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Lompoc approves DoD-funded resilience study engineering contract to explore interconnection with Vandenberg
Summary
Council approved, on consent, awarding engineering services funded by a Department of Defense grant to study electric/water interconnections and other projects to increase resilience with Vandenberg Space Force Base; debate centered on local benefits, costs to the general fund, and prioritizing return on investment.
The Lompoc City Council voted 5–0 on March 4 to accept a Department of Defense–funded grant project and award an engineering contract to develop design-level work for interconnections and resilience projects with Vandenberg Space Force Base.
City staff presented the history and scope: the city applied for and received a grant from the Department of Defense’s local defense community office (OLDCC) to study how the city and the base could improve mutual resilience. Steven Vai, senior administrative analyst, said the city was awarded about $1.3 million for the effort with a roughly 10% local cost share. Vai described the study’s objectives as interconnecting electric and water systems, hardening two package wastewater plants the city manages for the base, expanding on-site fuel storage and developing designs that would allow 14 days of off-grid resilience for city and installation functions.
Vai said the grant-funded work would include development of intergovernmental service agreements so the city could provide certain maintenance and services to the base under government-to-government terms, and he said that one near-term deliverable is conceptual and design work for an electric substation and distribution microgrid to improve redundancy. He told council the full engineering/design package now under contract is roughly $800,000 and that the city will provide about $40,000 in local staff match; the remainder will be paid with grant funds.
Several council members asked how residents would benefit and whether the city’s general fund or utility ratepayers would bear future costs. Council member Ball argued that adding a large, contracted customer on the electric system could stabilize costs for residents and provide revenue, while Council member Vega and others cautioned that administrative costs and potential future obligations should be weighed carefully. Vai said awarding the contract is a study and design step only; any future intergovernmental service agreements (IGSAs) or construction would require separate council approval and would not obligate the city until written agreements are executed.
Councillors suggested staff prepare a prioritized list of possible projects ordered by return on investment and community benefit so the council can direct the study toward elements that provide the clearest local gains. Vai said staff will return with further details and that grant reporting and design milestones are time constrained.
The consent calendar motion that included this award passed 5–0. Council members later discussed the broader defense-community work and asked staff to clarify budget impacts and prioritization for council review. No binding intergovernmental agreements were executed at the March 4 meeting.
Ending: Staff indicated they will return with prioritized options, cost estimates and any draft IGSA language before moving to construction or service agreements.
