LAKEPORT >> A nearly quarter million dollar agreement for archaeological services for the Cole Creek Bridge replacement was approved by the Lake County Board of Supervisors during their Oct. 28 meeting.
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington recused himself from the discussion, citing a potential conflict of interest. His family owns property near the project”s location.
The agreement, which totals $219,000, with Berkeley-based Pacific Legacy, Inc. will include “the collection and storage of any materials found” during the construction phase of the project.
The county anticipated a need for such services.
“One of the challenges of this structure is it is currently sitting on a known archaeological site,” Lake County Public Works Director Scott De Leon said. “We went through the NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) process and one of the requirements of getting the environmental approval is ? monitoring that consists of data recovery.”
In addition to national obligations, the project had to meet state and tribal rules, as well.
“The services that this firm will be providing are in accordance with the approved data recovery plan that was developed and approved by the state,” De Leon added. “The local tribes were consulted as part of the development of the data recovery plan.”
Of the total contract amount, a little more than $175,000 will be for positions including a lithic specialist, archaeological technicians, a paleobotanist, as well as various supervisors and managers.
The remaining approximate $43,000 will be allocated to other direct costs, which include food, lodgings, mileage, safety equipment and fuel.
Usually, items such as this are included in the consent agenda at supervisors” meetings, De Leon Said. But because of the contract amount and the scope of the project, he decided to bring it to the board as a regular agenda item.
The project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which required the county to undergo the NEPA process.
“It is like CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), only bigger,” District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said.
“It is a whole other level of environmental review,” De Leon agreed.
The county”s matching component for project funding will be a part of the Surface Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which means the project is completely funded, De Leon said.
The board approved the contract with a 4-0 vote, with Farrington absent.
“This is one of the examples that I always use on why projects cost so much,” District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said. “We know this is a site and we know that they are going to build the thing, and we still have to go through the hoops and hurdles that the state legislature has imposed on us.”
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
