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HomeMy WebLinkAbout15 - LCP Environmental Consulting ServicesCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 15 May 27, 2008 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: James Campbell, Senior Planner Planning Department (949) 644 -3210 icampbell(&citv.newport- beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Professional Services Agreement for Environmental Consulting Services related to the Local Coastal Program (LCP). RECOMMENDATION Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement in an amount not to exceed $65,000 with the Chambers Group for environmental consulting and biological surveying for the Local Coastal Program. The Coastal Land Use Plan (CLUP) identified a variety of Environmental Study Areas where policies necessitate further study. More detailed biological survey work is needed for preparation of appropriate development regulations for inclusion in the new Zoning Code. The survey areas are Buck Gully, Morning Canyon and coastal bluffs citywide. The survey work will include biological assessments and the identification of habitats and appropriate development buffers and, wherever necessary, paleontological surveys. Staff had three environmental consulting firms submit their qualifications: Bonterra Consulting, ECORP Consulting and Chambers Group. Staff believes that all three firms are qualified and each could provide the service; however, the Chambers Group is staffs selection based upon their familiarity and past survey work within upper Buck Gully and their past performance with preparing the initial environmental constraints analysis for the CLUP. Environmental Review: The City Council's approval of this Agenda Item does not require environmental review as it is not defined as a project and the authorization of this PSA will not result in a physical change to the environment. Public Notice: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the public meeting at which the City Council considers the item). Funding Availability: The fiscal '07-'08 budget includes $75,000 for Local Coastal Program certification. Alternatives: The City Council could choose any one of other consultants, direct staff to consider other consultants or decline to hire any consultant. Prepared by: �-w (2�!fwd James Campbell, S nior Planner 1. Professional Services Agreement Submitted by: Davi Lepo, Pla ing Director 0- PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. FOR ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEWPORT BEACH LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of this _ day of 200_, by and between the CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH, a Municipal Corporation ( "City "), and CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. a California Corporation whose address is 17671 Cowan, Suite 100, Irvine, California, 92614 ( "Consultant"), and is made with reference to the following: RECITALS A. City is a municipal corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of California with the power to carry on its business as it is now being conducted under the statutes of the State of California and the Charter of City. B. City is preparing development policy and regulations for areas of the City that may contain environmentally sensitive habitats in conjunction with the implementation of the City's Local Coastal Program. C. City desires to engage Consultant to provide on -call environmental consulting services related to the City's Local Coastal Program ( "Project'). D. Consultant possesses the skill, experience, ability, background, certification and knowledge to provide the services described in this Agreement. E. The principal members of Consultant for purposes of Project, shall be Paul Morrissey. F. City has solicited and received a proposal from Consultant, has reviewed the previous experience and evaluated the expertise of Consultant, and desires to retain Consultant to render professional services under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, it is mutually agreed by and between the undersigned parties as follows: 1. TERM The term of this Agreement shall commence on the above written date, and shall terminate on the 30th day of June, 2009, unless terminated earlier as set forth herein. 2. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED Consultant shall diligently perform all the services specifically directed by the Planning Department described in the Scope of Services attached. hereto as 3 Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference. The City may elect to delete certain tasks of the Scope of Services at its sole discretion. 3. TIME OF PERFORMANCE Time is of the essence in the performance of services under this Agreement and the services shall be performed to completion in a diligent and timely manner. The failure by Consultant to perform the services in a diligent and timely manner may result in termination of this Agreement by City. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Consultant shall not be responsible for delays due to causes beyond Consultant's reasonable control. However, in the case of any such delay in the services to be provided for the Project, each party hereby agrees to provide notice to the other party so that all delays can be addressed. 3.1 Consultant shall submit all requests for extensions of time for performance in writing to the Project Administrator not later than ten (10) calendar days after the start of the condition that purportedly causes a delay. The Project Administrator shall review all such requests and may grant reasonable time extensions for unforeseeable delays that are beyond Consultant's control. 3.2 For all time periods not specifically set forth herein, Consultant shall respond in the most expedient and appropriate manner under the circumstances, by either telephone, fax, hand - delivery or mail. 4. COMPENSATION TO CONSULTANT City shall pay Consultant for the services on a time and expense not -to- exceed basis in accordance with the provisions of this Section and the Schedule of Billing Rates within Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference. Consultant's compensation for all work performed in accordance with this Agreement, including all reimbursable items and subconsultant fees, shall not exceed Sixty - Five Thousand Dollars and no /100 ($65,000) without prior written authorization from City. No billing rate changes shall be made during the term of this Agreement without the prior written approval of City. 4.1 Consultant shall submit monthly invoices to City describing the work performed the preceding month. Consultant's bills shall include the name of the person who performed the work, a brief description of the services performed and /or the specific task in the Scope of Services to which it relates, the date the services were performed, the number of hours spent on all work billed on an hourly basis, and a description of any reimbursable expenditures. City shall pay Consultant no later than thirty (30) days after approval of the monthly invoice by City staff. 4.2 City shall reimburse Consultant only for those costs or expenses specifically approved in this Agreement, or specifically approved in writing in advance by City. Unless otherwise approved, such costs shall be 14 2 limited and include nothing more than the following costs incurred by Consultant: A. The actual costs of subconsultants for performance of any of the services that Consultant agrees to render pursuant to this Agreement, which have been approved in advance by City and awarded in accordance with this Agreement. B. Approved reproduction charges. C. Actual costs and /or other costs and /or payments specifically authorized in advance in writing and incurred by Consultant in the performance of this Agreement. 4.3 Consultant shall not receive any compensation for Extra Work performed without the prior written authorization of City. As used herein, "Extra Work" means any work that is determined by City to be necessary for the proper completion of the Project, but which is not included within the Scope of Services and which the parties did not reasonably anticipate would be necessary at the execution of this Agreement. Compensation for any authorized Extra Work shall be paid in accordance with the Schedule of Billing Rates as set forth in Exhibit B. 5. PROJECT MANAGER Consultant shall designate a Project Manager, who shall coordinate all phases of the Project. This Project Manager shall be available to City at all reasonable times during the Agreement term. Consultant has designated Paul Morrissey to be its Project Manager. Consultant shall not remove or reassign the Project Manager or any personnel listed in Exhibit A or assign any new or replacement personnel to the Project without the prior written consent of City. City's approval shall not be unreasonably withheld with respect to the removal or assignment of non -key personnel. Consultant, at the sole discretion of City, shall remove from the Project any of its personnel assigned to the performance of services upon written request of City. Consultant warrants that it will continuously furnish the necessary personnel to complete the Project on a timely basis as contemplated by this Agreement. 6. ADMINISTRATION This Agreement will be administered by the David Lepo, Planning Director shall be the Project Administrator and shall have the authority to act for City under this Agreement. The Project Administrator or his /her authorized representative shall represent City in all matters pertaining to the services to be rendered pursuant to this Agreement. 3 7. CITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES In order to assist Consultant in the execution of its responsibilities under this Agreement, City agrees to, where applicable: A. Provide access to, and upon request of Consultant, one copy of all existing relevant information on file at City. City will provide all such materials in a timely manner so as not to cause delays in Consultant's work schedule. 8. STANDARD OF CARE 8.1 All of the services shall be performed by Consultant or under Consultant's supervision. Consultant represents that it possesses the professional and technical personnel required to perform the services required by this Agreement, and that it will perform all services in a manner commensurate with community professional standards. All services shall be performed by qualified and experienced personnel who are not employed by City, nor have any contractual relationship with City. By delivery of completed work, Consultant certifies that the work conforms to the requirements of this Agreement and all applicable federal, state and local laws and the professional standard of care. 8.2 Consultant represents and warrants to City that it has, shall obtain, and shall keep in full force in effect during the term hereof, at its sole cost and expense, all licenses, permits, qualifications, insurance and approvals of whatsoever nature that is legally required of Consultant to practice its profession. Consultant shall maintain a City of Newport Beach business license during the term of this Agreement. 8.3 Consultant shall not be responsible for delay, nor shall Consultant be responsible for damages or be in default or deemed to be in default by reason of strikes, lockouts, accidents, or acts of God, or the failure of City to furnish timely information or to approve or disapprove Consultant's work promptly, or delay or faulty performance by City, contractors, or governmental agencies. 9. HOLD HARMLESS To the fullest extent permitted by law, Consultant shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless City, its City Council, boards and commissions, officers, agents, volunteers, and employees (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties') from and against any and all claims (including, without limitation, claims for bodily injury, death or damage to property), demands, obligations, damages, actions, causes of action, suits, losses, judgments, fines, penalties, liabilities, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, attorney's fees, disbursements and court costs) of every kind and nature whatsoever (individually, a Claim; collectively, "Claims "), which may arise from or in any manner relate (directly or indirectly) to any breach of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, any work. performed C', 4 or services provided under this Agreement including, without limitation, defects in workmanship or materials or Consultant's presence or activities conducted on the Project (including the negligent and/or willful acts, errors and/or omissions of Consultant, its principals, officers, agents, employees, vendors, suppliers, consultants, subcontractors, anyone employed directly or indirectly by any of them or for whose acts they may be liable or any or all of them). Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall be construed to require Consultant to indemnify the Indemnified Parties from any Claim arising from. the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the Indemnified Parties. Nothing in this indemnity shall be construed as authorizing any award of attorney's fees in any action on or to enforce the terms of this Agreement. This indemnity shall apply to all claims and liability regardless of whether any insurance policies are applicable. The policy limits do not act as a limitation upon the amount of indemnification to be provided by the Consultant. 10. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR It is understood that City retains Consultant on an independent contractor basis and Consultant is not an agent or employee of City. The manner and means of conducting the work are under the control of Consultant, except to the extent they are limited by statute, rule or regulation and the expressed terms of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute approval for Consultant or any of Consultant's employees or agents, to be the agents or employees of City. Consultant shall have the responsibility for and control over the means of performing the work, provided that Consultant is in compliance with the terms of this Agreement. Anything in this Agreement that may appear to give City the right to direct Consultant as to the details of the performance or to exercise a measure of control over Consultant shall mean only that Consultant shall follow the desires of City with respect to the results of the services. 11. COOPERATION Consultant agrees to work closely and cooperate fully with City's designated Project Administrator and any other agencies that may have jurisdiction or interest in the work to be performed. City agrees to cooperate with the Consultant on the Project. 12. CITY POLICY Consultant shall discuss and review all matters relating to policy and Project direction with City's Project Administrator in advance of all critical decision points in order to ensure the Project proceeds in a manner consistent with City goals and policies. 13. PROGRESS Consultant is responsible for keeping the Project Administrator and/or his /her duly authorized designee informed on a regular basis regarding the status and I✓ progress of the Project, activities performed and planned, and any meetings that have been scheduled or are desired. 14. INSURANCE Without limiting Consultant's indemnification of City, and prior to commencement of work. Consultant shall obtain, provide and maintain at its own expense during the term of this Agreement, a policy or policies of liability insurance of the type and amounts described below and in a form satisfactory to City. A. Certificates of Insurance. Consultant shall provide certificates of insurance with original endorsements to City as evidence of the insurance coverage required herein. Insurance certificates must be approved by City's Risk Manager prior to commencement of performance or issuance of any permit. Current certification of insurance shall be kept on file with City at all times during the term of this Agreement. B. Signature. A person. authorized by the insurer to bind coverage on its behalf shall sign certification of all required policies. C. Acceptable Insurers. All insurance policies shall be issued by an insurance company currently authorized by the Insurance Commissioner to transact business of insurance in the State of California, with an assigned policyholders' Rating of A (or higher) and Financial Size Category Class VII (or larger) in accordance with the latest edition of Best's Key Rating Guide, unless otherwise approved by the City's Risk Manager. D. Coverage Requirements. i. Workers' Compensation Coverage. Consultant shall maintain Workers' Compensation Insurance and Employer's Liability Insurance for his or her employees in accordance with the laws of the State of California. In addition, Consultant shall require each subcontractor to similarly maintain Workers' Compensation Insurance and Employer's Liability Insurance in accordance with the laws of the State of California for all of the subcontractor's employees. Any notice of cancellation or non - renewal of all Workers' Compensation policies must be received by City at least thirty (30) calendar days (10 calendar days written notice of non- payment of premium) prior to such change. The insurer shall agree to waive all rights of subrogation against City, its officers, agents, employees and volunteers for losses arising from work performed by Consultant for City. ii. General Liability Coverage. Consultant shall maintain commercial general liability insurance in an amount not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage, including without limitation, contractual liability. If commercial general liability insurance or g R other form with a general aggregate limit is used, either the general aggregate limit shall apply separately to the work to be performed under this Agreement, or the general aggregate limit shall be at least twice the required occurrence limit. iii. Automobile Liability Coverage. Consultant shall maintain automobile insurance covering bodily injury and property damage for all activities of the Consultant arising out of or in connection with work to be performed under this Agreement, including coverage for any owned, hired, non -owned or rented vehicles, in an amount not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) combined single limit for each occurrence. iv. Professional Errors and Omissions Insurance. Consultant shall maintain professional errors and omissions insurance, which covers the services to be performed in connection with this Agreement in the minimum amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000). E. Endorsements. Each general liability and automobile liability insurance policy shall be endorsed with the following specific language: L The City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers are to be covered as additional insureds with respect to liability arising out of work performed by or on behalf of the Consultant. ii. This policy shall be considered primary insurance as respects to City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers as respects to all claims, losses, or liability arising directly or indirectly from the Consultant's operations or services provided to City. Any insurance maintained by City, including any self- insured retention City may have, shall be considered excess insurance only and not contributory with the insurance provided hereunder. iii. This insurance shall act for each insured and additional insured as though a separate policy had been written for each, except with respect to the limits of liability of the insuring company. iv. The insurer waives all rights of subrogation against City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers. V. Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided to City, its elected or appointed. officers, officials, employees, agents or volunteers. Vi. The insurance provided by this policy shall not be suspended, voided, canceled, or.reduced in coverage or in limits, by either party except after thirty (30) calendar days (10 calendar days n 7 "� written notice of non - payment of premium) written notice has been received by City. F. Timely Notice of Claims. Consultant shall give City prompt and timely notice of claim made or suit instituted arising out of or resulting from Consultant's performance under this Agreement. G. Additional Insurance. Consultant shall also procure and maintain, at its own cost and expense, any additional kinds of insurance, which in its own judgment may be necessary for its proper protection and prosecution of the work. 15. PROHIBITION AGAINST ASSIGNMENTS AND TRANSFERS Except as specifically authorized under this Agreement, the services to be provided under this Agreement shall not be assigned, transferred contracted or subcontracted out without the prior written approval of City. Any of the following shall be construed as an assignment: The sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of any of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Consultant, or of the interest of any general partner or joint venturer or syndicate member or cotenant if Consultant is a partnership or joint- venture or syndicate or cotenancy, which shall result in changing the control of Consultant. Control means fifty percent (50 %) or more of the voting power, or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the assets of the corporation, partnership or joint- venture. 16. SUBCONTRACTING City and Consultant agree that subconsultants maybe used to complete the work outlined in the Scope of Services. The subconsultants authorized by City to perform work on this Project are identified in Exhibit A. Consultant shall be fully responsible to City for all acts and omissions of the subcontractor. Nothing in this Agreement shall create any contractual relationship between City and subcontractor nor shall it create any obligation on the part of City to pay or to see to the payment of any monies due to any such subcontractor other than as otherwise required by law. The City is an intended beneficiary of any work performed by the subcontractor for purposes of establishing a duty of care between the subcontractor and the City. Except as specifically authorized herein, the services to be provided under this Agreement shall not be otherwise assigned, transferred, contracted or subcontracted out without the prior written approval of City. 17. OWNERSHIP OF DOCUMENTS Each and every report, draft, map, record, plan, document and other writing produced (hereinafter "Documents "), prepared or caused to be prepared by Consultant, its officers, employees, agents and subcontractors, in the course of implementing this Agreement, shall become the exclusive property of City, and City shall have the sole right to use such materials in its discretion without further L N compensation to Consultant or any other party. Consultant shall, at Consultant's expense, provide such Documents to City upon prior written request. Documents, including drawings and specifications, prepared by Consultant pursuant to this Agreement are not intended or represented to be suitable for reuse by City or others on any other project. Any use of completed Documents for other projects and any use of incomplete Documents without specific written authorization from Consultant will be at City's sole risk and without liability to Consultant. Further, any and all liability arising out of changes made to Consultant's deliverables under this Agreement by City or persons other than Consultant is waived against Consultant and City assumes full responsibility for such changes unless City has given Consultant prior notice and has received from Consultant written consent for such changes. 