Tiburon approves consultant contract and OPC grant recognition for sea level rise adaptation plan

The Tiburon Town Council authorized the town manager on Nov. 5 to execute a contract with Moffatt & Nichol to develop a sea level rise vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan tailored to the town, and approved a fiscal year 2026 budget amendment to recognize $200,000 of Ocean Protection Council (OPC) grant funding for the project.

Town staff said the project responds to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) guidelines, which require bayfronting communities in BCDC jurisdiction to develop subregional plans by 2034. Staff noted the town previously adopted Resolution 24-25 approving the application for a $593,877 OPC grant to develop a Tiburon-specific vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan. The project is scoped as a 24-month planning effort with five tasks: project management; review and synthesis of prior analyses; vulnerability assessment; adaptation planning; and 10% design of selected strategies.

Staff and the selected consultant described the planned approach and team. Grace (staff), the project lead, said the town will lead the project with Moffatt & Nichol as prime consultant; subcontractors include O'Rourke & Associates (community engagement lead), CMG Landscape Architecture (resilience planning), and BKF Engineers (stormwater and drainage). The town expects the project to focus on downtown areas, Blackie’s Pasture and The Cove, and to address community engagement and equity as required by the RSAP guidelines.

Eunice Nuri, coastal engineer and project manager with Moffatt & Nichol, introduced the consultant team and told council members: “We're excited to work with you all and advance this beyond just a study that's going to get, sit on a shelf and get dust.” Staff said the FY26 budget amendment recognizes $200,000 of the grant in the current fiscal year; the total grant award referenced in the meeting is $593,877.

The mayor declared a potential business conflict of interest and left the room for the discussion and vote on the contract; the council proceeded and approved the staff recommendation by roll call during the mayor’s absence. The project manager’s contract will be executed for the grant amount; the planning product is explicitly a planning document and not a construction contract—implementation or construction would proceed only after additional design and approvals.

Clarifying details from the meeting: the transcript refers to the RSAP guidelines issued by BCDC (December 2024) and staff cited Resolution 24-25 (Aug. 14, 2025 adoption referenced) as the council action approving the grant application. The staff presentation described the project term as 24 months and the five task structure; staff said the project will include an equity assessment and adaptation strategies distinct from construction-level work. The transcript does not include detailed cost breakdowns beyond the total grant amount and the FY26 $200,000 recognition.