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CONTRACT K-2021-37: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND GUERNSEY IN THE AMOUNT OF $85,500 FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LAKE THUNDERBIRD WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP.
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BACKGROUND: Lake Thunderbird was constructed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in 1965 to impound the upper reaches of Little River and several tributaries east of Norman, Oklahoma north of State Highway 9. The watershed drains 256 square miles in Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties including Norman, Oklahoma City and Moore, as well as small parts of unincorporated Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties. The Lake is operated by the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the flood control elements of Lake Thunderbird. Finally, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation manages the parks and recreation services at the Lake.
The Lake provides drinking water for the cities of Norman, Midwest City, and Del City. It also provides a myriad of recreational opportunities for citizens of Norman and of the State of Oklahoma as a warm water aquatic community, affording quality fishing for a variety of species and as a primary body contact water body providing recreational boating and water sports activities. In order to continue to provide these recreational opportunities and continue to provide quality drinking water, the Lake must meet certain Water Quality Standards. These Standards are set by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for the purpose of maintaining the beneficial uses of water bodies in the State including lakes and streams.
Stormwater runoff to Lake Thunderbird has increased in both quantity and velocity as the populations of the nearby cities that deliver the vast majority of the stormwater runoff to the Lake have grown. Unintended consequences of strong growth include pollution in the water that runs off of the streets, buildings and lawns of the growing cities. This water flow carries sediment which clouds the water in the Lake and reduces its capacity and depth while also carrying other pollutants such as nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. All three of these pollutants are causing degradation to the water quality in the streams and in turn to the Lake.
In August 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency placed Lake Thunderbird on its 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies. This led to the establishment of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) by ODEQ in November of 2013.
In September 2019, the BOR released Funding Opportunity Announcement No. BOR-DO-19-F010, which is for a funding program entitled “WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program. This program provides funding to watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs. On November 12, 2019, City Council approved Resolution R-1920-64, authorizing the submittal of a Financial Assistance Application to the BOR for the WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I Grant and to potentially enter into a financing agreement under the program. On May 5, 2020, the BOR notified staff that the grant application had been selected for funding.
This is a companion item to Contract K-2021-36 with the BOR accepting a grant award in the amount of $85,500 and associated budget appropriation.
DISCUSSION: The Public Works Department, Stormwater Division prepared a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit the services of a qualified firm to establish the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Partnership (LTWP) as a legal entity with the State of Oklahoma and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, enhance and expand the public outreach materials and strategies available for use by LTWP members by engaging stakeholders through a Unified Public Education and Outreach Plan, and conduct pre-planning activities necessary to develop an outline of an Integrated Watershed Management Program.
Four (4) proposals were received for this project. The Selection Committee included three (3) staff members consisting of Michele Loudenback, Stormwater Program Specialist, Public Works Department; Carrie Evenson, Stormwater Program Manager, Public Works Department; and Scott Sturtz, City Engineer, Public Works Department; and two (2) private citizens including Amanda Nairn, Vice Chair of the Environmental Control Advisory Board; and Courtney DeKalb-Myers, Horticulture Educator, Cleveland County OSU Extension Services. The Selection Committee members independently scored each statement of qualifications on a point scale as defined in the RFP. The four (4) firms were ranked based on these scores, and Guernsey was selected for this project. Guernsey was selected based upon their experience working with other municipalities on similar projects and the proposed methods and procedures for completing the project.
Required services will include the following:
1. Establish the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Partnership as a Legal Entity
2. Provide visioning and formal organization development for the LTWP
3. Develop goals, objectives and bylaws for the LTWP
4. Develop Watershed Program Management Plan
5. Expand and diversify stakeholders
6. Conduct Stakeholder meeting
7. Compile and analyze information from stakeholder meetings
8. Develop Public Education and Outreach Plan and Templates
9. Complete a desktop assessment of current watershed health including potential high-risk impact areas
Staff began negotiations with Guernsey in August 2020. Budgeted capital funds in the amount of $85,500 are available for this project in the Special Grants Fund, LTWP, Design (Account 22550225-46201; Project GS0100). The project is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2020, and be completed by October 1, 2021 (see attached Table 1: Proposed Project Schedule).
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Contract K-2021-37 with Guernsey for completion of the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Partnership Establishment project.