18. COMPUTER DELIVERABLES All written documents shall be transmitted to City in the City's latest adopted version of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or other format deemed mutually acceptable. Should maps of Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas be the result of work performed pursuant to this Agreement, Consultant shall provide geographic data sets in a format compatible with the City's Geographic Information System. 19. CONFIDENTIALITY All Documents, including drafts, preliminary drawings or plans, notes and communications that result from the services in this Agreement, shall be kept confidential unless City authorizes in writing the release of information. 20. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEMNITY The Consultant shall defend and indemnify City, its agents, officers, representatives and employees against any and all liability, including costs, for infringement of any United States' letters patent, trademark, or copyright infringement, including costs, contained in Consultant's drawings and specifications provided under this Agreement. 21. RECORDS Consultant shall keep records and invoices in connection with the work to be performed under this Agreement. Consultant shall maintain complete and accurate records with respect to the costs incurred under this Agreement and any services, expenditures and disbursements charged to City, for a minimum period of three (3) years, or for any longer period required by law, from the date of final payment to Consultant under this Agreement. All such records and invoices shall be clearly identifiable. Consultant shall allow a representative of City to examine, audit and make transcripts or copies of such records and invoices during regular business hours. Consultant shall allow inspection of all work, data, Documents, proceedings and activities related to the Agreement for a N period of three (3) years from the date of final payment to Consultant under this Agreement. 22. WITHHOLDINGS City may withhold payment to Consultant of any disputed sums until satisfaction of the dispute with respect to such payment. Such withholding shall not be deemed to constitute a failure to pay according to the terms of this Agreement. Consultant shall not discontinue work as a result of such withholding. Consultant shall have an immediate right to appeal to the City Manager or his/her designee with respect to such disputed sums. Consultant shall be entitled to receive interest on any withheld sums at the rate of return that City earned on its investments during the time period, from the date of withholding of any amounts found to have been improperly withheld. 23. ERRORS AND OMISSIONS In the event of errors or omissions that are due to the negligence or professional inexperience of Consultant which result in expense to City greater than what would have resulted if there were not errors or omissions in the work accomplished by Consultant, the additional design, construction and /or restoration expense shall be borne by Consultant. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to limit City's rights under the law or any other sections of this Agreement. 24. CITY'S RIGHT TO EMPLOY OTHER CONSULTANTS City reserves the right to employ other Consultants in connection with the Project. 125. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The Consultant or its employees may be subject to the provisions of the California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the "Act "), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may foreseeably be materially affected by the work performed under this Agreement, and (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that will foreseeably financially affect such interest. If subject to the Act, Consultant shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so constitutes a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of this Agreement by City. Consultant shall indemnify and hold harmless City for any and all claims for damages resulting from Consultant's violation of this Section. 26. NOTICES All notices, demands, requests or approvals to be given under the terms of this Agreement shall be given in writing, and conclusively shall be deemed served IZ 10 when delivered personally, or on the third business day after the deposit thereof in the United States mail, postage prepaid, first -class mail, addressed as hereinafter provided. All notices, demands, requests or approvals from Consultant to City shall be addressed to City at: All notices, demands, requests or approvals from Consultant to City shall be addressed to City at: Attention: David Lepo, Planning Director Planning Department City of Newport Beach 3300 Newport Boulevard Newport Beach, CA, 92663 Phone: 949 - 644 -3200 Fax: 949 - 644 -3229 27. TERMINATION All notices, demands, requests or approvals from CITY to Consultant shall be addressed to Consultant at: Attention: Paul Morrissey Chambers Group, Inc. 17671 Cowan Irvine, CA 92614 -6009 Phone: 949 - 261 -5414 Fax: 949 - 261 -8950 In the event that either party fails or refuses to perform any of the provisions of this Agreement at the time and in the manner required, that party shall be deemed in default in the performance of this Agreement. If such.default is not cured within a period of two (2) calendar days, or if more than two (2) calendar days are reasonably required to cure the default and the defaulting party fails to give adequate assurance of due performance within two (2) calendar days after receipt of written notice of default, specifying the nature of such default and the steps necessary to cure such default, and thereafter diligently take steps to cure the default, the non - defaulting party may terminate the Agreement forthwith by giving to the defaulting party written notice thereof. Notwithstanding the above provisions, City shall have the right, at its sole discretion and without cause, of terminating this Agreement at any time by giving seven (7) calendar days prior written notice to Consultant. In the event of termination under this Section, City shall pay Consultant for services satisfactorily performed and costs incurred up to the effective date of termination for which Consultant has not been previously paid. On the effective date of termination, Consultant shall deliver to City all reports, Documents and other information developed or accumulated in the performance of this Agreement, whether in draft or final form. 28. COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS Consultant shall at its own cost and expense comply with all statutes, ordinances, regulations and requirements of all governmental entities, including federal, state, county or municipal, whether now in force or hereinafter enacted. In addition, all work prepared by Consultant shall conform to applicable City, county, state and federal laws, rules, regulations and permit requirements and be subject to approval of the Project Administrator and City. 13 11 29. WAIVER A waiver by either party of any breach, of any term, covenant or condition contained herein shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other term, covenant or condition contained herein, whether of the same or a different character. 30. INTEGRATED CONTRACT This Agreement represents the full and complete understanding of every kind or nature whatsoever between the parties hereto, and all preliminary negotiations and agreements of whatsoever kind or nature are merged herein. No verbal agreement or implied covenant shall be held to vary the provisions herein. 31. CONFLICTS OR INCONSISTENCIES In the event there are any conflicts or inconsistencies between this Agreement and the Scope of Services or any other attachments attached hereto, the terms of this Agreement shall govern. 32. INTERPRETATION The terms of this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the meaning of the language used and shall not be construed for or against either party by reason of the authorship of the Agreement or any other rule of construction which might otherwise apply. 33. AMENDMENTS This Agreement may be modified or amended only by a written document executed by both Consultant and City and approved as to form by the City Attorney. 34. SEVERABILITY If any term or portion of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal, or otherwise unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. 35. CONTROLLING LAW AND VENUE The laws of the State of California shall govern this Agreement and all matters relating to it and any action brought relating to this Agreement shall be adjudicated in a court of competent jurisdiction in the County of Orange. IH 2 36. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT Consultant represents that it is an equal opportunity employer and it shall not discriminate against any subcontractor, employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, national origin, handicap, ancestry, sex or age. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed on the day and year first written above. APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney for the City of Newport Beach ATTEST: By: LaVonne Harkless, City Clerk CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH, A Municipal Corporation By: City Manager for the City of Newport Beach CONSULTANT: By: (Corporate Officer) Print Name: (Financial Officer) Print Name: Attachments: Exhibit A— Scope of Services & Billing Rates F: luserstcaflsharedl ContractTemplatesPublishedonlntranet \FORM — Professional Service Agreement.doc Rev: 05 -02 -07 /+ 3 'Chambers Group' sdwng cha"n qvs 17671 Cowan Avenue, Suite 100 Irvine, California 92614 949 -261 -6414 tel 949 261 -8950 fax May 20, 2008 Mr. Jim Campbell City of Newport Beach 3300 Newport Blvd Newport Beach, CA 92663 Subject: Proposal for On -Call Environmental Services Related to the City of Newport Beach's Local Coastal Program Implementation Dear Mr. Campbell: Chambers Group, Inc. is pleased to submit this proposal to the City of Newport Beach per your request for on -call environmental support services and most importantly to demonstrate our extensive experience with environmental documentation and permitting services for municipality projects within southern California. Chambers Group, a California corporation, was established in 1978 to provide high - quality environmental consulting services to government agencies, private businesses, and industry. We have extensive experience in conducting environmental assessments and procuring regulatory permits for a variety of clients. Chambers Group intends to perform the contract as the prime contractor. Dr. Noel Davis has been selected as your program manager for this contract. Dr. Davis has over 30 years experience consulting on coastal issues in southern California. She has expertise in marine biology, seabirds and shorebirds, ocean water quality, and coastal wetlands. She assisted the City of Newport Beach with its update of the biological elements of its Local Coastal Plan. Dr. Davis has over 10 years experience dealing with the California Coastal Commission. She has prepared applications or assisted in the preparation of applications to the Coastal Commission for Coastal Development Permits for a variety of projects including refurbishment of the Coast Guard Station in Newport Harbor, the Newport Back Bay Slope Stabilization Project, maintenance of flood control channel ocean outlets in Orange County, Marina Harbor Apartments and Anchorage apartment and dock renovations, removal of invasive vegetation from San Diego Creek, pipeline maintenance in the Boise Chica wetlands, and the San Juan Creek Bike Trail Project. For the last several years she has been assisting the Municipal Water District of Orange County with strategy and technical issues for permitting, including a Coastal Development Permit from the Coastal Commission, related to planning for a desalination facility in Dana Point. Recently, she assisted BreitBurn Management Company with a Coastal Act Violation related to fill in wetlands to repair a pipeline on the Bixby Property in the Los Cerritos wetlands. Dr. Davis is a member of the Los Angeles County Environmental Review Board which determines whether proposed developments in the Santa Monica Mountains are consistent with the policies of the Malibu Local Coastal Plan. In addition, she has been the project manager for a variety of coastal related CEQA and NEPA documents including an IS/MND for the Seal Beach Groin Rehabilitation Project, an IS /MND for the Huntington Beach Wetlands Restoration Project, an IS /MND and EA for the Solstice Creek Steelhead Restoration Project, an EIR For the Goleta Beach County Park Long Term Protection Plan, and the EIR /EIS, for the Boise Chica Lowlands Restoration project. She has served as an expert witness for a lawsuit related to maintenance of a drainage channel, for an arbitration hearing with the California Department of Fish and Game over a Streambed Alteration Agreement for a proposed golf course in Big Tijunga Wash, and for the defense for the Montrose Natural Resources Damage Assessment lawsuit. IRVINE • REDLANDS • SAN DIEGO • BAKERSFIELD • RENO IL w ww.chambersgroupfnc com V Certifled Disabled Veteran. Business Enterprise(DVBE) May 20, 2008 Page 2 Chambers Group is prepared to accommodate scheduling demands under short notice. We will provide a schedule, and will be prepared for a kickoff meeting immediately upon Notice to Proceed for issued task orders. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this proposal. Should have you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (949) 261 -5414 or Dr. Noel Davis at (949) 261 -5414. Sincerely, CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. ;1 ""Zolro John E Webb Vice President Sales and Marketing 1 `� ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Proposal for On -Call Environmental Services Related to the City of Newport Beach's Local Coastal Program Implementation Prepared for: City of Newport Beach 3300 Newport Blvd Newport Beach, CA 92663 Prepared by. CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. 17671 Cowan Avenue, Suite 100 Irvine, California 92614 (949) 2615414 MAY 2008 This Proposal was prepared by Chambers Group solely for your internal use in evaluating Chambers Group's business qualifications and deciding whether or not to contract with Chambers Group to perform the services described in this proposal. Chambers Group considers the pricing and other business information the property of Chambers Group. This proposal and the information contained herein shall not be used for any purpose other than as specifically stated in this proposal and shall not be disclosed to any other party without Chambers Group's written consent. Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise N ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION SECTION 2.0 - TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE SECTION 1.0 - COVER LETTER .............................................................................. ............................... 1 -1 SECTION 2.0 - TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................... ............................... 2 -1 SECTION 3.0 - COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS ......................................................... ............................... 3 -1 SECTION 4.0 - QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE ........................................... ............................... 4 -1 SECTION 5.0 - STANDARD SERVICES AND WORK PLANS 5 -1 SECTION 6.0 - ADDITIONAL DATA ......................................................................... ............................... 6 -1 SECTION 7.0 - STANDARD FEE SCHEDULE ......................................................... ............................... 7 -1 APPENDIX A- RESUMES ►1 Chambers Group . Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION SECTION 3:0 - COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS ComDanv Profile Chambers Group, Inc. (Chambers Group), a certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise, is pleased to submit our Proposal to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works for the As- Needed Environmental Documentation and Regulatory Permit Consultant Services. Chambers Group, a California corporation, has been providing environmental planning, regulatory permitting, biological resources, cultural resources, and related services for three decades. Chambers Group provides interdisciplinary environmental consulting services to government agencies, private business, and industry. We are headquartered in Irvine, with regional offices in San Diego and Redlands, California and Reno, Nevada. We assist clients to comply with applicable federal, state, and /or local environmental laws, regulations, and /or guidelines. Our professionals have extensive expertise in complying with the CEQA/NEPA, Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act. Chambers Group specializes in providing the following environmental services: Environmental Documentation: Chambers Group's environmental planners have extensive experience providing CEQA/NEPA compliance services. Chambers Group has successfully prepared thousands of environmental and planning reports, documents and studies in compliance with these and other regulations, including EIR/IS /ND /MND and EIS /EA/CATEX/FONSI documents. Regulatory Permitting: Chambers Group prepares and submits permit application packages and all requisite support documentation to acquire applicable regulatory permits (including a USACE Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, CDFG Section 1602 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement, and Regional Water Quality Control Board [RWQCB] Section 401 Water Quality Certification). Chambers Group assists with resource agency coordination to expedite the acquisition of the necessary regulatory permits. Biological Resources: Chambers Group biologists provide presence /absence surveys, evaluation of habitats, wildlife corridor analysis, and analysis of population parameters. Our team members hold specific USFWS & CDFG permits to work with sensitive wildlife species and have worked with species such as the desert tortoise, least Bell's vireo, Santa Ana sucker, southern rubber boa, San Bernardino kangaroo rat, Mojave ground squirrel, coastal California gnatcatcher, southwestern willow flycatcher, fairy shrimp, quino checkerspot butterfly, western burrowing owl, arroyo toad, fairy shrimp and others. We also offer coordination with wildlife agencies and assist in a full range of consultation services under the federal and state endangered species acts. Our staff provides assistance with formal consultations with the USFWS pursuant to Section 7 of the ESA and associated Biological Assessments. We also assist clients in fulfilling the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, NCCP, Clean Water ACT and Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Jurisdictional. Delineations: Chambers Group biologists examine each project site to determine the potential presence or absence of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) jurisdiction pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) jurisdiction pursuant to Section 1602 of the California Fish and Game Code. Chambers Group biologists delineate the limits of USACE and CDFG regulatory jurisdiction and prepare draft and final jurisdictional delineation reports documenting the findings of the delineation survey, as necessary. Mitigation Monitoring and Environmental Training: Chambers Group has provided mitigation monitoring services for over twenty years. These services include mitigation monitoring plans, coordination with agencies to determine specific responsibilities for various program elements, preconstruction surveys for sensitive species, onsite monitoring to assure compliance, and post- Z-16 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 3 -1 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION construction documentation of compliance with the plan. We also review proposed and existing plans to measure their effectiveness against their original intent. Our staff works closely with clients during project construction to assure that mitigation monitoring and permit compliance are conducted efficiently without disrupting construction schedules. We can provide the mitigation- monitoring plan in conjunction with an EIR or as a separate document. Chambers Group works with construction crews to train them on the avoidance of sensitive resources in the project area of impact. Restoration Ecology and Revegetation: Revegetation of graded sites is a difficult and specialized activity that requires a detailed understanding of the ecology of native vegetation and soil organisms. Chambers Group is uniquely qualified in this regard. Our restoration ecology team leader has a broad background in academic research and practical experience. He introduced several innovative restoration techniques in common use today, including land imprinting and mycorrhizal inoculation, which he developed over the past twenty years. The Chambers Group restoration team consequently has full access to these and other complex and powerful methods. Cultural Resources: Chambers Group archaeologists conduct cultural resources studies in accordance with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for archaeological investigation. They have proven experience managing large programs and multiple concurrent task orders in compliance with Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). They perform National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) evaluations, prepare Historic Properties Management Plans, and work with the California State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to determine eligibility of historic buildings. Additionally, Chambers Group paleontologists have extensive experience in providing services involving initial surveys, mitigation plans, surface collection, construction monitoring, fossil salvage, laboratory preparation, cataloguing and transferal, technical reports, and exhibits. Air Quality and Noise: Chambers Group environmental professionals have expertise in complying with environmental regulations such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Clean Air Act (CAA), and recent California state legislation including AB -1493, AB-32, and Executive Order S -3 -05. Air and Noise Quality services include: CEQA -level Air Quality Analysis; Clean Air Act Conformity Analysis; Air Quality Mitigation Programs; General Plan Air Quality Element; Air Toxics Heath Risk Assessments; Air Quality Permitting & Regulatory Support; Environmental Auditing for Air Quality Compliance; Groundborne Vibration Analysis; Airport and Rail Noise Impact Analysis; Noise Impact for Commercial and Industrial Stationary Sources; General Plan Noise Elements CEQA -level Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis; Noise Impact for Commercial and Industrial Stationary SourceAir Dispersion Modeling. In addition to a highly qualified Project Team, Chambers Group has extensive experience in providing on- call services to various State and Federal agencies in southern California. Most importantly, Chambers Group currently has a Master Services Contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LADPW) under which we provide on -call services for various task orders involving CEQA, NEPA, biological and cultural resources services, and regulatory permitting assistance. Chambers Group also has MSA contracts to provide CEQA consultant services to the Los Angeles Unified School District, the San Bernardino City Unified School District, the County of Riverside, as well as an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles and Sacramento Districts. Under this contract, Chambers Group conducted environmental analyses for the Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA) and prepared a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for modifications of the LACDA system including construction of improvements to channels, modifications to dams and their operations, and the associated modification of infrastructure include the raising of bridges. In all of these contracts, we developed the detailed scopes of work, schedules, and cost estimates for each task. The Chambers Project Team has sufficient staff members to provide as- needed environmental documentation and regulatory permit support services for The City of Newport Beach. As Program Manager, Dr. Davis has the authority to assign resources to critical projects to ensure timely completion. Chambers Group is committed to strong project management, quality control, and client satisfaction. Our V Chambers Group . Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 3 -2 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION environmental and planning professionals are thoroughly familiar with the requirements of CEQA and NEPA, as well as regulatory compliance and permitting. Our documents are recognized by agencies as easily readable, technically credible, and legally defensible. . Za- Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 3-3 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION SECTION 4.0 - QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 4.1 PROJECTTEAM Section 4.2 identifies the proposed Program Manager for this contract, and briefly discusses his experience and qualifications. Section 4.3 identifies key staff proposed for this contract and describes their roles and responsibilities. Section 4.4 provides a list of relevant projects showing our team's capabilities in providing environmental documentation and regulatory permit services. Detailed resumes for key bio staff are provided in Appendix A. Chambers Group will be responsible for providing the bulk of the services required in the RFP. 4.2 PROGRAM MANAGER Noel Davis, Ph. D. - Program Manager. The primary point -of- contact for the City of Newport Beach will be Dr. Noel Davis. Dr. Davis has over 30 years experience consulting on coastal issues in southern California. She has expertise in marine biology, seabirds and shorebirds, ocean water quality, and coastal wetlands. She assisted the City of Newport Beach with its update of the biological elements of its Local Coastal Plan. Dr. Davis has over 10 years experience dealing with the California Coastal Commission. She has prepared applications or assisted in the preparation of applications to the Coastal Commission for Coastal Development Permits for a variety of projects including refurbishment of the Coast Guard Station in Newport Harbor, the Newport Back Bay Slope Stabilization Project, maintenance of flood control channel ocean outlets in Orange County, Marina Harbor Apartments and Anchorage apartment and dock renovations, removal of invasive vegetation from San Diego Creek, pipeline maintenance in the Bolsa Chica wetlands, and the San Juan Creek Bike Trail Project. For the last several years she has been assisting the Municipal Water District of Orange County with strategy and technical issues for permitting, including a Coastal Development Permit from the Coastal Commission, related to planning for a desalination facility in Dana Point. Recently, she assisted BreitBurn Management Company with a Coastal Act Violation related to fill in wetlands to repair a pipeline on the Bixby Property in the Los Cerritos wetlands. Dr. Davis is a member of the Los Angeles County Environmental Review Board which determines whether proposed developments in the Santa Monica Mountains are consistent with the policies of the Malibu Local Coastal Plan. 4.3 KEY STAFF Chambers Group, Inc. As previously discussed, the proposed Program Manager for this program and primary point -of- contact for the The City of Newport Beach will be Noel Davis Ph.D. She will be supported by James Smithwick, Ph.D., Director of Environmental Planning and the proposed Deputy Program Manager for this effort, as Deputy Project Manager, who will serve as a secondary point -of- contact with the The City of Newport Beach for daily technical matters, coordinate with technical staff and subcontractors, and review all documentation for accuracy and quality control. Dr. Smithwick has more than 27 years of experience as manager of large, comprehensive programs and in preparing EIRs, EISs, and other CEQA/NEPA documents for a wide range of projects. He is an environmental planner and permitting manager with strong practical knowledge of and in -depth experience in environmental documentation. His background includes environmental program and project management, regulatory compliance, mitigation planning and monitoring, field supervision, technical support, QA/QC, cost containment, safety and health compliance, and training. He conducts environmental baseline surveys, natural resources surveys as well as prepares management plans and mitigation /monitoring plans. He is experienced in regulatory compliance and initiatives such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Native American Graves Protection and Repatriations Act (NAGPRA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA). Dr. Smithwick has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from Louisiana State University. He has been involved with several projects as Project Manager, such as the Sierra Highway Widening project between State Road 14 and SR 138, the Marina Del Rey Low Flow Diversion Project, and the Z3 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 4 -1 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Woodley Avenue Drain Improvement. Other On-Call. Contracts he is currently serving on as Project Manager include those with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Montebello Unified School District, San Bernardino City Unified School District and the County of Riverside Facilities Management Dr. Larry Freeberg as Deputy Project Manager, who will serve as a secondary point -of- contact with the IADPW for daily technical matters, coordinate with technical staff and subcontractors, and review all documentation for accuracy and quality control. Complete details regarding Chambers Group's proposed Staff and Subcontractor Management Plan are provided in Sections 5.2 and 5.3 of this proposal. Robert Verlaan — Environmental Planning Mr. Verlaan is a highly experienced environmental planner. He has successfully prepared or managed the preparation and /or processing of NEPA and CEQA compliance documents for more than 500 projects over the course of his 30 -year career. Varying greatly in type, scale and complexity, these projects include master planned communities, institutional facilities, industrial projects,. infrastructure improvements, hillside residential developments, parks and recreational facilities, national defense - related facilities, energy - related facilities, and educational facilities. Mr. Verlaan's background also includes performing numerous independent third -party peer reviews of environmental compliance documents. prepared by other consultants. He has prepared CEQA compliance documents for more than 40 local jurisdictions and districts within the State of California as well as prepared NEPA compliance documents for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region IX), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. He has an M.S.W in Social Work from San Francisco State University. Andrew Minor- Environmental Planning Mr. Minor's professional experience involves California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) /National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and document preparation as well as Endangered Species Act protocols. He has assisted in the preparation of a variety of environmental documents for government agencies and private clients, including Initial Studies/Negative Declarations (IS /ND), Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) and Environmental Assessments (EA). He has experience with data collection and analysis on the following environmental issues: land use, urban public policy, public services, air quality, recreation, mining, utilities and utility corridors, population and housing, transportation and access, wilderness characteristics, health and safety, geology, wildlife and cumulative impacts analyses. He will be responsible for professionally prepared maps and diagrams appearing throughout the project CEQA document. He has an M.S. in Geographic Information Systems /Science from the University of Redlands. Mr. Minor has worked as a Lead Environmental Planner for the Sierra Highway Widening project. He was also a Staff Environmental Planner on the Marina Del Rey Low Flow Diversion project and the Montebello Unified School District On -Call Services Contract. As a GIS Analyst he worked on the San Gabriel River Biological Surveys and Services project. He is currently the Project Manager for the On -Call Services contract with the San Bernardino City Unified School District. Alissa Cope - Regulatory and Permitting Services Ms. Cope has over 12 years of experience preparing and supervising the preparation of CEQA and NEPA documents and required supporting documentation, and is proficient at synthesizing issues associated with development and sensitive environments into workable solutions for a variety of projects without ignoring environmental concerns or compromising environmental values. She has negotiated and executed regulatory compliance permits. As a Regulatory Specialist, she has a strong working knowledge of federal Clean Water Act Section 404 and 401, Federal Endangered Species Act Section 7, California Fish and Game Section 1600, state Porter - Cologne Act compliance requirements. Her strong negotiating skills result in successful permit processing in a timely and cost - effective manner for projects located within environmentally sensitive areas for both public and privately- funded projects. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from University of California, Riverside. Ms. Cope has worked on several on several projects with the Orange County Integrated Waste Management District for Prima Descheca Landfill in South Orange County. She is currently preparing a combined NEPA/CEQA document in support of 45 miles of fiber optic cable project. Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 4 -2 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Lisa Louie - Regulatory and Permitting Services Ms. Louie has a strong background in environmental management, focusing on marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments. She has prepared. and provided support for environmental documents in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Her experience includes environmental impact statements (EIS), environmental assessments (EA), initial studies (IS), environmental impact reports (EIR), and negative declarations (ND), as well as integrated NEPA/CEQA documents. She is experienced in coordinating with State and Federal resource agencies and has successfully negotiated mitigation and conservation requirements. In addition, Ms. Louie is experienced in the preparation of, and coordination for, permit applications that include Clean Water Act (CWA) 404 (individual and nationwide) permits and 404(b)(1) evaluations for the US Army Corps of Engineers, CWA Section 401 water quality certifications for the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Section 1600 streambed alteration agreement applications for the California Department of Fish and Game, coastal development permits and consistency determinations for the California Coastal Commission, and essential fish habitat, as well as mitigation and monitoring plans, for the National Marine Fisheries Service. Ms. Louie's experience also includes serving as an environmental manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. LADPW experience includes the Sierra Highway Widening project. She has an M.S. in Marine Science from the University of San Diego. Michael Hendrix - Air /Noise Analysis Mr. Hendrix has over 9 years of experience providing services associated with environmental assessments, air quality, and noise analysis. He has supervised and authored multiple air quality and acoustical analysis reports and environmental assessments. He has extensive research analyzing specific technical issues of air quality and acoustics as they relate to Environmental Justice and project compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). His experience also includes public, outreach efforts for both project specific meetings and informing local and state officials on air quality and acoustical issues in general. He has a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of California, Riverside.. Heather Dubois - Air /Noise Analysis Ms. Dubois has 7 years of experience working as an environmental scientisttplanner with local and regional jurisdictions in California, with the last year focused on Air Quality Impact Analysis and the NEPA/CEQA process. She has expertise in preparing Air Quality Impact Analysis in compliance with CEQA regulations. She has a broad background of experience allowing for an understanding of all aspects of the project. She has a great deal of experience in composition of complex planning documents that require a breadth of knowledge of many aspects of the planning disciplines such as Land Use Planning, TransittTransportation Planning, and Environmental Planning. She has a dual B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Clarkson University. She also has an M.B.A. from Clarkson University. Patrick Maxon, RPA - Cultural Resources Mr. Maxon has 14 years of experience in cultural resources management and compliance monitoring involving archaeological, paleontological, prehistoric and historic resources. He has expertise in compliance with the NEPA, CEQA, National Historic Preservation Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriations Act, as well as the Clean Water Act. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist as well as certified by the County of Orange Environmental Management Agency. Mr. Maxon has completed more than 200 cultural resource projects involving research, reconnaissance, testing, data recovery, monitoring, site recording, site protectiontpreservation, mapping, laboratory analysis, and report production. He has managed a number of projects under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, requiring permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act as well as compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. These projects involved agency, client, Native American and subcontractor coordination, development of treatment plans and research designs, site testing, data recovery excavation, site protection, reinterment of human remains, laboratory analysis and report production. He has an M.A. in anthropology from California State University, Fullerton. Jay Sander - Cultural Resources Mr. Sander has 14 years of cultural resources experience in California. His principal focuses are on lithic technology, the strategies of desert - focused hunters and gatherers, and the development of sedentism and social complexity. Mr. Sander has participated in and supervised all aspects of archaeological Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 4 -3 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION fieldwork, including survey, test excavation, data recovery, and construction monitoring, particularly within the deserts of southern California and Arizona. He has surveyed over 60,000 acres and excavated nearly 120 archaeological sites in the Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado Deserts. He has conducted numerous evaluations of archaeological sites and historic architectural resources for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), and the City of Redland's criteria for local listing. Mike McEntee - Biological Resources Mr. McEntee has a comprehensive background in biological resources management and CEQA/NEPA compliance. He has assisted with the implementation of mitigation programs for large -scale projects, performed restoration and exotic species removal as well as mitigation monitoring. He conducts surveys for endangered species following USFWS and CDFG protocols in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. He has conducted nest monitoring for federal- and state- listed species, trapping of brown - headed cowbirds, reconnaissance -level and detailed wildlife surveys, small and large mammal trapping, and investigated environmental impacts to biological resources and habitats. Mr. McEntee has a B.A. in Biology from California State University, Fullerton. Sharman Shaffer - Biological Resources Ms. Shaffer is a Wildlife Biologist knowledgeable in field identification of avian species, larval and adult amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals and fur - bearers. She has conducted reconnaissance -level and detailed wildlife and vegetation surveys, such as focused surveys for the threatened /endangered bird species, the least Bell's vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher and California gnatcatcher and sensitive species such as the burrowing owl and California legless lizard. She follows current survey protocols to perform wildlife inventories and focused field studies. Standardized methodologies including live- trapping for small mammals; track and photo station monitoring for large mammals; point counts, strip transacts, and spot- mapping for birds; and pitfall trapping for reptiles. She frequently conducts consultations with other knowledgeable biologists. She has authored several technical reports, including biological assessments, mitigation plans and technical reports. She has B.S. in Biology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Paul Morrissey - Biological Resources Mr. Morrissey has more than 6 years experience participating in and conducting terrestrial and aquatic/marine studies, with a comprehensive background in both collecting data and performing biological monitoring surveys. He recently prepared a Biological Evaluation for submittal to the USFWS in support of a Section 7 consultation. He has coordinated with state and federal agencies to develop and implement effective mitigation and monitoring plans for listed and sensitive species and to ensure compliance with state and federal laws. He has. worked extensively with protected and sensitive fish species such as the Santa Ana sucker, Santa Ana speckled dace, arroyo chub, and rainbow trout He is experienced in conducting focused surveys for desert tortoise, burrowing owl, small mammals and protected avian species. Mr. Morrissey has a M.S. in Biology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Kris Alberts - Biological Resources Mr. Alberts has 11 years of experience with a comprehensive background in conducting and managing biological surveys. As a senior wildlife biologist, he has conducted surveys for the least Bell's vireo, coastal California gnatcatcher, southwestern willow flycatcher, summer tanager, and arroyo toad. He has conducted nest monitoring for federally- and state- listed species as well as reconnaissance-level and detailed wildlife surveys and bat surveys. His experience also includes small mammal, reptile and brown - headed cowbird trapping. As a botanist, he has worked extensively in many southern California vegetation communities conducting line transact and stacked cube sampling, community mapping, and species identification. He has performed vernal pool, riparian and coastal sage scrub restorations as well as exotic species removal programs. Combining his wildlife skills with his botany skills, he has conducted habitat assessments and focused wildlife surveys throughout Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties. Mr. Alberts has also investigated environmental impacts to existing or potential biological resources by construction activities, noise, and proposed developments. He has assisted with the implementation of mitigation programs for large -scale projects and mitigation compliance throughout southern California. He has authored and assisted with numerous biological documents, IN Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 4-4 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION including reports on long -term federal projects and Biological Assessments for Section 7 consultation with USFWS. As a wildlife biologist, botanist, and group manager for previous federal projects, his responsibilities have included survey coordination, staff supervision, data collection, technical report writing, interacting effectively with resourcelregulatory agency personnel, maintaining client communication, and meeting project deadlines. He has a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Tim Landis - WaterfWater Quality Mr. Landis is a certified professional hydrologist with over 25 years of experience dealing with flooding, storm -water treatment, hydrology, and water quality impact/mitigation and water resource permitting projects. He has experience designing storm - water management plans and Best Management Practices to meet storm- water, NPDES General and Industrial permit requirements. He has a B.A. in Physical Sciences, Physics and Chemistry from the California State University, Chico. He has worked on an On- Call Environmental Planning Services contract with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. Sean Tondre - GIS Mr. Tondre has a background in geography and has served as GIS Analyst on numerous CEQA documents. He has prepared maps for biological and cultural resources surveys to support field crews and provided input to technical reports. He has utilized GIS in environmental modeling. He has a B.S. in