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CIO ;Ir Gr " 11.A. SEBASTIAN AREA -WIDE SCRUB JAY HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN (HCP) - CONTRACT FOR DEVELOPMENT WITH SMITH ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC. The Board reviewed a Memorandum of June 30, 1998: TO: James E. Chandler County Administrator PA TMENT HEAD CONCURRENCE: Robert M. Keating, AICP Community Development F�for FROM: Roland M. DeBlois; �IICP Chief, Environmental Planning DATE: June 30, 1998 SUBJECT: Board Approval of Contract with Smith Environmental Services, Inc., for Development of a Sebastian Area -Wide Scrub Jay Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) It is requested that the information herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of July 7, 1998. DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS The Board of County Commissioners, at its meeting of December 9, 1997, authorized staff to develop a scope of services and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional services relating to development of a Sebastian area -wide scrub jay habitat conservation plan (HCP). The purpose of the proposed HCP is to obtain an "incidental take" permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to release for development ±450 privately owned platted scrub lots in Sebastian Highlands Subdivision, using publicly owned scrub land for mitigation credit to offset the development impacts of the platted scrub lots. In February, county staff issued an RFP, and subsequently an appointed selection committee chose Smith Environmental Services, Inc. (SES) as the top-ranked firm out of 11 proposals. On June 9, 1998, the Board of County Commissioners approved the selection committee's ranking, and authorized staff to negotiate a contract with SES. Staff has since negotiated a contract with Smith Environmental Services. The proposed contract (see attached) is hereby presented for the Board's approval. ANALYSIS Attachment A ("Scope of Services") of the contract reflects the scope of work outlined in the County's RFP. The proposed contract commits the consultant to complete the project in 6 months, at an overall cost of $24,440 (376 work hours at $65 per hour). As presented earlier to the Board, the County funding source for the project will be county environmental land bond monies, for which the expenditure qualifies according to bond counsel. In previous presentations to the Board, county staff estimated that the HCP would cost approximately $20,000. However, during the course of the consultant selection process, it became apparent to staff that the estimate was low, in that consultants' estima[es of work hours needed for the project were as high as 1,972 hours. In negotiating the contract with SES, staff coordinated with SES and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pair down consultant work hour needs, by means of county and FWS staff collecting available data and providing such things as aerial maps. Staffs position is that the negotiated contract with SES is "lean," and that the cost of $24,440 is appropriate given the scope of work. JULY 79 1998 . -42- • I