongoing technical and programmatic support to OCTA for administration of Project

X, including interpretation and application of ECP requirements, transportation-related pollution considerations, water quality technical issues, BMP technologies, and stormwater planning and performance methods.

• Prepare or assist with presentations, briefing materials, technical memoranda, staff-support materials, and other technical documentation related to Project X.

• Evaluate Tier 1 and Tier 2 program performance and recommend refinements to improve program effectiveness, applicant usability, technical defensibility, transparency, consistency of scoring, and alignment with applicable water quality requirements and regional priorities.

• Monitor relevant changes in federal, state, regional, and local water quality regulations, policies, guidance, stormwater requirements, BMP technologies, modeling methods, and analytical tools that may affect Project X, and advise OCTA regarding potential program implications.

• Provide technical support for special studies, program assessments, data requests, grant program evaluations, and other water quality-related assignments directly related to administration or improvement of Project X.

• Maintain organized technical records and supporting documentation for analyses performed under the agreement and provide such records to OCTA upon request.

Nature of As-Needed Services

Work will be performed on an as-needed basis and only upon authorization by the OCTA

Project Manager. Specific assignments, level of effort, schedule, meetings, and work products will be defined by OCTA as needs arise. The consultant shall coordinate regularly with the

OCTA Project Manager regarding work priorities, schedule, budget, and status. Because the

ECP and its technical evaluation methods may be modified during the term of the agreement, the consultant shall be prepared to adapt its support to revised CTFP Guidelines, application procedures, scoring methodologies, OCST functionality, and other OCTA-approved program changes.

Consultant Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in stormwater quality, urban runoff, transportation-related pollutants, BMP planning and performance, pollutant load reduction, watershed and drainage analysis, and water quality regulatory requirements applicable in Southern

California.

• Experience evaluating stormwater capital projects and competitive grant applications using quantitative and qualitative methods, including review of drainage areas, pollutant loading, water quality need, treatment performance, project costs, cost effectiveness, and project readiness.

• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to agency staff, local jurisdictions, advisory committees, evaluation panels, decision-makers, and other stakeholders, and to prepare concise and defensible technical documentation.