Geography from UC Santa Barbara Z7 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 4 -5 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION 4.4 RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Biological Resource Services for Newport Coast Prime Client: City of Newport Beach Public Works Department Chambers Group, Inc., performed a general assessment of eight canyons in the Newport Coast watershed area. The eight canyons within the study area included Buck Gully, Morning Canyon, Pelican Point Creek, Pelican Point Middle Creek, Pelican Point Waterfall Creek, Los Trancos Creek (Crystal Cove Creek), Muddy Creek, and Moro Creek. The assessment provided the City with information on the jurisdiction of state and federal regulatory agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The general assessment involved basic data collection on existing native vegetation communities, presence of exotic plant species, potential restoration areas, potential occurrences of sensitive plant and wildlife species, necessity of focused surveys, and the presence of jurisdictional waters. The field survey was conducted on all eight canyons, up to 18 linear miles. The study area encompassed a 100 -foot corridor, with the centerline being the midline of the drainage. Each canyon was divided into 1/4 -mile segments. Data was recorded on standardized datasheets specific to each 1/4 -mile segment. The datasheet contained fields for recording existing vegetation communities, location of non -native plant species, average width of CDFG and USACE jurisdiction, and potential presence of sensitive species. All plant communities on the project site were mapped on aerial photographs at a scale of 1" to 200'. The presence of exotic vegetation was documented using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices (coordinates taken in UTM). The biologists documented the presence of common and sensitive biological resources. The field survey identified the presence or potential presence of federal- or state - listed or otherwise sensitive plant and wildlife species and sensitive habitats. After completing the field surveys, Chambers Group prepared a technical report of findings that includes the following topics: (a) introduction, (b) description of study area, (c) methods used to conduct the surveys, (d) existing conditions of biological resources on the site, (e) sensitive species and communities discussion, and (f7 bibliography. The report of findings included current photographs and maps documenting current site conditions and sensitive species locations (if observed). The report identified areas subject to USACE and /or CDFG jurisdiction and provided an approximate measurement of such jurisdiction. Lower Newport Bay Harbor Eelgrass Restoration Project Prime Client: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District Chambers Group was responsible for a project to restore eelgrass to several unvegetated sites within Lower Newport Bay Harbor. Eelgrass was collected from eelgrass beds within the harbor and transplanted to unvegetated location. The purpose of the project was to establish small eelgrass beds and determine which unvegetated areas could support eelgrass. Cultural Resources Services for West Bay Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Project Prime Client: County of Orange, Resources & Development Management Department Chambers Group evaluated the mitigation status and potential impacts of proposed site stabilization and restoration measures to control weeds and soiVslope erosion on two archaeological sites within the proposed Upper Newport Bay Regional County Park. The evaluation ensured that the proposed West Bay Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Project was in compliance with the requirements of the. General Development Plan, Environmental Impact Report (EIR), City of Newport Beach Local Coastal Plan, and Coastal Development Permit. The project involved a site visit, agency coordination and literature search, and a letter report. CEQA Documentation for Dover Drive Sidewalk Project Prime Client: City of Newport Beach Sub Client: Van Dell and Associates, Inc Chambers Group prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Dover Sidewalk Project for the City of Newport Beach. Significant environmental concerns included sensitive biological resources and wetlands. Chambers Group also prepared a biological report and jurisdictional delineation for the proposed project. 1 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 4 -6 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Big Canyon Restoration Plan Analysis Prime Client: County of Orange, Resources & Development Management Department The County requested that Chambers Group prepare a report summarizing the habitat value and level of restoration associated with the proposed Big Canyon Habitat Restoration Plan. This scope involved the following tasks: Initial Geographic Information System (GIS) Analysis - This task included initial comparison analysis of CCI mapped vegetation versus proposed habitat restoration. The digital GIS data was incorporated onto a recent aerial photograph. A large -scale map was produced to provide a working baseline for the additional tasks below.. The GIS data was updated accordingly as additional data was attained through the CCI report and field review. CCI Report Review and Field Survey - Chambers Group reviewed the vegetation descriptions as stated in the CCI report. Special focus was made at determining the quality of existing habitat. The quality of existing habitat indicated the value of restoration potential throughout the site. Areas were classified into three main categories of potential restoration: creation, enhancement, and type conversion. The amount existing disturbance (i.e. presence of invasive species) was evaluated to determine the category of appropriate restoration. GIS Data Update and Report of Findings - Following the site visit, the data confirmed in the field was incorporated into GIS. Chambers Group prepared a technical report of findings that included the following topics: (a) introduction, (b) summary of CCI report (c) methods used to perform habitat quality assessment, (d) restoration / mitigation value of habitat in the project area, and (e) references. The report of findings included current photographs and maps documenting current site conditions. CEQA for Mariners Mile Walkway Project Prime Client. City of Newport Beach, Department of Public Works Sub Client: CASH & Associates Preparation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation for the Mariner's Mile Walkway Waterfront Development Project. The project covered the existing dock system and navigation channel between Lido Island and the Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Bay, Newport Beach. The project extended the dock and its pierhead line up to 20 feet farther into the water toward the existing federal navigation channel dredging limit to improve public access and increase navigability to some of the dock areas. Chambers Group worked closely with the engineer (Cash Associates) and the City of Newport Beach in developing the project such that it can move forward. Potentially, controversial, as owners of the building fronting the proposed walkway have mixed feelings for its development. As such, a series of public and private meetings were scheduled to occur prior to completion of a project description. Zq Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 47 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION SECTION 5.0 - STANDARD SERVICES AND WORK PLANS This section of the proposal addresses the Chambers Group Project Team's approach to providing the services. Typical Work Plans are described for all types of CEQA and NEPA documents as well as for regulatory permit services. Environmental Documentation Services. The preparation of CEQA/NEPA environmental documents as necessitated by the specific project scope, master plan, or program; field, literature and electronic database reviews; initial studies; technical studies; documentation; public meetings; and publications. D Regulatory Permit Services. The acquisition of regulatory permits necessitated by specific project scope, master plan or program, permit application, specialized studies, field activities, and regulatory agency hearings. The types of projects that would require CEQA and NEPA documentation or regulatory permit services include: ➢ roads, bridges, and grade separations ➢ flood control channels, storm drains, and pump stations ➢ traffic control systems ➢ dams, groundwater recharge ➢ sewer and water systems ➢ solid waste ➢ aviation ➢ transit ➢ bikeways ➢ multi-use programs ➢ buildings, new and remodel This section of the proposal also includes a staffing and resources management plan for Chambers Group and our subconsultants. This plan identifies the typical tasks that may arise as part of the as- needed services contract Because this is an as- needed services contract and there are no specific projects that require a focused scope of and cost estimate, it is difficult to provide an estimate of the level of effort and the number of hours required to complete the task order. Thus, the descriptions below are merely conceptual and would be open to negotiations. 5.1 TYPICAL WORK PLANS The services that may be required as part of this contract, may vary from a very simple focused CEQA environmental document to a complex, and potentially controversial joint CEQA/NEPA document. Similarly, the regulatory permitting requirements may also vary, depending on the nature and size of the project As a result, developing a typical work plan is difficult. Thus, we are providing a general approach to each of the types of services required in the RFP to give the City of Newport Beach an indication that Chambers Group's Project Team has extensive experience and expertise in providing the services mentioned in the scope of work. As task orders are provided under the as- needed services contract, Chambers Group will work closely with the city's Project Manager to focus the scope of work to achieve the goals of the project. A very detailed scope of work, schedule, and costs would be developed in order to provide the City of Newport Beach with the assurances that they will receive a quality product that can stand up to agency and public scrutiny. 30 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -1 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Chambers Group has provided work plans for each type of CEQA and NEPA document that could be completed in a timely manner. The processes and milestones for each of the CEQA and NEPA documents that could be produced through this contract are presented in the subsections below. Also provided is a typical workplan for Corps Section 404 and state Regional Water Quality Control Board Section 401 permits, California Department of Fish and Game 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreements, and Coastal Development Permits. 5.1.1 CEQA Documents CEQA Categorical Exemption For the purpose of this scope, it is assumed that the city will have made the initial determination that a project is categorically exempt. However, Chambers Group does have experience advising agencies whether a project is categorically exempt. Chambers Group will prepare the supporting statements and required forms for filing of the Categorical Exemption. Chambers Group will: ➢ prepare a brief project description; ➢ provide a brief review of any supporting documentation of the project substantiating exemption; ➢ provide a finding of the project's basis for exemption with a statement of reasons supporting the finding; provide applicable law or state guidelines citations; and ➢ prepare the Notice of Exemption form. CEQA Negative Declaration The scope of work provides our approach to preparation of an IS and ND for a small project. There are instances when an IS and MND can be large and complicated, as in construction improvements to a drainage channel or pipeline construction. Technical studies may be required to support the findings in the IS and to develop mitigation measures. These studies could include biological resources technical reports, archaeological resources technical reports, historic structures evaluations, noise studies, air quality studies, and traffic studies, all of which can be performed with our Project Team. Our approach includes brief reconnaissance -level field studies by an environmental analyst, biologist, and archaeologist to determine if more detailed technical studies are required. We are also assuming that these will be MNDs. Tasks will be accomplished as described below. Task 1 - Prepare Initial Study Task 1.1 - Project Initiation Within 1 week after receiving the notice to proceed, we will be prepared to meet with the City at a Project Initiation /Kick -off Meeting to discuss the project and receive all available project information, technical reports, and other available information. The Project Manager will attend this meeting. The Project Team will review all available project - related data. Our review of existing data will determine whether previous studies conducted in and adjacent to the proposed project area are adequate for incorporation into the IS. Following the review of existing data, gaps in the data and recommendations for correcting the gaps, if warranted, will be discussed with the City. The Project Team will work closely with the City to determine what additional data, if any, must be collected in support of the IS. Task 1.2 - Project Description Chambers Group will develop a comprehensive description for the proposed project that will form the basis for the analysis of the potential impacts on the environment It is important that the project description be as complete and comprehensive as possible at the outset, so that the impact analyses can be prepared with accurate information. We will work closely with the City to develop a detailed project description. The project description will be developed based on the information provided by the City of Newport Beach. The project description will include a detailed narrative and graphical presentation of the 3I Chambers Group . Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -2 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION proposed actions, including components, location and boundaries, regional and vicinity maps, and a statement of the project goals and objectives. Milestone: Submit project description for City review. Task 1.3 - Consult with Responsible Agencies In accordance with CEQA guidelines, Chambers Group will conduct informal telephone consultation with responsible agencies for the Screencheck IS. The objective of this task is to identify agency concerns and to assure that all potential impact issues are addressed in the document. If appropriate, Chambers Group will arrange for an onsite meeting with our technical staff, City of Newport Beach staff, and Agency staff to discuss project issues. Task 1.4 - Prepare the Screencheck Initial Study /Mitigated Negative Declaration For each CEQA environmental checklist discipline item, the existing environmental setting of the project site and surroundings will be characterized from the existing literature base, including previous studies/documents available from published sources and a brief site visit by an environmental analyst, biologist, and archaeologist. Each section will be prepared and focused to serve as the basis for analysis of impacts of the proposed project. Any field studies conducted would be expected to be brief, such as a reconnaissance -level biological and /or cultural evaluation; a brief air /noise analysis. We would assume no detailed studies would be required such as for hydrology, geology, or traffic. An environmental impacts analysis will be prepared for each checklist entry. Based on CEQA or the City's defined significance criteria, we will determine the potential for any adverse or significant adverse impacts and present mitigation measures to reduce any such impacts to a level of below significance. Early in the study, if any significant environmental impacts are identified which cannot be reduced by mitigation to less than significant, Chambers Group will inform the City. Milestone: Submit Screencheck IS to City for review. Task 1.5 - Prepare /Distribute the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration The screencheck review comments will be incorporated into the IS /MND. Chambers Group will prepare and distribute copies of the Draft IS /MND to the City and the State Clearinghouse. Chambers Group will also distribute the document to a mailing list provided by the City. Milestone: IS /MND prepared for public distribution. Task 1.6 - Prepare /Distribute the Notice of Intent to Adopt a (Mitigated) Negative Declaration A Notice of Intent (NOI) to adopt a ND will be prepared for filing with the State Clearinghouse and the County Clerk. Copies of the NOI will also be provided for public distribution and one copy will be provided for publishing in a newspaper of general circulation. The NOI will include: ➢ a brief description of the proposed project and its location; D the starting and ending dates for the review period; ➢ the date, time, and place of any scheduled public meetings or hearings; D the address(es) of locations where copies of the Draft ND and supporting studies are available for review. This location or locations must be readily accessible to the public during normal working hours; ➢ as applicable, information regarding the site's presence on any of the lists in Section 65962.5 of the Government Code (generally hazardous waste facilities and disposal sites) and the information in the Hazardous Waste and Substances Statement required under subsection (f) of that Section; and X/ Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5-3 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION other information specifically required by other statutes or regulations for a particular project or type of project. Task 2 - Public Review The IS /MND will be distributed for a public review period. If requested by the City, Chambers Group would provide support during any public hearings for the document. Task 3 - Prepare Resoonses to Comments and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting�lan Based upon comments received from public review, we are assuming preparation of an addendum document incorporating the comments, and responses to the comments will be prepared. A screencheck of this document will be provided to the City. Upon receipt of review comments, a final document will be prepared. This document, combined with the IS /ND, will be used by the City as the final document in considering approval of the project. Chambers Group will also provide a Draft Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MMRP) at the time of submittal of the screencheck responses to the review comments. The MMRP will be incorporated into the final documentation of the IS /MND. The plan will include all proposed mitigation measures and the following: project time period to which the measure applies, future review or reporting requirements involved, ➢ responsibility for implementation of the mitigation, ➢ requirements for monitoring and reporting frequency, and sanctions for noncompliance. Task 4 - Notice of Determination The Notice of Determination (NOD) is filed following the County Board of Supervisor's decision to carry out or approve the project for which the MND has been prepared. The Lead Agency (the City of Newport Beach) must file the NOD with the County Clerk within 5 working days after the approval of the project. Chambers Group will prepare the NOD and will file the NOD with the County Clerk. Environmental Impact Report Preparing a focused or comprehensive EIR will require completion of several important steps, from study initiation through development of the project description and Draft EIR, to attendance at public hearings and Final EIR preparation. The process for a more complex EIR will be the same as presented below. The differences will be in the likelihood of additional scoping meetings (if the project is deemed to be controversial), complexity of technical issues, number of alternatives assessed, possibly extra internal review cycles, more complexity in responding to public comments for the Final document, a more complex mitigation monitoring plan, and additional public meetings. Task 1 - Conduct Project Startup Task 1.1 - Initial Consultation with LADPW Within 3 working days of receiving notice to proceed, Chambers Group and key technical staff will meet with staff to discuss the proposed project and receive available project information. Project assumptions and alternatives to the project will also be discussed at this time. Task 1.2 - Prepare and Distribute Initial Study /Notice of Preparation Chambers Group will prepare the IS checklist and Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the project. The NOP will contain a description of the project, a map showing the location of the project, and a summary of the 33 Chambers Group . Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5-4 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION probable environmental impacts from the checklist. One copy of the IS /NOP will be provided for The City of Newport Beach review. After review, Chambers Group will print and distribute the revised IS/NOP based upon a City- supplied distribution list. The NOP will be filed with the County Clerk and mailed to the State Clearinghouse, as well as responsible agencies, interested agencies, and parties on the City's mailing list. The NOP will be circulated for a 30 day public review period. The comments that are received on the NOP will be used to further refine the project description, if needed. The comments reviewed will be discussed with the City to determine whether the scope of the EIR should be expanded. The NOP, comments received, and all correspondence will be included in the EIR appendices. Milestone: Distribute Initial Study /Notice of Preparation Task 1.3 - Conduct Scoping Meeting/Public Workshops Chambers Group will arrange, organize and conduct up to scoping meetings or public workshops for the project. We will coordinate with the City to determine the scheduling of the meetings throughout the EIR process. Prior to each meeting a flier will be distributed notifying interested persons of the workshop. The focus of these meetings will be to gather concerns of the property owners /occupants adjacent to the project site, public interest groups and other concerned individuals. Chambers Group can also provide translation services from English to Spanish for written notices and oral presentations, if required. We will prepare a summary description of the results of the meeting for use in subsequent tasks. Task 2 - Prepare Draft EIR Task 2.1 - Prepare Project Description and Alternatives Chambers Group will develop the project description based on the City- supplied information. The project description will include a detailed narrative and graphical presentation of the proposed project, including location and boundaries, regional and vicinity maps, and a statement of the project goals and objectives. A draft of the alternatives descriptions will also be prepared at this time. A draft of the project description and alternatives will be provided for LADPW review. Changes will be incorporated after receipt of LADPW review comments. Milestone: Submit draft project description and alternatives for the City's review Task 2.2 - Conduct Environmental Impact Analysis The document will contain a section for each environmental issue area. Depending on the complexity of the project, an analysis of all environmental disciplines may be warranted. However, some projects may be able to be focused to just a few disciplines based on the preparation of an IS. Discussion of each issue will begin with a description of the environmental setting, followed by identification of criteria used to determine the significance of an impact. Significance will be determined using standard criteria or thresholds established by the City or through CEQA. These criteria will be quantitative wherever possible. Adverse impacts that meet or exceed these criteria will be considered significant. Impacts will be quantified as short- or long -term and characterized as relating to construction or operational project activities. Impact evaluations for each environmental issue area will contain the following elements: (1) a statement identifying the impact and its significance; (2) a discussion of the impact and methodology used to evaluate the proposed project; (3) cumulative impacts evaluation; (4) applicable city policies and requirements; (5) recommended measures to mitigate the impact; and (6) a statement identifying the level of significance after measures are implemented. Each section may contain one or a number of impact statements and analyses set up this way. This methodology allows the reviewer to evaluate the implications of each impact and the effectiveness of mitigation measures, which is determined by measuring the residual impact after implementation against the same criteria used for determining impact significance. When more than one impact is identified, a 311 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise, 5 -5 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION brief summary of all impacts will be presented at the end of each section. Task 2.3 - Assess Cumulative Impacts In concert with City staff, Chambers Group will develop a list of ongoing or future projects in the area within a reasonable radius around the project site to develop the cumulative impact analysis. This cumulative list of projects will be derived either from the General Plan and County /City lists and /or descriptions of current and future projects. The list will include existing, proposed, approved, and reasonably foreseeable projects for the area. The cumulative project baseline will be developed early in the study. Overall cumulative impacts will be identified for the same issue areas covered in the impact analysis for the project. Significance will be determined using the same criteria defined for the project impacts and mitigation measures. The project's contribution to the overall cumulative impact will also be evaluated and discussed. Task 2.4 - Analyze Alternatives We intend to act as an extension of City staff, to consider public input, be a consensus builder to mediate public concerns, and to develop alternative solutions to potential conflicts. Our Project Manager, in concert with the City of Newport Beach staff, will develop a range of reasonable alternatives to be evaluated in the EIR. Input from key technical staff will be provided as required. Alternatives will be assessed for their ability to reduce or eliminate significant impacts of the project, while resolving public, as well as agency concerns. As required by CEQA, the No Project Alternative will also be examined. Task 2.5 - Prepare Other Required Sections In addition to the sections discussed above, we will prepare all other required.CEQA sections, including the ones discussed below: D A table of contents. An executive summary will be provided in the first section of the EIR and will include an introduction, purpose for the project, description of the project, alternatives, areas of controversy, issues to be resolved, and a table of the summary of environmental impacts and mitigation measures. D Impacts of the project found not to be very significant. D Growth- inducing impacts of the project. Any significant irreversible environmental changes that will be involved with continued operation of the project A list of organizations and persons consulted. Task 2.6 - Prepare Draft Mitigation Monitoring Plan Chambers Group will also provide a Draft MMRP at the time of submittal of the screencheck Draft EIR. The plan will include all proposed mitigation measures and the following: ➢ Project time period to which the measure applies, ➢ Future review or reporting requirements involved, ➢ Responsibility for implementation of the mitigation, ➢ Requirements for monitoring and reporting frequency, and ➢ Sanctions for noncompliance. Task 2.7 - Screencheck Draft Environmental Impact Report Review Copies of the Screencheck Draft EIR will be prepared for the City review. Milestone: Submit Screencheck Draft EIR for City review. �r Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5-6 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Task 2.8 - Draft Environmental Impact Report Preparation and Distribution Upon our receipt of City review comments, the Screencheck Draft EIR will be modified and the Draft EIR prepared. The required number of copies of the Draft will be provided to the City, State Clearinghouse, and a City- supplied distribution list. Milestone: Prepare and distribute. Draft Environmental Impact Report for distribution, and agency and public review. Task 2.9 - Prepare /Distribute Notice of Completion /Notice of Availability As soon as the Draft EIR is completed, a Notice of Completion (NOC) must be filed with the State Clearinghouse in a printed hard copy or CD, or by electronic mail transmission. A Notice of Availability (NOA) must be filed with the County Clerk, and must be provided to the public, either in a newspaper of general circulation or through direct mail. We will provide Screencheck NOCs and NOAs to the City for their review and approval. Chambers Group will file the notices and arrange for newspaper publication. Task 2.10 - Public Comment Period The Chambers Group Project Manager and technical experts will be available to support the City staff at public hearings related to the project. Chambers Group can also provide translation services from English to Spanish for written notices and oral presentations, if required. Task 3 - Prepare Final Environmental Impact Report and Certification Documents Task 3.1 - Draft Responses to Comments A response to all written and oral comments received on the Draft EIR will be prepared according to the City's Staff direction. The comments will be responded to as they are received during the 45 -day public review period. Copies of the Screencheck Response to Comments will be submitted to the City for review and comment. Task 3.2 - Final Environmental Impact Report After City review and comment on the Screencheck Response to Comments, the responses will be finalized for inclusion in the Final EIR. Based on comments from the public review and input from the City, some changes to the wording of the Draft EIR may be needed. Any required changes will be handled by including amended text and /or graphics within the Final EIR. Task 3.3 - Notice of Determination The NOD will be prepared in the City's preferred format. Chambers Group will file the NOD with the County Clerk and the State Clearinghouse within 5 working days of the certification of the EIR. 5.1.2 National Environmental Policy Act Documentation NEPA Categorical Exemption There are certain conditions under which NEPA does not apply to an action. These conditions include, but are not limited to, the following: ➢ Statutory Exemptions: Under certain unusual circumstances, Congress expressly exempts federal programs or activities from compliance with NEPA Under these conditions, the lead agency need not comply with NEPA, even if its actions would have a significant effect upon the environment. One 36 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -7 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION example was in the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1991, when Congress exempted certain military bases that were closing from the NEPA process. ➢ Emergencies: When emergency circumstances, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, and other natural or man -made disasters, make it necessary to take an action with significant environmental impacts that would conflict with standard NEPA procedures, the federal agency (e.g., Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]) taking the action would consult with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) about alternative actions. CEQ is authorized to limit such arrangements to actions necessary to control the immediate impacts of the emergency. ➢ Classified Information: There is no national defense exemption .under NEPA However, environmental documents addressing classified proposals may be restricted from public dissemination. The Department of Energy, for example, may conduct actions which contain classed information related to some of their facilities. Any of these, and some additional exempted actions, may involve the County of Orange to some degree, by way of location of the action within the City. Thus, the City may have a role in the NEPA process as a review agency, or as a lead or co -lead agency. As such, the LADPW may be responsible for preparation of some type of record of environmental consideration, documenting the applicability of the NEPA Categorical Exemption. If the City is required to make a determination of NEPA Categorical Exemption, the following tasks would be undertaken. Task 1 - Categorical Exemption Preparation Task 1.1 - Determination of Eligibility Based on meetings with appropriate federal, state, and /or The City of Newport Beach agency personnel, and a review of relevant legislation and literature, a determination would be made if the proposed action is eligible for a Categorical Exemption. Task 1.2 - Preparation of Categorical Exemption Documentation Chambers Group will prepare a record of environmental consideration, in coordination with the City, documenting the applicability of the Categorical Exemption from NEPA compliance. It is anticipated that this document will be provide a brief summary documenting the findings of Task 1.1. Milestone: Present Categorical Exemption Documentation to the City for review. It is assumed, for costing purposes, that one iteration will be prepared. National Environmental Policy Act Categorical Exclusion The CEQ regulations provide for the Categorical Exclusion (40 CFR 1508.4) for a category of proposed actions which a federal agency (such as the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, or FEMA) identifies in its NEPA procedures, that do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment, and are, therefore, excluded from preparation of an EA or EIS. Task 1 - Categorical Exclusion Preparation Task 1.1 - Determination of Eligibility The following criteria will be applied to determine those categories of actions that normally would not require either an EA or an EIS: ➢ minimal or no effect on environmental quality, ➢ no significant change to existing environmental conditions, and 31 Chambers Group . Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -8 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ➢ no significant cumulative environmental impact. A Categorical Exclusion would be determined by review of existing project data, conditions, available documentation, and consultation and meetings with the City and other appropriate agencies or entities. Task 1.2 - Preparation of Categorical Exclusion Documentation Chambers Group will prepare a record of environmental consideration, in coordination with the City, documenting the applicability of the Categorical Exclusion from NEPA compliance. It is anticipated that this document will be provide a brief summary documenting the findings of Task 1.1. For certain projects where construction impacts may be the only issue, mitigation measures would be prepared as a condition of the Categorical Exclusion. Milestone: Present Categorical Exclusion Documentation to the City for review. It is assumed, for costing purposes, that one iteration will be prepared. Environmental AssessmenNFinding of No Significant Impact An EA is to be a concise public document that focuses on those environmental areas where potential adverse impacts are anticipated. It will provide sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether or not an EIR is required. The EA would be limited to an analysis of potential significant environmental issues identified through a scoping process with the public and review agencies. The EA will include brief descriptions of ➢ the need for the proposed project, ➢ alternatives to the proposed project, ➢ the environmental impacts of the proposed project and its alternatives, and ➢ a listing of agencies and persons consulted. This scope of work provides our approach to preparation of an EA/Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). Tasks will be accomplished as described below. Task 1 - EA Preparation Task 1.1 - Project Initiation Chambers Group will review project information provided by the City and will meet with the City, and, if appropriate, the federal agency, to clarify issues that need to be addressed. Alternatives will also be discussed at this meeting. This will include those alternatives known to have been eliminated as infeasible, and those considered to be feasible for discussion in the document. In addition, in order to determine which aspects of the proposed action have potential for social, economic, or environmental impact, federal regulations call for the consultation with interested agencies and others (e.g., the public) at the earliest possible time for input into the scope of the project. Therefore, early in the process, a Scoping Meeting(s) would be held to solicit input on those areas of concern for study in the EA. The project study area will be delineated, in consultation with the City. For the following sub - tasks, it is assumed that the City will be the Lead Agency. Task 1.2 - Scoping Meeting(s) Scoping Meeting(s) and /or consultations will be held with the City and other agencies deemed appropriate to determine the environmental areas to be evaluated, and the methodological approaches to be used. If warranted, a Public Scoping Meeting could be held, to present the proposed project to the public and provide them with an opportunity to relay their concerns and suggestions for the.environmental studies. A record of these meetings and consultations will be kept and included in the EA document. Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -9 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Milestone: Submit list of anticipated environmental disciplines to be analyzed in the EA document for the City of Newport Beach review and approval. Task 1.3 - Project Description and Alternatives Development Chambers Group will prepare the project description based on the information supplied to the City and /or the federal agency. Chambers Group will also prepare the description of the alternatives to the project, including the No Action alternative. Milestone: Submit project description and alternatives to the City for review. Task 1.4 - Prepare the Screencheck Draft Environmental Assessment For each environmental discipline to be analyzed, the existing environmental setting of the project site and surroundings will be characterized from the existing literature base, including previous studies /documents available from published sources and a brief site visit by an environmental analyst, biologist, and archaeologist. The reconnaissance -level visit will determine if more detailed technical studies are required to characterize impacts and /or develop mitigation measures. An environmental impact analysis will be prepared for each appropriate environmental discipline where the potential for impact exists. The level of detail will be dependent on the particular issue of the proposed action. For the purposes of this cost estimate, it is assumed that the EA environmental issues discussions will be brief, focused discussions. Based on defined significance criteria, we will determine the potential for any adverse or significant adverse impacts and present mitigation measures to reduce any such impacts to a level of below significant. Early in the study, if any significant environmental impacts are identified which cannot be reduced by mitigation to less than significant, Chambers Group will inform the City. Under such circumstances, NEPA would require the preparation of an EIS. Milestone: Chambers Group will prepare the Draft FONSI for submittal to the Lead Agency for review. Chambers Group will also submit one copy of Screencheck Draft EA to the City for review and comment. Task 1.5 - Prepare the Draft Environmental Assessment The screencheck review comments will be incorporated into the EA. Chambers Group submit copies of the public Draft EA to the City, federal agency, and a mailing list supplied by the City. Task 2 - Public Review Chambers Group will prepare the NEPA NOA and will circulate it to a mailing list provided by the City and /or the Federal agency. The EA need not be circulated for comment, but must be made available for public inspection. If a public hearing is determined to be warranted, the Chambers Group Project Manager and technical experts would provide support. Task 3 - Prepare Final EA The Draft EA will be revised to incorporate comments received. Responses to these comments will be developed in coordination with the City and incorporated into the document If a Public Hearing is held, the transcript of the Public Hearing would be included as well. In no significant, unmitigable impacts have been identified, the document will include a recommendation for a FONSI. A preliminary Final EA will be submitted to the City for review and approval. Upon approval by the City, Chambers Group will distribute copies of the Final EA to the City, federal agency, and a mailing list provided by the City and /or federal agency. Milestone: Submit Final Environmental Assessment orol v1 Chambers Group • Cerlfiied Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5-10 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Environmental Impact Statement Preparing a focused or comprehensive EIS will require completion of several important steps, from study initiation through development of the project description and Draft EIS to attendance at public hearings and Final EIS preparation. The process for a more complex EIS will be the same as presented below. The differences will be in the likelihood of additional scoping meetings (if the project is deemed to be controversial), complexity of technical issues, number of alternatives assessed, possibly extra internal review cycles, more complexity in responding to public comments for the final document, a more complex mitigation monitoring plan, and additional public meetings. Task 1 - Conduct Project Startup Task 1.1 - Initial Consultation with Department/National Environmental Policy Act Lead Agency Within 1 week of receiving notice to proceed, Chambers Group and key technical staff will meet with LADPW staff and federal agency (as applicable) to discuss the proposed action and receive available project information. Project assumptions and alternatives to the project will also be discussed at this time. Task 1.2 - Prepare Notice of Intent Chambers Group will prepare the NOI for publication in the Federal Register for the project. The NOI will contain a brief description of the project, and a summary of the probable environmental impacts, and opportunity for public involvement. The comments received on the NOI will be used to further refine those impact areas that will be analyzed in the EIS, if needed. The comments reviewed will be discussed with the LADPW to determine whether the scope of the EIS should be expanded. The NOI, comments received, and all correspondence will be included in the EIS appendices. Task 1.3 - Conduct Scoping Meeting /Public Workshops Chambers Group will arrange, organize, and conduct scoping meetings or public workshops for the project. We will coordinate with the LADPW to determine the number and scheduling of these meetings throughout the EIS process. Prior to each meeting, a flier will be distributed notifying interested persons of the workshop. The focus of these meetings will be to gather concerns of the property owners /occupants adjacent to the project site, public interest groups and other concerned individuals. Chambers Group can also provide translation services from English to Spanish for written notices and oral presentations, if required. We will prepare a summary description of the results of the meeting for use in subsequent tasks. Task 2 - Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement Task 2.1 - Prepare Project Description, Purpose and Need, and Alternatives Chambers Group will develop the project description, purpose and need, and alternatives based on the Applicant- supplied information and additional information provided by the LADPW /NEPA Lead Agency. The project description will include a detailed narrative and graphical presentation of the proposed project, including location and boundaries, regional and vicinity maps, and a statement of the project goals and objectives. Milestone:. Submit project description, purpose and need, and altematives to the LADPW. Task 2.2 - Conduct Environmental Consequences Analysis Chambers Group will validate applicant - supplied information, as a means of reducing the level of reanalysis and cost associated with the Screencheck Draft EIS. The document will contain a section for each environmental issue area. Discussion of each issue will begin with a description of the affected environment, followed by identification of criteria used to determine the significance of an impact. Significance criteria will be quantitative wherever possible. Adverse impacts that meet or exceed these criteria will be considered significant. Impacts will be quantified as short- or long -term and characterized Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -11 14D ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION as relating to construction or operational project activities. Impact evaluations for each environmental issue area will contain the following elements: (1) a statement identifying the impact and its significance; (2) a discussion of the impact and methodology used to evaluate the proposed action; (3) cumulative impacts evaluation; (4) applicable policies and requirements; (5) recommended measures to mitigate the impact; and (6) a statement identifying the level of significance after measures are implemented. The analyses will address direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts relevant to the proposed action. Each section may contain one or a number of impact statements and analyses set up this way. This methodology allows the reviewer to evaluate the implications of each impact and the effectiveness of mitigation measures, which is determined by measuring the residual impact after implementation against the same criteria used for determining impact significance. When more than one impact is identified, a brief summary of all impacts will be presented at the end of each section. Task 2.3 - Analyze Alternatives We intend to act as an extension of the City's staff: to consider public input, be a consensus builder to mediate public concerns, and to develop alternative solutions to potential conflicts. Our Project Manager, in concert with the City staff, will develop a range of reasonable alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS. Input from key technical staff will be provided as required. Alternatives will be assessed for their ability to reduce or eliminate significant impacts of the project, while resolving public, as well as agency concerns. The alternatives for a community -level EIS are assumed to include two alternatives and the No Action alternative. Task 2.4 - Prepare Other Required Sections In addition to the sections discussed above, we will prepare all other required NEPA sections, including the ones discussed below. ➢ A summary will be provided in the front of the EIS that will include an introduction, purpose for the project, description of the project, alternatives, areas of controversy, issues to be resolved, and a table of the summary of environmental impacts and mitigation measures; D Listing and brief discussion of required federal permits; D List of preparers; ➢ List of agencies and organizations on the distribution list; ➢ A list of organizations and persons consulted; and Index. Task 2.6 - Submit Screencheck Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Review Copies of the Screencheck EIS will be prepared for the City /Lead NEPA Agency review. Milestone: Submit Screencheck Draft Environmental Impact Statement Task 2.7 - Prepare Draft EIS Upon our receipt of the City's review comments, the Screencheck EIS will be modified and the Draft EIS prepared. It is assumed that one revision of the Draft EIS will be prepared in response to the City review comments. The required number of copies of the Draft will be provided to the City. Chambers Group will prepare the Draft EIS for distribution based on the City- supplied distribution list. Preparation of public circulation noticing will also be provided. Milestone: Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement for distribution 41 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -12 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Task 2.8 - Public Hearings Chambers Group's Project Manager and key technical personnel will attend public hearings on the EIS, and will provide coordination of these meetings including noticing as required. Chambers Group can also provide translation services from English to Spanish for written notices and oral presentations, if required. Task 3 - Preparation of Final EIS and Record of Decision Upon receipt of comments during the 45 -day public review period, Chambers Group will prepare the Final EIS. The Final EIS will be a rewrite of the Draft EIS incorporating comments, responses, and changes. Copies of the Screencheck Final EIS will be provided for the City and federal agency review. After review by the City and federal agency, the required number of copies will be submitted to the City, federal agency, and a distribution list provided by the City and /or federal agency. We will also prepare a Draft of the Record of Decision for the federal agency. Milestone: Prepare Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision 5.1.3 Reaulatory Permit Services Field Survey This task includes the delineation and mapping of all USACE (including wetlands) and CDFG (including riparian vegetation) jurisdiction at a project site. Prior to visiting the site, Chambers Group permitting specialists and biologists will review existing maps and documents related to the physical characteristics of the site. These information sources may include the USGS 7.5- minute topographic quadrangle of the site and the more detailed site - specific topographic map of the site. The purpose of the field surveys will be to identify and delineate areas of the project site that fall under the regulatory jurisdiction of the USACE pursuant to Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act and the jurisdiction of CDFG pursuant to Section 1600 et seq . of the California Fish and Game Code. Chambers Group will also determine if the project is in the coastal zone and would, therefore, require a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission (CCC). To determine jurisdictional areas, the permitting specialist/biologist will investigate criteria specified by the USACE. Wetlands boundaries (if present) will be determined using the current accepted methodology prescribed in the USACE's 1987 Wetlands Delineation Manual. This methodology requires positive evidence of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetlands hydrology for a determination that an area is a wetland. If potential wetlands are identified, data plots will be established to determine the wetlands /uplands boundaries. For a data plot to be considered within a wetland, hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetlands hydrology must be present at that location. A plot is determined to have positive evidence of hydrophytic vegetation if 50 percent or more of the plant species have an indicator status that is likely to occur in wetlands. Indicator status is determined by consulting the National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands. At each plot that meets the criterion for hydrophytic vegetation, a soil pit will be dug to look for evidence of hydrology (free water in the pit or saturated soils) and determine whether the soil is hydric. Hydric soils are generally determined by soil color. Waters of the United States that are not wetlands will be determined by the presence of ordinary high water marks defining the lateral limits of the drainages. All wetlands and other jurisdictional waters will be mapped on a topographic map. Jurisdictional Delineation Report Following the completion of the field survey, Chambers Group will deliver a report summarizing the results of the survey. The report will describe the biological.and hydrologic features of the site and will include a map(s) and text describing the limits of jurisdiction pursuant to USACE, CDFG and CCC regulations. #-Il Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise - 5 -13 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Section 404, Section 401, 1600, and Coastal Development Permit Applications Preparation of USACE 401 Permit Application The amount of work associated with preparing the notification to the USACE pursuant to Section. 404 depends on the magnitude of project impacts on jurisdictional waters and other resources. This determines if the project requires an individual permit or could fall under a nationwide permit. Chambers Group will schedule one meeting with the USACE at the project site, if necessary, to facilitate the USACE's review of the project and completion of the permit. Preparation of CDFG 1600 Permit Application Chambers Group will prepare and submit a notification to CDFG for a 1600 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement. Chambers Group will schedule one meeting with CDFG at the project site, if necessary, to facilitate CDFG's review of the project and completion of the Agreement. Preparation of Written Notification for Water Qualitv (401) Certification A water quality certification or waiver of certification is required from the Regional Water Quality Control Board ( RWQCB) for any activity that requires a federal license or permit (such as a Section 404 permit) and may result in a discharge to jurisdictional waters. Chambers Group will prepare and submit the necessary documentation to the RWQCB for its review of the project pursuant to water quality certification or waiver. Chambers Group will schedule one meeting with the RWQCB at the project site, if necessary, to facilitate the RWQCB's review of the project and completion of the water quality certification, or waiver of certification. Prepara ion of Coastal Development Permit Application Any public agency or person proposing development within the coastal zone must obtain a Coastal Development Permit. In general, the coastal zone extends from the State's 3 -mile seaward limit to an average of approximately 1,000 yards inland from the mean high tide of the ocean. The CCC, made up from representatives of various coastal areas and state agencies, reviews the coastal development permits for conformity with the coastal policies of the California Coastal Act. The CCC has 30 days to review the application and determine that it is complete. If complete, the Executive Director considers it formally filed and begins the review. PermitApolication Processing_ Chambers Group will coordinate with USACE, CDFG, RWQCB, and CCC on an on -call basis throughout their review of the 404, 401, 1600 and Coastal Development Permit applications to ensure that any potential problems are made known to the County. and resolved at the earliest possible opportunity. Chambers Group staff members are available to attend regulatory agency hearings on behalf of or with County staff. If the regulatory permits are being prepared in concurrence with a CEQA or NEPA document, they will be submitted to the agencies at the time of the Draft circulation to ensure that the permits are processed in a timely manner along with the rest of the project. This also ensures that the agencies are involved in the preparation of the environmental document and mitigation development, if necessary. 5.2 STAFFING AND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT This section of the proposal discusses the staffing for the project and the management of the various subcontractors. We have identified tasks, level of effort, and number of hours required for the services of a typical work plan. y1 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -14 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION 5.2.1 Chambers Group's Prolect Management Philosophy Our project management and project tracking program serves to facilitate efficient and accurate project controls. This program has been very effective, particularly for large, controversial projects. Preparation for and undertaking environmental services for the City of Newport Beach requires timely response and product quality. The purpose of any project management approach (PMA) and Quality Control (QC) system is to ensure the client gets the quality of product they are expecting within the cost and schedule agreed upon. A successful PMA must, by definition, include a strong QC system to ensure the technical competence of the product; a system to proactively monitor cost and schedule on a weekly basis; an information dissemination system able to provide project- related information to both the in -house staff and the consultants in a timely and complete manner; project and task managers who are familiar with using the systems; manuals that are published and available to all staff for day -to -day use; and the project and task managers must be trained in the use of the systems. Chambers Group's PMA meets all of those criteria to manage complex, controversial projects. Chambers Group has used this approach to successfully manage multiple, concurrent contracts. The Program Manager has full authority to commit the necessary resources to meet project objectives. The primary function of the Program Manager is to ensure that the City's technical, financial, and scheduling requirements are fulled. The Program Manager will: commit all Chambers Group Project Team resources necessary to complete the project on schedule; serve as the direct liaison among the Project Team, Chambers Group corporate management, and the City; ➢ provide direcfion to the Project Managers, discipline managers, technical staff, cost analysts, and support personnel; ➢ identify problems, formulate solutions, and communicate them to the project team; ➢ establish documentation procedures that are consistent with client and regulatory requirements; and ➢ monitor activities implemented to meet schedule and budget requirements. Every project begins with the assignment of a Project Manager to manage the Task Order. The role of the manager is to be the key point of contact between the project team and the client; direct and monitor the overall technical progress of the study; be responsible for costs, schedules and deliverables; and serve as spokesperson at public meetings and hearings. The manager is responsible for the overall quality of the document in terms of technical presentation, defensibility, and readability. Chambers Group has designated Project Managers with experience in coordinating small as well as large individual projects. The designated Project Manager has the responsibility to select key personnel to reflect the technical disciplines depicted in the scope of work creating a project team to accomplish the delivery order. As necessary, a manager or key technical specialist may be temporarily relocated to work from another project team office in order to provide the best overall benefit to the client. At Chambers Group, managers have some of the best management tools in the industry. These tools include guidance manuals, automated cost control, and internal communications systems. Chambers Group's managers, and production and editorial support staff, conduct continuous QC monitoring of the project. Our QC manual spells out exactly what procedures need to be followed in order to provide the client with the quality of document they anticipate. Through years of conducting major environmental studies, we have developed a strong management system that provides control of various elements of technical research and document preparation. Our system is based on a proactive project management approach. Our project management policies and procedures involve much more than the use of software for tracking costs and schedules. We are committed to project management as the primary driving force within our corporate culture. Successful project execution requires strong management, careful planning, effective cost and schedule control, yy Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -15 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION inter- company communications, and continuous communication with the client. To enforce these requirements, the importance of effective project management is emphasized as a way of business life. 5.2.2 Communication with the City of Newport Beach and Local. State, and Federal Agencies Communication with the City will be established through the Project Manager. Technical Managers also maintain ongoing communication with clients. Unlike many other firms, who tend to call clients only when problems arise or invoices have been mailed, the Chambers Group Project Manager is encouraged to call their clients regularly, usually on a weekly basis. These calls ensure that our clients receive thorough, detailed information about project activities, and they also give our clients frequent opportunities to ask questions about project issues. In addition, the Program Manager will maintain independent communication with the City's Project Manager. This is to ensure that there are no problems that are going unresolved. The Project. Manager will report his /her findings to the Chambers Group director of planning. Working with the Technical Manager, the Project Manager will take any corrective actions necessary to ensure a quality project is delivered on time and in budget Conducting environmental analyses and documentation for complex and sensitive projects is our specialty, and we are highly accomplished in the area of multi- agency coordination, processing, and regulatory compliance. Our staff has an on -going relationship with many state and local agencies, and our 30 -year presence in California has given us unique expertise in understanding evolving environmental legislation and meeting the stringent requirements of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. The Project Manager would coordinate or support the City for all consultation with federal, state, and local agencies for a proposed project The Project Manager is supported by the Chambers Group Technical Managers. 5.2.3 Project Task and Cost Tracking for Efficiency A fully - integrated PC -based business management/accounting software (Deltek FMS — Financial Management System) is used to track project costs. The Federal General Services Administration approved the use of the system under their Federal contracts. All raw costs are loaded into the computer daily (staff hours on a weekly basis) to give the Project Manager access to up -to -date data when producing their management reports. Costs and/or staff hours can be compared to budgeted costs /hours on a project, task, or activity basis. The percent of project cost expended can easily be compared to the manager's estimate of percent of project completion. Any variance of project/task cost versus budgeted cost is flagged. Work -in- process figures (costs incurred since last billing) are readily available so that the Project Manager can identify possible cost overruns before they occur and take appropriate action. 5.2.4 Resources Schedulinq and Budgeting In addition, Chambers Group has a fully integrated Resources Scheduling and Budgeting module for advanced resource management This allows projects to be prioritized, ensuring that resource allocation always reflects our overall business objectives. For maximum efficiency, resource managers can create and share resource breakdown structures across the enterprise. This benefits the project management process with the following: Multi - proiect analysis. Cross project reporting for optimization of resources across the enterprise. The relative priority of projects can be adjusted to ensure that the most important projects have access to resources first Shared Resource Pools. Planners have full visibility when scheduling resources so that project, deliverables are not delayed, affecting schedule and cost. Reserved Resources. Key project resources can be targeted for specific activities so they are not delayed, running up costs. 4 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5-16 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Shared Ancillary Data. Calendars, Resource Budgeting Schedules, and Work Breakdown Schedules can be developed at the project level then made available in corporate -wide reporting libraries, which assures plan, cost, and reporting consistency across the enterprise. 5.2.5 Environmental Studio.NET Resource Database Chambers Group uses EnvironmentalStudio. NET as a resource database for our multidisciplinary environmental services projects. We believe that this program can be easily applied to projects to expedite the review and project coordination process. CEQAINEPA Studio.NET combines four of EnvironmentalStudio.NET's programs into a powerful suite of services for environmental document management. The suite of services is: Studio Central, Response Studio, Mitigation Studio, and Public Release Studio. Studio Central.NET. This is the `hub" of Environmental Studio.NET. Studio Central is used to view and manage all of the program /project information across all topical studios Response Studio. Preparation of responses to comments on an environmental document takes time and resources in an era of tight budgets and encroaching deadlines. Mitigation Studio. Mitigation Studio moves mitigation monitoring from the printed page of an environmental document to management and implementation of the monitoring program. Public Release Studio. These applications allow the consultant or the lead agency to quickly and easily publish and distribute project information to the web for public release. 5.2.6 Qualltv Assurance/Quallty Con This section outlines the Environmental Planning Department's Quality Assurance /Quality Control (QA/QC) program. The completed QA/QC program is described in Chamber Group document entitled Environmental Planning Department QA/QC Process, Revision 2, (September 2007). Topics discussed here are expected results, program focus, the QA/QC process for documents and field activities, and roles of participants. A project may go through the QA/QC process several times depending upon the number of activities and deliverables related to the project. Quality Control /Quality Assurance is an essential element to the success of all projects. All project deliverables and field activities require QA/QC. Document or activity quality is defined as what the client expects given current professional standards. No surprises to the client. The contract and scope of work (SOW) should clearly define these standards of quality to include exclusions and exceptions. Roles of Participants The project manager and project team are responsible for meeting the client's project quality expectations. Roles are defined by the contract, the SOW and the Planning Department's QA/QC Program. The project manager may appoint project team members to quality check aspects of project deliverables or activities. A senior level reviewer (SLR) serves to confirm project quality; however, appointment of an SLR to quality check an aspect of a project does not diminish the project manager's ultimate responsibility for QA/QC. QA/QC always remains a PM and team responsibility. Qualitv Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Process Two procedures are outlined; one for documents (Figure 5.2 -2), the other for activities. Quality Assurance and Quality Control are defined. 1% Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -17 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Quality Assurance (QA) is the procedure that establishes the procedural guidelines and reports the quality control processes. Quality assurance is the paper trail describing the QC work completed, identifying the responsible parties, documenting project opportunities, concerns or issues, and reporting the corrective actions taken to rectify any challenges. Project QA include: ➢ Identifying what a "successful" project should look like. ➢ Articulating project goals ( "the mission ") which are understandable and acceptable to all involved parties. ➢ Clearly defining the roles, responsibilities, and authorities for project participants. ➢ Fostering open lines of meaningful communication. ➢ Identifying resource needs to guarantee access to the right people and technologies for the job. ➢ Developing consensus on what strategies to use to reach project goals. ➢ Ensuring there will be clear evidence and proper documentation that project goals were actually achieved at the end of the project. Project QA is focused on those deliverables and activities that integrate the efforts of regulators (both technical staff and management), responsible parties (both technical staff and management), and other stakeholders to ensure a cost - effective, successful project — the Chambers Group goal. Document Procedure. The project manager or the project manager's representative initiates the QC procedures by completing the QA document recording form. This form is used to document and track the QC process. For the form to be valid, all sections must be completed. The SLR checks off all project documents received and answers the asked questions. Recommended corrective actions are documented, and the form is returned to the project manager for corrective actions or explanations as to why actions were not taken. After actions are taken (or not taken), the project manager resubmits the deliverable to the SLR for review. Both the SLR and the project manager are required to sign and date the form. Activity Procedure. The project manager or the project manager's representative initiates the QA procedures by completing the QA activity recording form. This form is used to document and track the QC process. For the form to be valid, all sections must be completed. The SLR checks off all project documents received and answers the asked questions. Recommended corrective actions are documented, and the form . is returned to the project manager for corrective actions or explanations as to why actions were not taken. After actions are taken (or not taken), the project manager resubmits the document to the SLR for review. Both the SLR and the project manager are required to sign and date the form. The departmental director or a qualified person appointed by the departmental manager may fill the SLR role. The SLR must have experience with similar projects and the SOW, understand contracts, and be current with the most recent professional standards for the type of work being preformed. Quality Control (QC) is the process of project review that evaluates project activities and project deliverables to client's expectations based on the contract, SOW, and current professional standards. Technically QA is QC: Quality control is the process of inspecting the product. Document Procedure. The project manager or the project manager's representative delivers a copy of the draft document, the contract and the SOW to the SLR. The SLR compares the document to the contract requirements, the SOW requirements, and current professional standards. The client may provide a style guide to be followed. The PM and SLR should also consult the Chambers Group manual "Instructions and Samples for Word Processing — Project Reports, Proposals, Letters" (2007). Figure 5 -2 illustrates the QA/QC process. y7 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5-18 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION If the document does not meet contract, SOW or professional standards, the SLR reports necessary actions to correct the document, and returns the document to the program manager who takes the required actions to rectify errors. (Technical editing may occur before the document is given to the SLR.) The SLR ensures corrective actions have been taken. After completing the QC process, the document is prepared for delivery to the client. The project manager or the project manager's representative is responsible for all the quality of all final deliverables. Activity Procedure. The project manager or the project manager's representative delivers a description of the activity to be evaluated, the contract and the SOW to the SLR. The SLR observes the activity to contract requirements, SOW requirements, and current professional standards. The client may provide specific activity requirements in the contract. If the activity does not meet contract, SOW, or professional standards, the SLR reports necessary actions to correct the activity, and the program manager takes the necessary actions to rectify errors. The SLR may return to observe the activity to ensure corrective actions have been taken. 5.2.7 Level of Effort Estimate for Protect Tasks Technical studies for individual projects will vary in scope and level of effort based on the project type, location, density, intensity, and other factors. The information gathered, analyzed, and presented in a report format suitable for incorporation into a CEQA and /or NEPA compliance document will depend on variables not known at this time. It is anticipated that Chambers Group would evaluate the project complexity and the amount of existing data available for each task order received under this on-call contract. We would then provide a customized scope of work and cost estimate for that particular project. The range of time estimates provided below reflect our experience in the preparation of compliance documents for "Basic" and "Complex" projects. Generally, simple, desktop analyses for small, uncomplicated projects can be completed for about the level of effort noted in the "Basic" column. Our general time estimates for large, complex projects involving field surveys, modeling, and significant coordination and consultation are noted in the "Complex" column. For cost purposes a "Basic" environmental document or permit process is generally more routine in nature and involves use of existing, readily available data. Field checks, modeling, testing, and other data gathering methods are not performed. A "Complex" environmental document or permit process generally requires survey research, fieldwork, and more complex problem - solving, consultation, and coordination as part of the analysis and mitigation development. The hourly estimates do not include special technical studies, such as traffic impact studies, geotechnical studies, etc., that may be required to complete the environmental documentation. NEPA encourages cooperation with state agencies that have environmental documentation requirements. Additionally, under CEQA regulations concerning projects that are also subject to NEPA (Title 14, Article 14, Section 1522), the state and local agencies should cooperate with federal agencies to the fullest extent possible to reduce duplication between CEQA and NEPA. Such cooperation should, to the fullest extent possible, include: ➢ joint planning processes, ➢ joint environmental research and studies, ➢ joint public hearings, and ➢ joint environmental documents. We would recommend that for projects subject to both NEPA and CEQA, one joint document be prepared,. to comply with both NEPA and CEO& particularly when the County is the Lead Agency. The implication of NUM i Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -19 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION this effort would be that the EA document would contain the IS and incorporate the content of a MND. In terms of schedule and cost- effectiveness, a joint document would be a more economical approach. Chambers Group would work closely with the County to prepare a format that would satisfy both NEPA and CEQA requirements. The cost and level of effort would be greater than each individual document, but certainly less than the cost of the two separate documents combined. N9 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -20 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION .SECTION 6.0 - ADDITIONAL DATA This section contains additional data that Chambers Group would like to submit to show the exceptional qualifications of Chambers Group's Project Team. This includes client references, client testaments, and commendations and awards that we have received from previous clients. CLIENT REFERENCES County of Riverside Department of Facilities Management Claudia Steiding, Senior Environmental Planner 3133 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507 (951)'955 -8174 Chambers provides CEQA services to the County under this On -Call Agreement. Chambers is currently preparing environmental documentation for a County Fleet Services facility in the City of Blythe. San Bernardino Regional Parks Department Jim Canaday, Park Planner fl 777 E Rialto Ave San Bernardino, CA 92415 (909) 383 -3202 Chambers Group performed biological sensitive plant and small mammal (kangaroo rat) surveys; jurisdictional delineations; prepared a Section 1602 agreement, and Section 404/401 agency permits; cultural resources and historic properties reports for the County, and CEQA documentation for the Santa Ana River Trail. ESRI David Atchley 380 New York Street Redlands, CA 92373 (909) 793 -2853 Chambers Group prepared a CEQA Initial Study /Mitigated Negative Declaration for the construction of a reinforced concrete box (RCB) in the Mission Stormwater Channel associated with the ESRI Parking Lot Expansion Project for an 81,000 square -foot expansion. The San Bernardino County Flood Control District was the CEQA lead agency. The project involved converting approximately 1,300 linear feet of the stormwater channel into a RCB and expanding the parking lot with approximately 233 parking spaces. Chambers Group also conducted a formal jurisdictional delineation of Waters of the U.S. and Waters of the State The delineation was required by the San Bernardino County Flood Control District to obtain a Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 Permit from the USACE, a CWA Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), and a Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement (SAA) from the CDFG. Orange County Great Park Corporation Glen Worthington, Manager of Planning and Environmental Services 7000 Trabuco Road, Bldg 873 Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 724 -7406 Chambers Group has provided project management services and prepared the Orange County Great Park FEIR Addendum, and compared the Preliminary OCGP Master Plan for conformance with the FEIR. Prepared Addendum Section 2.0, Project Description, to include Location, Characteristics, Components and Discretionary Approvals. The Project Description included references to key elements of the Preliminary OCGP Master Plan. Identify impacts and mitigation measures associated with implementation Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -21 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION of the OCGP Master Plan requiring assessment in the up- coming Addendum. This effort included an evaluation of the Master Plan conformance with the Threshold of Significance Criteria in the FEIR. For those resource areas that had impacts that differed from those addressed in the FEIR, Chambers Group proposed to prepare a preliminary analysis of the Master Plan's conformity with the FEIR. Prepared and submitted Final FOR Addendum to the City of Irvine. COMMENDATIONS AND AWARDS Letters of Commendation Chambers Group has received numerous letters of commendation from our clients. The following excerpts illustrate the level of client satisfaction that we strive to achieve in all our projects: "Your firm responded to the challenge and provided work products that were thoroughly researched, technically competent, and professionally prepared. Everyone in your organization should take pride in having delivered exceptional results." — City of Irvine (Program EIR for Planning Area 9/40). "The (Chambers Group) team responds very well to a dynamic and challenging project Chambers has. been consistently ahead of schedule, and on budget, in submitting draft documents for review. More importantly, they anticipate potential problems and assist in overcoming obstacles before they occur. Individuals are extremely knowledgeable in their fields of expertise. Chambers is ahead of our design team with regard to preparing an environmental assessment of the project Chambers is providing exceptional CEQA services to the Corporation and helping us to focus our design team on complying with local government processing requirements." — Glen Worthington, Manager of Planning, Orange County Great Park Corporation. "The vast knowledge of their (Chambers Group) particular professionals exceeded our expectations." — Santa Barbara Parks Department. "Chambers makes our life easier by providing, the expert staff who are well versed in the latest environmental codes and by providing us with good services as it relates to biological monitoring, the California Environmental Quality Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act."— City of Costa Mesa. "They (Chambers Group) took the assignment and made sure it was done to our satisfaction by our deadline." — City of Moreno Valley "I thought the documentation they (Chambers Group) supplied to prepare the formal documents was great It exceeded my expectations." - City of Indio Awards and Certificates of Recoanitlon Chambers Group has an excellent reputation with clients and regulators. We are committed to strong project management, quality control, and client satisfaction. Our environmental professionals are thoroughly familiar with the requirements of CEQA and NEPA and our documents are recognized by agencies as easily readable, technically credible, and legally defensible. Chambers Group's commitment to quality is demonstrated by the following commendations for our work on relevant contracts: ➢ 2007 - Marvin M. Black Award Excellence in Partnering Award for the San Gabriel Dam Sediment Removal Project from the Associate General Contractors of America ➢ 2001 - Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document for the Boise Chica Wetlands Restoration Project ElR/EIS from the California Association of Environmental Professionals ➢ 2001 - Outstanding Environmental Resources Document for the Big Tujunga Mitigation Bank Final Master Mitigation Plan from California Association of Environmental Professionals 5-1 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -22 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ➢ 2000 - Outstanding Environmental Resources Document for the Big Tujunga Project Enhancement Opportunities Report and Biological Resources Assessment from the California Association of Environmental Professionals ➢ 1999 - Outstanding Document for Projects Outside Orange County — Big Tujunga Wash Functional Analysis Report from the American Planning Association, Orange County Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -23 ON -CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE CITY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION SECTION 7.0 - 2008 STANDARD FEE SCHEDULE HOURLY RATES CHAMBERS GROUP HOURLY RATES FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND SUPPORT CATEGORIES ARE INDICATED BELOW SUBJECT TO PERIODIC REVISIONS: Corporate Director $ 175.00 Program Director $ 154.00 Sr. Project Manager $ 125.00 Project Manager $ 105.00 Principal Biologist/Botanist $ 139.00 Senior Biologist/Botanist $ 113.00 Staff Biologist/Botanist $ 89.00 Assoc. Biologist/Botanist $ 78.00 Asst. Biologist/Botanist $ 68.00 Principal Cultural Resources Specialist' $ 119.00 Senior Cultural Resources Specialist* $ 95.00 Staff Cultural Resources Specialist* $ 79.00 Assoc. Cultural Resources Specialist* $ 59.00 Asst. Cultural Resources Specialist* $ 49.00 Principal Environmental Planner $ 139.00 Senior Environmental Planner $ 113.00 Staff Environmental Planner $ 89.00 Assoc. Environmental Planner $ 78.00 Asst. Environmental Planner $ 68.00 Principal Air /Noise Specialist $ 139.00 Senior Air/NoiseSpecialist $ 113.00 Staff Air/Noise Specialist $ 89.00 Assoc. Air /Noise Specialist $ 78.00 Asst. Air /Noise Specialist $ 68.00 GIS Analyst 2 $ 93.00 GIS Analyst 1 $ 78.00 GIS Technician $ 65.00 Graphic Artist` $ 75.00 Project Assistant" $ 67.00 Technical Editor"* $ 67.00 Word Processor"* $ 60.00 Clerical" $ 48.00 "For non - exempt employees in these categories, overtime hours are billed equal to one and one -half times their normal hourly rate. +Includes Archaeologists, Architectural Historians, Paleontologists, and Historians. EXPERT DEPOSITION & TESTIMONY Labor fees for litigation support with respect to depositions, presentations, and expert testimony will be billed at 2.0 times the normal hourly rate. SUBCONTRACTOR & OTHER DIRECT COSTS Subcontracted services and other direct costs to projects will be invoiced at cost plus 15 %. COMMUNICATIONS & REPRODUCTION Charges for communications such as telephone, fax, postage, overnight delivery, courier services, standard office equipment usage, and costs for in -house binding materials and reproduction of reports, figures and color photos will be billed all inclusive at 3% of labor fees. 53 Chambers Group • Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise • Small Business Enterprise 5 -24 hambers Group Inc: NOEL DAVIS, PHA Marine Dr. Davis has more than 27 years of experience in managing estuarine, freshwater, and oceanographic envi- ronmental studies. She is responsible for managing the aquatic and marine portions of Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), and Environmental Assessments (EAs) for both onshore and offshore projects. She has more than 25 years of experience in conducting marine studies and is also responsible for wetlands and water quality assessments in conjunction with 404 Permit evalua- tions and environmental reports. Relevant Experience Key strengths 27 years managing wetlands and marine environmental studies EIS /EIR for Upper Newport Bay Restoration Project, Orange County — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. Project Manager for an EIS /EIR to restore aquatic and wetlands habitat in Upper Newport Bay in Or- ange County. The EIS /EIR analyzed alternatives to restore habitat degraded from the impacts of sedimentation. Alternatives involved various dredge and fill scenarios within the Upper Bay. Habitat Evaluation Procedures were used to compare the impacts and benefits of restoration alternatives to the No Action scenario. Survey of Newport Dunes Marina in Newport Bay for the Invasive Alga Cauterpa taxifolia and Mapping of Eelgrass in Areas Proposed for Dredg- ing -- Moffatt & Nichol Engineers under Contract to the County of Orange. Responsible for an underwater survey to map eelgrass and determine whether the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia was present in areas proposed for dredging in Newport Dunes Marina in Newport Bay. Eelgrass patches were mapped us- ing Global Positioning System (GPS) and the dimensions and density of each patch were quantified. No Caulerpa was found. Update of Biological Elements of City of Newport Beach Local Coastal Plan and General Plan -- Coastal Resources Management, Under Contract to the .City of Newport Beach. Coordinated Chambers Group's efforts and participated in biological field surveys for the update of the biological resource elements of the City of Newport Beach Local Coastal Plan and General Plan. All natural habitats within the City of Newport Beach were surveyed and mapped in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Descriptions and boundaries of Envi- ronmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas were updated, and new Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas were identified. Policies to protect these areas were re- vised and updated. Environmental Restoration Report Section 206 for Lower Newport Bay Harbor Eelgrass Restoration, Newport Bay, Orange County — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. Project Manager for the develop- ment of a program to restore eelgrass to Lower Newport Bay. A detailed analysis and planting plan was prepared to restore eelgrass to eight sites in Lower Newport Bay. The planting plan included a detailed methodology to re- store eelgrass to the eight sites. sy Relevant Experience (Continued) Education Ph.D., 1978, Biological Ocean- ography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Dissertation Topic: Studies of the Southern California Nearshore Sand Bot- tom Community) BA., 1972, Zoology (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Highest Honors in Zoology, Special Undergraduate Re- search Award), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Registration Certified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) — 1989 Certified as a Weuands De- lineator by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in its Wet- lands Delineator Certification Demonstration Project — 1994 Society of Wetland Scientists Los Angeles County Environmental Review Board Noel Davis, Ph. D. Page 2 Pre- and Post -Dredging Surveys of Eelgrass in Lower Newport Harbor, Orange County -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. Project Manager for pre- and post - dredging surveys to determine the impacts to eelgrass of navigation channel dredging in Lower Newport Harbor. All areas adjacent to the dredge channels were surveyed before and after dredging to document the effects of the dredging on eelgrass beds. Mitigation Program to Transplant Eelgrass Bed in Newport Bay — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. Program Manager for transplanting eelgrass, Zostera marina, in Newport Bay to mitigate a USACE dredging program that had destroyed an eelgrass bed. Chambers Group divers transplanted eelgrass from the dredging area to another part of the Bay and monitored the new bed. Lower Newport Bay Harbor Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study Section 206 Preliminary Restoration Plan -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. Project Manager for the preparation of a preliminary restora- tion plan to restore eelgrass to Lower Newport Bay in Orange County. The plan proposed to restore aquatic function to Lower Newport Bay by transplanting eel - grass to a number of sites within the Lower Bay. Eelgrass beds are a particularly valuable marine habitat that enhance the physical and biological environment The plan identified 14 currently unvegetated sites within the Lower Bay where eelgrass could potentially be transplanted. Scientific expires Permit, SC•000825, Survey Nuisance Algal Growth in Newport Bay -- The Irvine Company. 