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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Purchase of Water Quality Monitoring Equipment for Water Quality Initiative Targeted Demonstration Watershed Project Grant RESOLUTION NO. 15-523 RESOLUTION APPROVING PURCHASE OF WATER QUALITY MONITORING EQUIPMENT AND AUTHORIZING EQUIPMENT TO BE USED FOR WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE TARGETED DEMONSTRATION WATERSHED PROJECT GRANT FOR THE CITY OF AMES WHEREAS, the City of Ames is a charter member of the Squaw Creek Watershed Management Authority (SCWMA), whose purpose is to "encourage, plan for, and implement watershed activities within the Squaw Creek watershed;" and, WHEREAS, the SCWMA Board has adopted a strategic plan that calls for watershed education outreach to land owners across the watershed,and the goal is to encourage advanced land stewardship practices that will, in turn, help improve water quality and reduce the severity of flooding within the watershed; and, WHEREAS, the SCWMA, in partnership with Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation & Development, was successful in receiving a Water Quality Initiative Targeted Demonstration Watershed project grant from the State of Iowa; and, WHEREAS, during the grant application process, City staff provided a written letter of support that indicated the City's willingness to consider purchasing permanent water quality monitoring equipment for a single location along Squaw Creek within the City limits at a cost of up to $15,000; and, WHEREAS,when a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System(NPDES)permit is issued for the Water Pollution Control Facility(WPC), it will include a requirement for the City to identify a cost-effective means to achieve compliance with Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy;and, WHEREAS, nutrient credit trading could be a viable strategy for meeting the intent of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, but it will require data that can tie specific land use practices to improvements in water quality; something that the SCWMA grant project will help provide; and, WHEREAS, for that reason, staff is recommending that the$15,000 needed to purchase the equipment come from the available Sanitary Sewer Fund balance; and, WHEREAS,when the Capital Improvements Plan is updated in early 2016, staff will make a corresponding $15,000 reduction in the proposed budget for performing the Nutrient Reduction Modifications evaluation at the Water Pollution Control Facility($300,000); and, WHEREAS,ownership and possession ofthe purchased equipment will remain with the City of Ames,but it will be used for the purposes of the Water Quality Initiative Targeted Demonstration Watershed project grant during the life of the grant ; and, WHEREAS, City staff will also be providing additional in-kind contributions to the Water Quality Initiative study in the form of sampling and water analyses; and, WHEREAS, the exact magnitude of this additional contribution has yet to be determined; but, staff has indicated to the SCWMA that it must be compatible with the existing capabilities and workload of the Laboratory Division. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that authorization for City staff to purchase water quality monitoring equipment in an amount not to exceed$15,000 is hereby approved and authorization that the equipment be used for the purposes of the Water Quality Initiative Targeted Demonstration Watershed project grant for the life of the grant is hereby further approved. ADOPTED THIS 25`h day of August, 2015. C-1 IlAa& A. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor Introduced by: Goodman Seconded by: Betcher Voting aye: Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Goodman,Nelson, Orazem Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 25`h day of August, 2015.