HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2688 City of Palo Alto (ID # 2688)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 4/16/2012
April 16, 2012 Page 1 of 4
(ID # 2688)
Summary Title: Acterra Stewardship Agreement
Title: Approval of an Amendment No. One to the Amended and Restated
Stewardship Agreement Between The City of Palo Alto and Acterra in the
Amount of $54,496 for the Initial year of Services for the Enid W. Pearson
Arastradero Preserve
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Community Services
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council approve the renewal of the City’s agreement with
Acterra, for stewardship services at the Enid W. Pearson Arastradero Preserve, for
an additional term of five years and approve the compensation of $56,149.42 for
the 1st year of the extension. (Attachment A)
Executive Summary
In 1996, the City initiated a stewardship agreement with Acterra (formerly known
as Bay Area Action) for habitat restoration and environmental education at the
Enid W. Pearson Arastradero Preserve. The approved 2007 agreement renewal
included a clause providing for the renewal of the agreement for an additional
five‐year period if the performance of the steward was satisfactory. Acterra has
continued to meet and exceed the goals of the Pearson Arastradero Preserve
Management Plan (See Attachment A‐ Exhibit C). Therefore, staff recommends
renewing the agreement for an additional five year period.
Background
On March 11, 1996, Council adopted a five‐point plan for the management of the
Enid W. Pearson Arastradero Preserve (Preserve), and gave direction to staff to
explore opportunities for leveraging City resources to ensure future maintenance
and oversight of the natural resources of the Preserve. This direction included:
1. Explore the possibility of a public/private stewardship agreement;
2. The removal of all existing building structures (house site, cottage and barn);
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3. Restoration of habitat in the areas where the structures were located;
4. Explore the potential for a new modest facility as an educational gateway to
the Preserve;
5. Create a mechanism to allow funding for some or all elements of the Preserve
Management Plan.
On May 13, 1996, Council approved the Arastradero Preserve project work plan
(CMR:253:96). One element of the work plan addressed the development of the
concept of a public/private partnership for stewardship of the Preserve. On
November 12, 1996, Council approved the Arastradero Preserve Management
Plan and the concept of a stewardship agreement (CMR:423:96). At its April 28,
1997 meeting, Council approved a five‐year contract with Bay Area Action to act
as the steward of the Preserve and to implement action steps of the Arastradero
Management Plan (CMR:199:97). The approved agreement included a clause
providing for the renewal of the agreement for an additional five‐year period if
the performance of the steward was satisfactory.
In 2000, Bay Area Action merged with the Peninsula Conservation Center
Foundation to become a new organization named Acterra.
On July 5, 2002, Council approved the extension of the Stewardship agreement
with Acterra for another five year period.
Discussion
On October 1, 2007, Council approved a reinstated contract with Acterra to act as
the steward of the Preserve and to continue action steps of the Arastradero
Management Plan (CMR: 374:07). The approved agreement included a clause
(Section 3.2 of the 2007 Acterra Stewardship Agreement‐ Attachment A)
providing for the renewal of the agreement for an additional five‐year period if
the performance of the steward was satisfactory.
Since April 28, 1997 Acterra has provided stewardship services and continues to
meet and exceed goals of the Preserve Management Plan.
Acterra Accomplishments 2007‐2011
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Over the past five years, Acterra has continued to meet or exceeded their annual
Work Plan objectives in terms of volunteer hours donated, habitat restoration,
invasive plant management and removal, education and community outreach.
Annually Acterra coordinates over 1,000 volunteers from local schools, scout
groups, and corporate and community organizations that typically donate more
than 4,000 hours to the stewardship of Pearson‐Arastradero Preserve.
Highlights of Acterra’s accomplishments include:
Habitat restoration on preserve sites including the Pearson‐Arastradero
Riparian Corridor, Gateway Facility area native planting, entryway trails corridor
and many other preserve “hotspots.” Planting of these restoration sites have
been accomplished using plants propagated at Acterra’s Native Plant Nursery in
Foothills Park.
Invasive plant management and removal including species of thistles,
teasel, hemlock, stinkwort, medusaehead, and goatgrass. Removal and
controlling techniques include timed mowing in conjunction with City Rangers,
hand pulling, sheet mulching, soil solarization and scything.
Monitoring of Acterra planted trees, shrubs and grasses to improve
restoration techniques and monitoring of selected noxious weeds in order to
evaluate the effectiveness of various control methods and spread of invasive
species.
Education and community outreach through restoration workdays, high
school adopt‐a‐plot program, student research and internships, interpretive hikes
and annual habitation restoration conferences.
Resource Impact
An allocation of $56,149.42 for the first year of the renewed five‐year stewardship
agreement with Acterra, including basic restoration activities, is included in the
City’s Fiscal Year 2013 Proposed Operating Budget to be submitted to City Council
on April 30, 2012. Upon adoption of the General Fund budget, staff will
encumber the first year allocation amount for Acterra stewardship services at the
Enid W. Pearson Arastradero Preserve. The agreement includes a provision under
Section 2.5 that the amount of compensation will be negotiated by the City and
Acterra on or before December 1 of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively, and
that the compensation shall be based on an adjustment factor reflected in the
Consumer Price Index – All Urban Consumers for the San Francisco‐Oakland‐San
Jose MSA. Fiscal Year 2012‐13 will be considered the base year for purposes of
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the adjustment calculation. Acterra proposes to continue utilizing donations,
grant funding and money obtained through fundraisers to significantly augment
funds from the City for stewardship expenses.
Policy Implications
The proposal to have a nonprofit organization continue to serve as the Preserve
steward to assist the City in the accomplishment of the goals of the Management
Plan is consistent with the public/private partnership policy.
Environmental Review
The Stewardship Agreement represents a continuation of the same use of existing
facilities; therefore, it carries a Class I facility exemption under Section 15301 of
CEQA.
Prepared By: Daren Anderson,
Department Head: Greg Betts, Director, Community Services
City Manager Approval: ____________________________________
James Keene, City Manager