5, expires March 8, 2007 Water quality sampling was conducted throughout Newport Bay and areas of excessive algae growth were mapped. ISIMND For Bay Island Bulkhead Replacement Project - City of Newport Beach - Responsible for the marine biology and water quality sections for an ISIMND to replace the bulkheads on Bay Isle in Lower Newport Bay. An under- water survey for eelgrass and Caulerpa was performed around the circumference of Bay Island. Mariners Mile Walkway Project ISIMND - Cash and Associates under Contract to City of Newport Beach - Responsible for the marine biology and water quality sections for an ISIMND to build a walkway along Mariners Mile. The walkway would require the pier line of the docks to be extended into the Bay in some areas. O'Charnbers Group Inc. PAUL MORRISSEY Staff Biologist Mr. Morrissey has more than 7 years experience participating in and conducting terrestrial and aquatic/marine studies, with a comprehensive background in both collecting data and performing biological monitoring surveys. He is an experienced biologist and project manager, and has overseen many development projects, including areas within the High Desert, Yucca Valley, Lancaster, and the Inland Empire. He has coordinated with state and federal agencies to develop and implement effective mitigation and monitoring plans for listed and sensitive species and to ensure compliance with state and federal laws. He is experienced in conducting focused surveys for amphibians, desert tortoise, burrowing owl, small mammals and protected avian species. He has worked extensively with protected and sensitive fish species such as the Santa Ana sucker, Santa Ana speckled dace, arroyo chub, and rainbow trout. He has also conducted stream and sediment sampling for macro - invertebrates, radio telemetry tracking, electro- fishing surveys, and environmental compliance monitoring. Working on complex linear projects such as the PG &E and SDG &E power transmission line projects, he is familiar with the flora. and wildlife species within Riverside, San Diego and Imperial County. He has conducted wetlands delineations pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and riparian delineations pursuant to Section 1601/1603 of the California Fish and Game Code. He has also prepared jurisdictional delineation reports, which are used in the preparation of permit applications for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). He has a diverse background in areas such as annual and perennial identification of plant species in the Mojave Desert, and has been recognized by the International Philosophy Convention for his work on the Wild Dolphin Cognitive Project, searching for patterns in vocalization for wild Pacific Bottlenose dolphins. In addition, he has worked for a private zoo and is familiar with the behavior of a variety of exotic animals. Relevant Experience Key Strengths 7 Years of Experience in Southern California Biological resource analysis and management Jurisdictional Delineations Wetlands Delineations Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP), Riparian/Riverine Habitat restoration enhancement programs Construction mitigation monitoring Extensive working knowledge of regulations/guidelines: • Endangered Species Act • Clean water Act • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • California Dept of Fish and Game • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Section 1602/401/4D4 permitting Ecological Surveys, Newport Coast — City of Newport Beach. Project Manager. Surveyed eight canyons in the Newport Coast watershed area to in order to identify and map the vegetation communities, to document the location of non - native plant species, to determine the average width of California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) jurisdiction, and to report potential presence of sensitive species. Sensitive species on site included coastal California gnatcatcher and snowy plover. A technical report of findings was prepared. Night Surveys for Grunion Spawning, Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA — Orange County Resources Development and Management Department. Conducted night surveys of grunion spawning along Huntington Beach shoreline surrounding the Talbert Channel Outlet. Emergency construction activities were in place to secure a clear path for Talbert Channel water flow. The purpose of the surveys was to note where eggs were laid so construction activities would not disturb the incubating eggs. Surveys were conducted at high tide for three consecutive nights over a full moon. Marblehead Coastal Project, SunCal Properties, San Clemente. Assisted in focused gnatcatcher surveys, construction monitoring, and ecological restoration. Conducted vegetation transacts to provide baseline data for restoration sites. Conducted nesting bird surveys and monitored construction especially associated with coastal sage scrub. Paul Morrissey Page 2 Relevant Experience (Continued) Big Dalton Dam Sediment Removal, Glendora, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Water Resources Division. As Project Manager, tasks include scheduling surveys, supervising staff, ensuring complete data collection, providing quality and control report preparation, interacting effectively with agency personnel, maintaining client communication, maintaining budget parameters, and meeting project deadlines. Coordinated and conducted field surveys including vegetation mapping, focused plant surveys, amphibian, reptile, fish, avian, and mammal surveys, stream assessments and macroinvertebrate collections from above the reservoir to 2 Biological Services at South Regional Landfill Operations, San Juan Education Capistrano — Orange County Integrated Waste Management Department. M.S., Biology (thesis topic: Staff Biologist. Assisted in focused protocol surveys for Coastal California fetal neurology) California State University, Dominguez Gnatcatcher, Least Bell's Vireo, and Willow Flycatcher surveys, and a Cowbird Y Hills; 2005 trapping program for biological services provided at the Prima Deschecha Landfill. Conducted wetland delineations in the restored habitat areas. B.S., Biology California State University, Dominguez Hills; zoos Biological Resources Construction Monitoring, Fairview Regional Park, 9� 9 9� Costa Mesa. Conducted construction monitoring of a multi- purpose trail Registrations, Certifications, approximately 4,000 feet long. Field surveys were conducted for and Affiliations fencing /flagging construction area limits to ensure avoidance, timing of California Dept. of Fish and construction (cement pouring), and proper litter disposal. Field surveys also Game Scientific Collectors included wildlifepresence /absence and nesting locations. Permit, ASC-008151 (renewal pending) Talbert Snowy Plover Monitoring 2007 — County of Orange RDMD. U.S. Army Corps of Dredging activities are set to occur at the Talbert Channel for approximately 11 Engineers, Wetland Training Institute, Weiland Delineator days ( for 2.5 weeks) for S hours per day. Two monitors are days/week 4 s Certification, 2007 required for the project each day. One monitor will observe operations at the Desert Tortoise Surveying excavation site and one will observe the disposal site. Chambers Group will Techniques Workshop, provide two monitors for snowy plover monitoring during the period defined Desert Tortoise Council, above. The monitors will be familiar with the identification of snowy plovers. The 2007; qualified desert tortoise monitors will document the presencelabsence of snowy plovers within the work biologist area and instruct the construction crew on ways to avoid adversely affecting CDFG authorized to take, these sensitive resources. We will also provide written monitoring possess, and transport flat- documentation for this effort. The memo report will include up to 10 pages and tailed homed lizards, 2007 will include photographs of the operations. 2007 Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Riparian Restoration, Enhancement Plan and Monitoring, Santa Margarita Award for San Gabriel River Project ect River Flood Plain Marine Corps Air Station, Cam Pendleton — MCAS � P Camp Pendleton, sub to Geofon Inc. Biologist. Conducted fieldwork involving Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Workshop, sample point placement ( stacked -cube methodology), vegetation monitoring and Southern Sierra Research species identification, and photo and data collection. Collected GPS points of Station; 2006 all established points to sub -meter accuracy. The project involves vegetation Basic Tracking, Earth Skills, community mapping, creation of a conceptual mitigation plan and determining 2006 the best new watercourse for a future riparian corridor. Chambers Group is Electrofishing and Fish currently performing restoration on existing least Bell's vireo habitat and riparian Handling Techniques, 2008 vegetation adjacent to the helicopter landing area. Restoration also is occurring on 55 acres of fragmented river floodplain adjacent to the Santa Margarita River. The project team worked closely with the engineering staff to incorporate drainage into the restoration area so flooding no longer occurs on working portions of the air station, and plant communities can use the annual rainfall Success criteria will be primarily a function of how suitable the habitat is for least Bell's vireo. Big Dalton Dam Sediment Removal, Glendora, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Water Resources Division. As Project Manager, tasks include scheduling surveys, supervising staff, ensuring complete data collection, providing quality and control report preparation, interacting effectively with agency personnel, maintaining client communication, maintaining budget parameters, and meeting project deadlines. Coordinated and conducted field surveys including vegetation mapping, focused plant surveys, amphibian, reptile, fish, avian, and mammal surveys, stream assessments and macroinvertebrate collections from above the reservoir to 2 Paul Morrissey Page 3 Relevant Experience (Continued) , miles downstream of the Big Dalton Dam. Data and analysis of the project is provided in the Pre- and Post- Dewatering Biological Technical Report for the Big Dalton Dam Reservoir Cleanout Project. Rapid Infiltration and Extraction Facility CEQA Services, Focused Environmental Impact Report (EIR) — City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department. A biological reconnaissance survey and habitat assessment were performed to determine the presence of any. sensitive, threatened, endangered, or rare species, either plant or wildlife, were present on the project site. These included Santa Ana woollystar, Delhi sands flower- loving fly, Santa Ana sucker, San Bernardino. kangaroo rat, and burrowing owl. A trapping study was conducted to determine the presence of the San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat and the Los Angeles Pocket Mouse on the site. A pre-construction raptor and burrowing owl survey will be performed prior to the beginning of construction activities to ensure that any birds are not impacted (air quality, noise, traffic, safety), and operational issues (odors, safety, vector control). San Gabriel River Functional Analysis and Focused Biological Surveys, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. As Field Manager, tasks include scheduling surveys, supervising staff, ensuring complete data collection, providing quality and control report preparation, interacting effectively with agency personnel, maintaining client communication, maintaining budget parameters, and meeting project deadlines. The study area included the East Fork, the West Fork, Brown's Gulch, and the main channel of the San Gabriel River, from the San Gabriel Reservoir through the Morris Reservoir downstream to below Santa Fe Dam. Performed herpetological, fish, large- mammal, and avian surveys, stream assessments, and macroinvertebrate collection in support of the overall functional analysis methodology. Conducted routine radio- tracking and visual surveys for relocated southwestern pond turtles (C /emmys marmorata palida) below San Gabriel Dam. Brown- headed Cowbird Trapping, Least Bell's Vireo Surveys, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Surveys, and Arroyo Toad Surveys, Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Bank -- Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Staff Wildlife Biologist. Conducted a trapping program focusing on the brown - headed cowbird as part of the Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Bank. The program followed the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Removal of these avian parasites by trapping aids in the recovery of least Bell's vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, and California gnatcatcher populations. Conducted focused least Bell's vireo surveys and assisted permitted biologist in focused southwestern willow flycatcher surveys to determine the presence/absence of vireos and willow flycatchers in suitable riparian habitat along the Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Bank. Conducted focused day and night arroyo toad surveys to determine the presencelabsence of arroyo toads in suitable stream habitat. 'pChambers Group Inc`. MIKE MCENTEE . Principal Biologist, Biology Group Manager Mr. McEntee has a comprehensive background in biological resources management. Mr. McEntee has over 12 years of experience and a comprehensive background in conducting biological surveys. As a biologist, he has conducted surveys for Least Bell's Vireo, Coastal California Gnatcatcher, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Western Snowy Plover, Burrowing Owl, Arroyo Toad, Gray Fox, Yuma Clapper Rail, Black Rail, Yellow- billed Cuckoo, and Desert Tortoise. He has also conducted nest monitoring for federally and state listed species, trapping of Brown - headed Cowbirds, reconnaissance -level and detailed wildlife surveys, small and large mammal trapping, investigated environmental impacts in terms of noise, fire, biological resources, assisted with the implementation of mitigation programs for large -scale projects, performed restoration and exotic species removal and mitigation compliance throughout California and Arizona Relevant Experience Key strengths Western Snowy Plover Monitoring, Talbert Channel Sediment Removal, 12 Years of Experience in Huntington Beach, Orange County — County of Orange Resources & Southern California Development Management Department. Project Manager /Principal Biologist. Biological resource analysis Provided surveys, construction monitoring, contractor education and permit and management compliance for the County of Orange Operations and Maintenance. Provided Western Riverside County coordination for the USFWS and State Parks. The monitors documented the Multiple Species Habitat presence/absence of snowy plovers within the work area and instruct the Conservation Plan (MSHCPi construction crew on � ways to avoid adverse) affecting these sensitive surveys and Habitat Suitability y y g Assessments resources. Habitat restoration programs Least Bell's Vireo, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, California Gnatcatcher Construction mitigation Surveys and Construction /Regulatory Compliance Monitoring, Orange monitoring County — Strawberry Farms Golf Course. Performed surveys and nest Extensive working knowledge of monitoring for Least Bells Vireo and California Gnatcatchers to determine the regulafionsfguidelines: species locations and nesting success. Mapped locations and assisted in • Endangered Species Act compliance with USFWS, CDFG, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) • U.S. Fish and Wildlife service regulations and guidelines. California Dept. of Fish and g Game California Gnatcatcher Presence /Absence Surveys, Orange County — Diemer Filtration Plant. Performed focused and pre- construction surveys for California Gnatcatcher at the Diemer Filtration Plant. Documented gnatcatcher locations along the fence line and supervised vegetation removal crews to ensure USFWS and CDFG regulations and guidelines. Focused Least Bell's Vireo and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Surveys, San Diego Creek, Orange County RDMD. Performed protocol surveys and presence/absence surveys following the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ( USFWS). Riparian and any other potential habitats were surveyed. Prepared a technical report of findings that included observed LBVI and SWWF locations and individual nest sites. All LBVI and SWWF observations were reported using UTM coordinates. Biological Monitoring, San Juan Capistrano Lower Landslide and Pipeline Stabilization, San Juan Capistrano, Orange County — City of San Juan Capistrano Public Works. Project Manager. Acquired 4d NCCP permit; agency coordination for 404, 401, 1602 permits; construction monitoring and CSS kv] Mike McEntee Page 2 Relevant Experience (Continued) restoration. Conducted a reconnaissance assessment of the biological resources Education on the site. The field survey focused on determining the presence or potential B.A., Biology, Cal State presence of federal- or state - listed or otherwise sensitive plant and wildlife Fullerton; 1995 species and sensitive habitats on the site. Prepared a biological resource letter Specialized Training report of findings. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher workshop, Radio tracking and home range estimation of grey foxes in the Santa Ana Southern Sierra Research Mountains. Gray foxes were captured in box traps and Tomahawk live traps. Station Captured animals were immobilized with a 5:1 (vtv) mixture of approximately 25 Marine corps Certified Range mg ketamine hydrochloride and 5 mg xylazine hydrochloride, injected control01GIRSO intramuscularly. Monitoring of anesthesia included heart rate, respiration rate, Member of the USFWSand and body temperature. Standard body measurements and sex were recorded, USGS least Bells vireo, and age was assessed on the basis of incisor wear and body size and weight. southwestern willow flycatcher Animals were fitted with radio collars and were radio - tracked to determine their and yellow - billed cuckoo home ranges. recovery working group Registration Nesting Bird Survey for Reconstruction of Cooks Canyon Crib Dam, Califomia Gnatcatcher: Glendale, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public authorization to survey, locate Works, Environmental Planning. Senior Biologist. Nesting bird survey and and monitor nests, remove report as pre - construction services for removal of sediment buildup within the brown headed cowbird eggs Cooks Canyon Crib Dam Debris Basin that has impaired the drainage of waters and chicks from and parasitized nests; U.S. Fish and Wildlife from the debris basin, resulting in ear -round ondin g year-round g' Service Permit #TE099463 Least Bell's vireo: East Ford Road Over San Gabriel River and Susana Canyon Creek, Los authorization to locate and Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Senior monitor nests, remove brown. Biologist. The surveys for nesting birds and bats were conducted to determine headed cowbird eggs and the presence or absence of bird and bat species that may be impacted by bridge checks from parasitized nests; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintenance activities. Chambers Group biologists surveyed the bridge, support Permit #TE099463 structures and all vegetation within 50 meters of the project footprint for bird 9 P 1 P nesting activity. In addition, the bridge and all support structures were surveyed nesting Southwestern willow, flycatcher. au to for the presence of bats. survey, locate and monitor nests, remove brown - headed Califomia Red - legged Frog Presence/Absence Survey Report, Cooks cowbird eggs and chicks from Canyon Dam Debris Basin Project Site in support of Streambed Alteration parasitized nests; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permit Agreement, Glendale, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County g g � g #TE099463 Department of Public Works. Presence /absence surveys for Califomia red - BLM Flat- Tailed Homed Lizard legged frog (CRF) were conducted in support of the streambed alteration Training, May 2007 agreement (conditions 78 & 76) at the site, located at Cooks Canyon Crib Dam M1 -A Debris Basin. The surveys were required in support of services for removal of sediment buildup within the Cooks Canyon Crib Dam Debris Basin. Sediment buildup has impaired the drainage of waters from the debris basin, resulting in year -round ponding. Six CRF presencelabsence surveys were conducted pursuant to the USFWS protocols. No evidence of arroyo toad adults, juveniles, larvae, or eggs was found during any of the daytime or nighttime surveys. Big Dalton Dam Sediment Removal, Glendora, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Water Resources Division. Senior Biologist, QA/QC. Big Dalton Dam is located in east - central Los Angeles County, and is situated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains contained within the San Dimas Experimental Area of the Angeles National Forest. To assess project impacts, pre- and post - dewatering surveys were conducted and .E Mike McEntee Page 3 Relevant Experience (Continued) included an assessment of river substrate, macroinvertebrate, amphibian, reptile, avian, and mammal tracking surveys. Plant assessments were performed using the CNPS. Rapid Assessment Protocol. In addition, coast range newts were identified on site, and a Newt Monitoring and Relocation Plan was developed and approved by CDFG. Biological monitoring and newt relocation during construction activities took place daily over a period of 5 months. Environmental Impact Report, Sierra Highway Widening, Palmdale, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Senior Biologist Chambers Group provided environmental services for the Sierra Highway Widening Project located in the unincorporated area of Palmdale, Los Angeles County, California. The Scope of Work included preparation of the EIR and technical reports for traffic impact analysis, air quality analysis, noise assessment, agency coordination, and jurisdictional delineation, biological resources, and cultural resources surveys. Final Mitigation Monitoring Plan (MMP) for the Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Bank, Los Angeles County — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Assisted with the preparation of a final MMP, a comprehensive document that included the development and implementation of enhancement strategies, for the Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Bank. The purpose of the MMP was to serve as a guide for implementation of the various enhancement programs and to fulfill the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) requirement for the preparation of a management plan for the site. The MMP encompassed strategies to enhance and protect existing habitat for wildlife and to create additional natural areas that could be used by wildlife and by numerous user groups. The detailed MMP included a step -by -step description of the methodology, implementation, success and contingency measures, and Quality Assurance /Quality Control plan for each of the following issue areas: habitat restoration and revegetation, exotic plant eradication, brown - headed cowbird trapping, formal trails establishment, exotic wildlife eradication, public outreach, water quality monitoring, and functional analysis. Focused Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Surveys at Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Site, Los Angeles County, California — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Lead Biologist Conducted focused protocol surveys for the southwestern willow flycatcher to determine its presence/absence in approximately 50 hectares (123 acres) of riparian areas in Big Tujunga Wash. San Gabriel River Functional Analysis and Focused Biological Surveys, Los Angeles County, California — Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Performed avian and fish surveys in support of.the overall functional analysis methodology. The study - involved fish sampling using both seine and electrofishing techniques and point count transects for birds. The study area included the East Fork and West Fork of the San Gabriel River, Brown's Gulch, and areas below the San Gabriel and Morris Dams. 6d