OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. – The Olympic Valley Public Service District Board took a key step toward updating development impact fees charged for fire services by approving a contract for a legally required nexus study and fee analysis.

The district awarded SCI Consulting Group a $29,380 contract to conduct the in-depth nexus study analysis and supplemental documentation requirements for annual and five-year reporting on fee revenues and expenditures.

“We’ve worked with Placer County to know how to structure the fee program so it’s easily adopted,” said Blair Aas with SCI Consulting Group who spoke on Zoom to the board.

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Consulting firm SCI, with direct experience updating fire impact fees for the nearby Truckee Fire Protection District, was selected as the lowest qualified bidder out of three firms submitting proposals for the legally mandated work.

SCI has done this study for 36 California fire protection districts.

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“After fees have been approved by the county, they can’t become effective until another 2 months after that,” said Aas. “So realistically you’re looking at early 2025 when these fees would become effective.”

The district collects fire impact fees on new residential, commercial, and lodging construction projects to fund corresponding expansions and improvements to fire protection facilities, apparatus, and staffing levels. The current fee schedule dates back to 2001.

To continue assessing the existing fees and ensure legal compliance, state law mandates that a comprehensive nexus study be performed to demonstrate a reasonable relationship between the fees collected and the actual cost of fire service enhancements made necessary by new development.

The nexus study will scrutinize projected growth trends and demographic data to gauge future fire service demands from new developments. That analysis will then be weighed against the anticipated capital costs of expanding facilities, equipment, and personnel to maintain consistent fire protection levels as the community expands.

Once completed, the nexus study will recommend an updated development impact fee schedule aligned with the true cost impacts created by new construction projects. Proposed fire fee adjustments would then undergo a formal public review process before adoption.

Website overhaul and migration

The board also unanimously approved a $13,500 contract with Alpen Lily Web Services for a comprehensive overhaul and migration of the district’s website to a new platform.

“It’s not just a want, it’s a need,” said Jessica Asher, board secretary and program manager. “It’s going to sunset and we will no longer have security updates at the end of the calendar year. So we need to migrate … to a different platform and we’re taking the opportunity to redesign our site.”

The current district website was built in 2014 utilizing the Drupal 7 content management system. In January 2025, the website will become obsolete when security updates and support for that platform are discontinued.

The approved redesign project aims to transition the district’s web presence to the modern WordPress environment.

The redesign will enhance the website’s user experience through updated architecture, visuals, and mobile-friendly responsiveness. The streamlined back-end will let staff easily update and maintain content.

The district opted to continue its long-standing collaboration with Renee Deinken of Alpen Lily Web Services based on its proven expertise in public sector website development and successful track record migrating sites from Drupal to WordPress.

Deinken is highly recommended. Since 2014, the district has partnered with the web studio since it launched. Asher spoke highly of Deinken complimenting her responsive service, technical proficiency, and fiscally-responsible approach.

From concept through launch, Alpen Lily will spearhead the redesign process to incorporate best practices for appealing and accessible government websites. While the initial $13,500 base contract does not cover comprehensive accessibility auditing, the district has budgeted for supplemental accessibility reviews and remediation to be performed by Alpen Lily over the next fiscal year.

The website overhaul is anticipated to be completed in the coming months, providing the Olympic Valley community with a modernized and user-friendly online resource for district information and services.

Materials testing, inspection services contract

The board also approved a $12,600 professional services agreement with CME for materials testing and inspection services during construction of the upcoming emergency intertie project.

Board Chair Dale Cox recused himself.

The intertie project, slated to begin construction in June 2024, involves installing a new pipeline to interconnect the district’s water system with the Olympic Valley Mutual Water Company’s distribution network. This will allow the two systems to provide emergency backup water supply to one another in an outage.

A team of inspectors and construction managers is being formed to help the project meet design specifications, permit requirements, and industry standards. While OVPSD staff and engineering consultants from DOWL will handle daily oversight, CME has been contracted to provide specialized geotechnical inspection services.

CME’s scope of work includes observing earthwork activities, conducting field density testing on trench backfill and subgrade materials, and performing necessary lab analysis of soil samples. The firm will also inspect the placement of hot-mix asphalt paving and review construction material submittals for compliance.

By enlisting CME’s technical expertise, the district aims to validate that all underground utility, subgrade preparation, and paving work meets geotechnical requirements critical for long-term pipeline performance and longevity. The added quality assurance further safeguards the multi-million dollar infrastructure investment.

The approved inspection services agreement represents a key preparatory step as the district finalizes bid documents and initiates the competitive contractor procurement process for the high-priority emergency intertie project over the coming months.

Brenna O’Boyle enjoys covering Lake Tahoe entertainment. Her beat includes Incline Village, Kings Beach and Tahoe City. She loves to write travel pieces and report on food/alcohol-related events. Brenna is also a Reno Public Art Committee member who identifies, reviews, and recommends artists for public art opportunities.