TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JULY 9, 2009
COMMITTEE ON ENGINEERING
Mr. Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Title
Authority to execute Amendment No. 1 to the Thornton Composite Reservoir Project Cooperation Agreement between the Department of the Army and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Body
Dear Sir:
On September 18, 2003, the District executed a Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for construction of the Thornton Composite Reservoir. The PCA specifies that the federal government would construct the reservoir, and the District would act as the non-federal sponsor for the project.
At the June 17, 2004 Board Meeting, due to federal funding shortfalls and the need to keep the project on schedule, the Board of Commissioners authorized and directed the Executive Director to pursue all necessary actions with the Corps to assume control of the design and construction of the Thornton Composite Reservoir and pursue reimbursement of the Corps’ funding obligations through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
The WRDA of 2007 included language allowing the District to design and construct the subject project and to be eligible to receive reimbursement from the government for the federal cost contribution. Amendment No. 1 to the PCA provides the terms under which the reimbursement can occur, including the District’s obligations for designing and constructing the reservoir in accordance with plans that are approved by the Corps.
For the above reasons, it is respectfully requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, the Clerk, the Director of Procurement and Materials Management, and the Executive Director, be authorized and directed to execute Amendment No. 1 to the Thornton Composite Reservoir PCA on the foregoing terms after the same is approved by the Director of Engineering as to technical matters and by the General Counsel as to form and legality.
Requested, Joseph P. Sobanski, Director of Engineering, NV:MVL:KMF
Recommended, Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Recommended, Frederick M. Feldman, General Counsel
Respectfully Submitted, Frank Avila, Chairman Committee on Engineering
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for July 9, 2009