HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-12-12 - AGENDA REPORTS - STORMWATER PERMIT CONTR22
Agenda Item:11
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: December 12, 2023
STORMWATER PERMIT COMPLIANCE SOFTWARE CONTRACT
SUBJECT:
WITH 2ND NATURE
DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood Services
PRESENTER: Darin Seegmiller
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Award a three-year contract to 2ND NATURE for a stormwater permit compliance software
in the amount of $90,000 and authorize a contingency in the amount of $9,000 for a total
amount not to exceed $99,000.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute up to two additional one-year renewal
options beginning in year four, not to exceed the annual contract amount, plus an adjustment
in compensation consistent with the appropriate Consumer Price Index, upon request of the
contractor, and contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the City Council in the annual
budget for such fiscal year.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents,
subject to City Attorney approval.
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clarita (City) must comply with the requirements of the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit
Order No. R4-2021-0105 (Permit), which became effective September 11, 2021. This Permit is
the basis of the stormwater program. Additionally, the City must implement an area-specific
Watershed Management Plan (WMP) for the Upper Santa Clara River.
Over the years with multiple iterations of the Permit, compliance has become increasingly
complex. Record-keeping of essential duties of the stormwater program are required to be
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Additionally, data on other City functions such as development and capital improvement projects
throughout the City that affect water-quality are required to be reported.
City functions that need to be tracked and reported include:
Catch-basin cleaning
Trash-excluder maintenance
Construction site inspections
Industrial inspections
Commercial inspections
Post-construction treatment device inspections
Illicit-discharges to the storm drain
Storm drain outfalls with associated drainage areas
Receiving waters
Low-impact development construction and maintenance
Capital improvement treatment device project construction and maintenance
Staff previously relied on using multiple programs to track and report information, including
individual Excel data-sheets, internal databases, and geographical information systems (GIS).
However, the increasing requirements make these efforts more difficult.
Due to the unique functions of the stormwater program and details needed to comply with the
Permit obligations, reporting requirements, and water quality data need, it was staff's desire to
partner with technical firms that have experience with stormwater management software. A
Request for Proposal (RFP) for the project was prepared and posted on BidNet on September 6,
2023. On October 6, 2023, four firms submitted proposals. Proposals were evaluated based on
set criteria, including firm qualifications, addressing stormwater permit requirements, providing
a user-friendly interface, program management, compatibility, and cost. Staff reviewed the
proposals and, based on their evaluations, scored the firms on a 100-point scale as follows:
Bidder Location Score (/100)
2ND NATURE Santa Cruz, CA 85.8
NJB Soft, LLC. Phoenix, AZ 75.6
Assetas Inc. Denver, CO 66.8
SwiftComply Pleasanton, CA 66.4
Based in Santa Cruz, California, 2ND NATURE has experience with other municipalities
complying with requirements from the California Water Board and Federal Clean Water Act.
The 2ND NATURE team has professional expertise in watershed hydrology, pollution dynamics,
water quality monitoring, biogeochemical cycling, and NPDES permit requirements. The 2ND
NATURE team also has experience with spatial analytics, numeric and statistical modeling,
database construction, data visualization, and development of high-performance web
applications. The outcome of using this software will help with overall management of the
stormwater program, ease staff time spent on data-collection for reporting, and accelerate the
pace in which the stormwater program can move away from paper records and the use of
multiple information systems for record-keeping and analytics. Staff recommends awarding a
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contract to 2ND NATURE.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adequate funds are available in Fund 356 Stormwater Utility to support the recommended
action.
ATTACHMENTS
2ND NATURE Proposal (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)
2ND NATURE Cost (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)
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! !
Ms. Maria Delgado
City of Santa Clarita
23920 Valencia Blvd Ste. 120
Santa Clarita, CA 92355
Re: Request for Proposals for Stormwater Management Software
Dear Ms. Delgado,
We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the City of Santa Clarita's Request for Proposals
#ES-23-24-8 for Stormwater Management Software.
procure a purpose-built stormwater management software for its stormwater program.
-friendly platform that
assists with the overall management of the stormwater program and informs their decisions
making.
