MOUNTAINS RECREATION & CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

1 MEMORANDUM RANCHO PALOS VERDES TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: REVIEWED: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL CORY LINDER, DIRECTOR, RECREATION AND PARKS@) JUNE 17, 2014 MOUNTAINS RECREATION & CONSERVATION AUTHORITY CONTRACT RENEWAL CAROLYNN PETRU, ACTING CITY MANAGER@) Staff Coordinator: Katie Loza~&:~dministrative Analyst II - RECREATION and Parks Department RECOMMENDATION Approve a 3-year agreement in the approximate amount of $555,000, or $185,000 per year, with the MOUNTAINS RECREATION and CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (MRCA) for park ranger services. BACKGROUND Following the completion of the Preserve Trails Plan in 2008, the City decided to implement park ranger services within the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. Park ranger services assist the City to protect the Preserve habitat, educate the public regarding Preserve rules, and provide measures of public safety.

2 The City began contracting with MRCA for ranger services in December 2009. In 2011, the City entered into a three-year agreement with MRCA which expires June 30, 2014. Ranger services include public education and enforcement; minor maintenance, such as clearing graffiti and litter and replacing missing trail marker decals; and interpretive programming. Approximately 10% of the ranger contract is used for interpretive programing, including the Junior Ranger Program, night hikes, and public appearances and talks at events such as Whale of a Day, Annual Trails Day, and the City's July 4th Celebration. DISCUSSION The proposed contract term is July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017. The contract includes a total of 8,550 hours, or 2,850 hours per year, which equates to approximately 50 patrol hours and 5 interpretive hours per week.

3 This is similar to the existing contract. In the current contract, the City is charged for half of the drive time rangers spend commuting to the City, because the City is the furthest jurisdiction in which MRCA patrols; rangers commute from Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Azuza, and Calabasas. The new contract proposes to increase the H-1 MRCA Contract June 17, 2014 Page2 charged drive time from 1 hour per patrol, to hours per patrol. This means an 8 hour patrol shift will be charged at hours of patrol and hours of drive time. Staff and rangers feel the proposed hours allocation will continue to provide effective enforcement and will enable staff and rangers to maintain the current level of popular interpretive programing. The new agreement proposes a 5% cost increase in fiscal year 14/15 and increases based on the Los Angeles County CPI for fiscal years 15/16 and 16/17.

4 Los Angeles County's average CPI over the past 12 months is A provision for increases in gasoline charges is detailed in Exhibit A of the agreement, adding a weekly fee if gasoline prices exceed the thresholds of $ , $ , and $ MRCA has shared that their costs have increased approximately 17% since 2011 due to rising costs for liability insurance, workman's compensation, and medical insurance. While they initially requested the City's contract to cover 100% of these cost increases, staff and MRCA negotiated the presented contract to lower the cost impact on the City and .continue the successful relationship. The proposed contract also includes a reciprocal indemnification provisions in sections and If the agreement is approved, over the next three years rangers will continue to conduct targeted patrols during the week while maintaining full coverage on the weekends.

5 Rangers work with staff to vary their patrols based on Preserve usage, problem areas, and enforcement concerns. Examples of factors that help determine how rangers patrol include high attendance at the coast during nice weather and low tide, misuse hotspots, and trail misuse at popular times of the day. Rangers would also include patrol by horseback over the next three years to improve education on user group trail etiquette. ALTERNATIVES Council may chose not to contract with the MRCA for ranger services, or Council may direct staff to research alternative methods to provide enforcement in the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The City, Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC), and MRCA rangers are working collaboratively to change the way the public uses the Preserve to achieve rules compliance and reduce habitat damage.

6 This effort includes public education, enforcement, signage, effectively closing unauthorized trails, increased presence, improving user experience, volunteer and interpretive programs, and collecting public input. Over the past two years, together the three agencies have implemented several management tools to this end including new rules signage at Preserve entry points, quarterly Public Preserve Forum meetings, the PVPLC's Volunteer Trail Watch Program and Volunteer Rapid Response Team, and making more Preserve information available on the City's website. Staff looks forward to continued improved compliance through working with PVPLC and MRCA with existing and new land management efforts. FISCAL IMPACT The three-year agreement is in the approximate amount of $555,000 to cover July 1, 2014 H-2 MRCA Contract June 17, 2014 Page3 through June 30, 2017.

7 The FY 14-15, FY 15-16, and FY 16-17 draft budgets each include an annual allocation of approximately $185,000 in the RECREATION Administration Program of the General Fund to reflect the contract cost from July 2014 through June 2017. Attachment: Proposed agreement with MRCA H-3 Attachment #1 Agreement between MOUNTAINS RECREATION and CONSERVATION AUTHORITY and City of Rancho Palos Verdes H-4 CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES This Agreement is made on this __ day of June, 2014, by and between the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, (hereinafter referred to as the "CITY") and the MOUNTAINS RECREATION and CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (hereinafter referred to as "MRCA"). RECITALS A The CITY proposes to contract for professional services as outlined below; B.

8 MRCA is willing to perform such services and has the necessary qualifications by reason of experience, preparation, and organization to provide such services; C. NOW, THEREFORE, the CITY and MRCA mutually agree as follows: 1. SERVICES. MRCA shall perform those services set forth in "Exhibit A," which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. 2. TERM OF AGREEMENT. The term of this contract shall commence on July 1, 2014 and shall expire on June 30, 2017, unless extended in writing in advance by both parties. 3. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES. CITY agrees to compensate MRCA for the services described in Exhibit A MRCA shall be paid within thirty (30) days of presentation of an invoice to the CITY for services performed to the CITY's satisfaction.

9 MRCA shall submit invoices quarterly describing the services performed, the date services were performed, a description of reimbursable costs, and any other information requested by the CITY. 4. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION. The CITY's Representative. Unless otherwise designated in writing, RECREATION and Parks Administrative Analyst Katie Lozano shall serve as the CITY'S representative for the administration of the contract. All activities performed by MRCA shall be coordinated with this person. Manager-in-Charge. For MRCA, Senior Ranger Jewel Johnson shall be in charge of all matters relating to this Agreement. The Manager-in-Charge shall not be replaced without the written consent of the CITY. Responsibilities of the CITY. The CITY shall provide all relevant documentation in its possession to MRCA upon request, in order to minimize duplication of efforts.

10 The CITY's staff shall work with MRCA as necessary to facilitate performance of the services. Personnel. MRCA represents that it has or will secure at its own expense all personnel required to perform the services under this Agreement. All of the services required under this Agreement will be 1716071V2 Page 1 of 11 H-5 CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES performed by MRCA or under its supervision, and all personnel engaged in the work shall be qualified to perform such services. MRCA reserves the right to determine the assignment of its own employees to the performance of MRCA's services under this Agreement, but the CITY reserves the right, for good cause, to require MRCA to exclude any employee from performing services on the CITY's premises.