Title
Consider recommendation from the Finance/Administrative Committee to approve the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan FY2019 Funding Application Amendments submitted by the City of New Braunfels ($665,000) and the City of San Marcos/Texas State University ($1,957,166).
Body
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Move the board adopt Resolution and Order No. 02-19-927 of the Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors approving amendments to the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) FY2019 Funding Applications for the City of New Braunfels and the City of San Marcos increasing the funding request from $565,000 to $665,000 for the City of New Braunfels and increasing the funding request from $1,647,560 to $1,957,166 for the City of San Marcos.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the board to consider a Finance/Administrative Committee recommendation to approve amendments to the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) FY2019 Funding Applications for the City of New Braunfels and the City of San Marcos increasing the funding request from $565,000 to $665,000 for the City of New Braunfels and increasing the funding request from $1,647,560 to $1,957,166 for the City of San Marcos.
On November 13, 2018, the board approved initial Funding Applications for FY2019 for both the City of New Braunfels and the City of San Marcos. The budget amounts presented in the original Funding Application represented the costs contained in the original workplans. However, both cities experienced delays in 2018 projects and have requested to re-appropriate the savings associated with the project delays in 2019. For the City of New Braunfels, while engineering design for the bio-retention basin was completed in 2018, construction was not able to occur in 2018. This delay resulted in a savings of $100,000, which would be added to the 2019 Funding Application. For the City of San Marcos, the stream restoration engineering design was not completed in 2018, and therefore, construction will be delayed until 2019. This delay resulted in a savings of $279,606. In addition, the City is requesting to reappropriate $30,000 for management of vegetative mats. The total amount which would be added to the 2019 Funding Application is $309,606.
The amended funding applications were presented and approved by the EAHCP Implementing Committee at the December 20, 2018 meeting. Attached to this summary are the red-lined versions of the amended funding applications. The draft resolution and order, which has been reviewed by legal counsel, is also attached.
At the January 22 meeting, the Finance/Administrative Committee voted to recommend the board adopt a resolution and order of the Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors approving amendments to the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) FY2019 Funding Applications for the City of New Braunfels and the City of San Marcos increasing the funding request from $565,000 to $665,000 for the City of New Braunfels and increasing the funding request from $1,647,560 to $1,957,166 for the City of San Marcos.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
This agenda item supports the EAA's policy direction as set forth in the EAA 2016-20 Strategic Plan: Goal A. Sustain Federally Protected Aquifer-Dependent Species.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If approved, the amendment to the 2019 City of San Marcos Funding Application will require a budget amendment to increase the 2019 appropriation by $309,606 and the amendment to the 2019 City of New Braunfels Funding Application will require a budget amendment to increase the 2019 appropriation by $100,000. The board will be asked to consider these budget amendments later in this agenda.