We carefully reviewed the RFP and the LA Regional Water Board NPDES Permit Order No. R4-
2021-0105 and are confident that our qualifications, experience, and track record of success
align closely with the responsibilities and deliverables preferred by the City and the permit
requirements of the LA Regional Water Board.
2NDNATURE is a California-based software company passionate about protecting the
environment. We have a unique body of knowledge gained through our involvement in the
California stormwater community, including specific expertise in the evolving NPDES permit
requirements. Our people, products, and service offerings reflect and embody that experience.
The 2NDNATURE team is committed to partnering with the City of Santa Clarita, to ensure the
stormwater program team achieves its goals. We are certain that our 2NFORM platform meets
all of the requirements detailed in the RFP. Moreover, we are confident that our ongoing
investments in science, research, and software development will ensure that in the years to
come, the City's stormwater program has the tools it needs to comply with the everchanging and
evolving NPDES permit requirements.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide the City of Santa Clarita with our qualifications and
proposed approach. Give us a chance, and we will focus our energy and passion on delivering
the stormwater management software you need today and want in the future.
Kind regards,
Christopher B. Cappelli
President
2NDNATURE Software Inc. 500 Seabright Ave Ste 205 Santa Cruz CA www.2ndnaturewater.com
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Yes - Maps are the Foundation of 2NFORM.
Yes - Integration with Esri ArcGIS is foundational to 2NFORM.
Yes - Currently Available in 2NFORM.
Yes - Currently Available in 2NFORM.
Yes - Currently Available in 2NFORM.
Yes - Currently Available in 2NFORM.
Catherine Riihimaki, PhD Research Director
Dr. Catherine Riihimaki is an Earth scientist with extensive experience in
fluvial geomorphology and climate change. Over her two-decade career, she
has led research projects across the United States, including Alaska,
California, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. Her research toolbox includes
real-time monitoring of stream and weather systems, numerical and
statistical modeling using Matlab and R, GIS using ArcGIS and QGIS, and
analytical chemistry of sediment and water samples. Her projects with
2NDNATURE include stream restoration work in the Lake Tahoe basin,
stormwater studies along the California Central Coast, and stormwater
management throughout the US. As Research Director, Catherine serves as
the link between 2NDNATURE and collaborators from research institutions
and other stormwater organizations. She also provides technical expertise
across the scope of the 2NDNATURE portfolio and mentors junior colleagues. She previously worked in higher
education as faculty and an administrator, most recently as Associate Director of Science Education for
Princeton University. She volunteers with the National Association of Geoscience Teachers and serves as an
elected member of her local Board of Education.
Years of Experience 20 Education PhD, Earth Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2003
BA, Geosciences and Mathematics, Williams College, 1998
Summa Cum Laude and Highest Honors
Professional Member, American Geophysical Union
Credentials &
Member, Geological Society of America
Registrations
Member, National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Professional Appointments
2021-present Research Director, 2NDNATURE Software Inc.
2012-2021 Associate Director, Science Education, Princeton University
2008-2012 Assistant Professor, Drew University (promoted to associate professor in 2012)
2004-2008 Lecturer and Keck Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geology, Bryn Mawr College
2003-2004 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, Colby College
Relevant Past Experience
Pollutant Load Reduction Plan. Salinas, CA. Summarized current efforts toward NPDES permit compliance
and developed targets and strategies for the city to further reduce stormwater runoff volumes and
pollutant loads.
Upper Los Angeles River Strategic Planning Platform. Upper Los Angeles River Watershed. Worked with
Craftwater and 2NDNATURE colleagues to model stormwater pollutant loads and develop software to
efficiently assess the environmental impacts of different stormwater control measures.
Monitoring and Reporting Plan. Salinas, CA. Analyzed stormwater monitoring data for comparison with
modeling results and developed recommendations for cost-effective revisions to the plan.
Lake Tahoe Stream Restoration. South Lake Tahoe, CA. Developed cost-effective strategy for monitoring
effectiveness of stream restorations and studied impact on Lake Tahoe water quality.
