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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6 CEQA 2009 District Pipeline Agenda Item # 6 rflity District TRUCKEE DONNER ACTION To: Board of Directors From: Neil Kaufman Date: January 07, 2009 Subject: Approval of the CEQA Mitigated ment 2009 Projectclaration for the District Pipeline Replace 1. WHY THIS MATTER IS BEFORE THE BOARD The District is proposing construction of the District strihe t Pipeline requirlacement -ed to complete an 09 project. Prior to starting construction activities, environmental review of the proposed project in compliance with CEQA. 2. HISTORY garding the In 2005 and 2006, the Water Departmenhe need tt made o pursue a pipeline d presentations ereplacement condition of existing water pipelines and t P a COP in 2006 and dedicated a portion of program. The District subsequently issued those funds for the pipeline replacement program. Pipeline art of this constrprograuction projects have been undertaken during 2006, 2007 and as P On September 17, 2008, the Board approved a contract with Inland Ecosystems to perform the CEQA Initial Study. On November 19, 2008, the Board approved the CEQA Initial Study and directed that it be circulated. On December 17, 2008, the Board held a public hearing to receive comments on the CEQA initial study. The November 19, 2008, Board Memorandum described the planned 2009 pipeline construction as covering about 17,400 feet of pipeline in the Tahoe Donner area. A number of the pipeline alignments involve replacement of the existing pipe with a new pipe of the same size and are Categorically Exempt from review under CEQA. Other existing pipelines are too small and required upsizing. These pipelines are discussed in the CEQA document under consideration. 3. NEW INFORMATION The 30 day public review period is complete. The District did not receive any comments regarding the project and there is no new information regarding the CEQA review at this time. Since November 19, 2008, the following changes have been made to the planned 2009 construction project. 1) It was determined that the total project would be broken into three separate construction contracts for bidding purposes. 2) About 580 feet of joint trench along Skislope Way was added to the project at the request of the Electric Department. The water pipe will be installed in a joint trench along with electric conduits. Donner Lake conduits are needed to as part of the Electric Department's Circuit No. 3 project. These pipeline and conduit installations were covered under two separate CEQA reviews performed in late 2007. The Water Department had originally planned to construct this pipe in 2010 and had no objection to accelerating the project by one year to accommodate the Electric Department. 3) In the Fall of 2008, the District advertised for bids to perform the West Reed Avenue Piping Modification project. One bid was received and was rejected as too expensive. This work is categorically exempt under CEQA and will be included in one of the construction contracts. 4) The Water Department's 2009 budge Donner View tank s test includes the tion of This work is valve stations at the Innsbruck and categorically exempt under CEQA and will be included in one of the construction contracts. The current scope of the planned 2009 pipeline construction is in Figure 1. The current project schedule is given below: November 19, 2008 - Board Approval of CEQA Initial Study December 17, 2008 - Public Hearing on CEQA Initial Study January 7, 2009 - Adoption of Final CEQA Document January 2009 - Begin Advertising for Bids February 24, 2009 -Open Bids March 4, 2009 - Award Construction Contracts May 1, 2009 - Begin Construction Attachments: Figure 1 Final Mitigated Negative Declaration 4. FISCAL IMPACT pproval of the Initial Study. Funding of the There is no direct cost associated with a CEQA preparation was addressed when the contract with Inland Ecosystems was approved. Additional funding is not needed. 5. RECOMMENDATION llowing actions regarding the environmental Recommend that the Board take the fo review for the 2009 Pipeline Replacement Project. 1. Adopt the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration 2. Approve the project for purposes of CEQA 3. Approve the Mitigated Monitoring Plan 4. Authorize the filing of the Notice of Determination with the Office of the Nevada County Clerk and the Governor's Office of Planning and Research 5. Adopt the De Minimis Impact Finding and authorize the filing of the Certificate of Fee Exemption with the Nevada County Clerk 6. Adopt a finding that the draft documents as circulated and the negative I ration reflect the District's independent judgment is ael D. Holley Ed aylor General Manager Water Utility Manager