Title
HEARING - Consider recommendations regarding a Strategic Energy Planning Consulting Agreement, as follows: (EST. TIME: 20 MIN.)
a) Approve and authorize the Chair to execute an Agreement for Services of Independent Contractor with Optony Inc. in an amount not to exceed a base cost of $162,700.00 for strategic energy planning services including conducting a clean energy potential study and developing a clean energy roadmap for Santa Barbara County;
b) Approve and authorize the Chair to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the cooperating cities of Goleta and Carpinteria, under which the cooperating cities and the County commit to provide funding in support of the County’s contract with Optony Inc. for strategic energy planning services;
c) Authorize the Community Services Director or designee to approve change orders for à la carte items up to $30,000.00; à la carte items shall be paid for by the cooperating partner that elects the item; and
d) Determine that the recommended actions do not constitute a project subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4), as the actions are the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to any specific project, and Section 15378(b)(5), as the actions are the organizational and administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: APPROVE