Recent Publications
Burls, N. J., Bradshaw, C. D., De Boer, A. M., Herold, N., Huber, M., Pound, M., Donnadieu, Y., Farnsworth,
A., Frigola, A., Gasson, E., von der Heydt, A. S., Hutchinson, D. K., Knorr, G., Lawrence, K. T., Lear, C. H., Li,
X., Lohmann, G., Lunt, D. J., Marzocchi, A., Prange, M., Riihimaki, C. A., Sarr, A.-C., Siler, N., Zhang, Z.
(2021), Simulating Miocene warmth: insights from an opportunistic multi-model ensemble (MioMIP1),
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 36(5), e2020PA004054, doi: 10.1029/2020PA004054.
Conley, G., Beck, N., Riihimaki, C., McDonald, K., and Tanner, M. (2021), Assessing the feasibility of a cloud-
based, spatially distributed modeling approach for tracking green stormwater infrastructure runoff
reductions, Water, 13(3), 255; doi:10.3390/w13030255.
Conley, G., Beck, N., Riihimaki, C. A., and Hoke, C. (2019), Improving urban trash reduction tracking with spatially
distributed Bayesian uncertainty estimates, Environmental Science & Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2019.05.001.
Riihimaki, C. A., and Viskupic, K. (2019), Motivators and inhibitors to change: why and how do geoscience faculty
modify their course content and teaching methods, Journal of Geoscience Education, doi:
10.1080/10899995.2019.1628590.
Kevin Depolo GIS Analyst
Kevin is a GIS analyst for 2NDNATURE with a background in
environmental science and GIS programming. He uses his technical
proficiency in geospatial software to develop tools and processes for
spatial data analytics at 2NDNATURE. His experience working as an
associate scientist for 2NDNATURE provided him a practical
understanding of stormwater management, adding nuance to his
approach to stormwater analytics and modeling. As an environmental
scientist, Kevin is determined to provide cutting edge solutions to
organizations that promote ecological health.
Graduate Certificate, Geospatial Programming and Web
Development, Penn State, State College, 2022
Years of Experience 6 Education
BS, Environmental Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, 2016
Professional Appointments
2023-present GIS Analyst, 2NDNATURE
2020-2021 Associate Scientist, 2NDNATURE
2019-2020 GIS Specialist, Apple
2017-2018 Consulting Utility Forester, CN Utility Consulting
Relevant Past Experience
Trash Inspections and Modeling. Performed rapid visual trash assessments and full capture system
assessments for the cities of Santa Cruz and Salinas. Used 2NFORM to analyze results and inform further
management solutions.
2NDNATURE Data Editing Application. Developed an ESRI application that allows 2NDNATURE to
crowdsource suggested edits to an internal stormwater utility incentive program database.
Onboarding GIS Tool Development. Developed internal tools in ArcGIS Pro and Python to assist in spatial
data analysis and preparation for 2NFORM.
Customer Stormwater Spatial Data ETL. Extracted and transformed customer provided spatial data to be
loaded into 2NFORM software. Developed hydrologic spatial datasets for customers to input for stormwater
modeling.
2NFORM Software Adoption. Developed and led in-person and virtual trainings to support multiple
Stormwater Asset Monitoring. Salinas, CA. Cataloged, inspected and analyzed results for structural
stormwater assets within the city of Salinas.
Water Quality Monitoring Estuarine Systems. Santa Cruz, CA. Performed long-term data collection effort
to assess water quality conditions for salmonids in coastal lagoons. Deployed and maintained water quality
instrumentation and analyzed results.
Wilson Shealy Solutions Engineer
Wilson is a solution engineer for 2NDNATURE, bringing a strong background in environmental science and
stormwater management to the team. With experience as a Field Crew leader and program manager, Wilson
plays a key role in helping customers discover the potential uses and integration of 2NFORM within their
programs. He is dedicated to working closely with clients, offering training, ongoing support, and expertise to
facilitate the seamless adoption and implementation of the comprehensive 2NFORM software suite.
MS, Data Analytics, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Current
BS, Environmental Science, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Years of Experience Education
6
2018
Professional Appointments
2021-present Solutions Engineer, 2NDNATURE
2018-2021 Program Manager, Davey Tree Expert Company
Relevant Past Experience
Water Quality Sampling: Conducted in-situ and composite sampling of streams and riparian ecosystems to
facilitate nutrient loading analysis and runoff mitigation strategies.
Field Crew Management: Managed a team of six crew members responsible for asset inspections, pesticide
and fertilizer application, and annual activity reporting.
Industrial and Commercial Site Inspections: Conducted pre-EPA audit inspections for Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Plans (SWPPP) at auto salvage facilities, identifying stormwater risks and effectively
communicating findings to property and facility managers.
Customer Stormwater Spatial Data ETL: Extracted and transformed spatial data provided by customers,
preparing it for integration into 2NFORM software. Developed hydrologic spatial datasets to assist customers
in stormwater modeling.
2NFORM Software Adoption: Orchestrated and led both in-person and virtual training sessions to facilitate
the transition and implementation of 2NFORM software within multiple jurisdictions. This aided in tracking
NPDES compliance and enhancing the effectiveness of stormwater programs.
! !
Ms. Maria Delgado
City of Santa Clarita
23920 Valencia Blvd Ste. 120
Santa Clarita, CA 92355
Re: Request for Proposals for Stormwater Management Software
Dear Ms. Delgado,
We thank you again for the opportunity to respond to the City of Santa Clarita's Request for
Proposal #ES-23-24-8 for Stormwater Management Software.
2NDNATURE is proud to present the City of Santa Clarita with three firm offers to choose from
for its annual subscription to 2NFORM and corresponding implementation services. As a
modular system, 2NFORM is built to allow the user to adapt in and out of different features. We
expect throughout your tenure as a user, the City may decide to use other modules year over
year as fit; we embrace and encourage this sort of adaptation.
Option A - $27,080
Option A includes four modules, an asset registry jumpstart, and seven additional named users.
The four modules are Municipal Maintenance, Construction, Post-Construction, and
Industrial/Commercial. With this option, the City will have every feature of 2NFORM needed to
meet the deliverables and requirements of RFP #ES-23-24-8. The Asset Registry Jumpstart will
Option B - $29,473
Option B includes the six modules that correspond to the six minimum control measures
Municipal Maintenance, Construction, Post-Construction, Industrial/Commercial, Illicit
Discharge, and Public Education and Outreachan asset registry jumpstart and seven additional
named users. We offer these six modules in a discounted bundle called the Six Minimum
Control Measures Bundle. 2NDNATURE is happy to waive the additional user licenses in order
2NDNATURE Software Inc. 500 Seabright Ave Ste 205 Santa Cruz CA www.2ndnaturewater.com
Option C - $29,995
Option C includes other elements we believe the City would need to be in full compliance with
the LA Regional Water Board NPDES Permit Order No. R4-2021-0105 and the California state
Trash Amendment. This option includes everything in Option B with the addition of the Trash
Compliance module. The Trash Compliance module will allow the city to perform functional
assessments on FCS devices, which go beyond the standard routine inspections available in
the Municipal Maintenance module. It also allows the City to perform overland visual trash
assessments (OVTA) using ArcGIS FieldMaps. The embedded model uses the mapped full
capture systems and their associated drainage areas, as well as any collected OVTA data to
create trash condition maps to convey progress towards priority land use area treated in
accordance with the CA state requirements.
We have attached a quote corresponding to each of these options to this letter. We also
provided a summary table to allow for a direct comparison between the three offerings. Finally,
we attached our standard SaaS Agreement.
We assure you that whichever option the City chooses, 2NDNATURE will do everything
possible to guarantee the City maintains an efficient, effective, and compliant stormwater
management program.
Kind regards,
Christopher B. Cappelli
President
2NDNATURE Software Inc. 500 Seabright Ave Ste 205 Santa Cruz CA www.2ndnaturewater.com
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EXHIBIT A
2N Software Description
Term
This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and continue for twelve (12) months ("Term").
Upon expiration of the Term, the Agreement will automatically renew for additional Terms of twelve (12)
months each ("Renewal Term"), unless either party gives the other notice of non -renewal at least thirty
(30) days prior to the end of the then -current Term.
Products/Services
Reference 2N Quotation Number: Quote# Dependent on which option the City chooses.
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