2024-533-E-Planning Dept-Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail-The Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail shall hire an MST Ombudsman as a part-time

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Attachment A “Proposal” MST Ombudsman Orange County Professional Services Contract proposal Background: The Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (FMST) and Orange County signed an MOA in 2018 defining our shared interest in, and areas of cooperation with, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) route through Orange County. In particular, the MOA discusses our mutual interest in identifying future easements that would allow for expanding the MST. In the intervening six years, easement acquisition has emerged as the biggest hurdle to completing the trail through the county. Proposal: The Friends propose to hire an “MST Ombudsman” as a part-time contractor, with Orange County’s support, whose primary responsibility will be to conduct initial outreach to landowners, with the goal of identifying those willing to discuss easements for the trail. These outreach efforts will be focused on future MST route opportunities, as opposed to the ongoing easement acquisition efforts, and be an extension of (not a duplication to) the current Orange County Land Conservation Manager's efforts. This contractor would not negotiate easement terms in any way, nor make any expressions of funding commitment for potential projects, but will communicate any expressed landowner interest to the Orange County Land Conservation Manager for evaluation and proper follow up. This contractual arrangement will be a pilot project for ten months in duration, beginning September 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. It is anticipated that the MST Ombudsman would work 10-15 hours per week, at $20/hour. Funding for the position will be on a 50-50 cost share arrangement between Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Orange County. The employee will be a contractor of the Friends organization and will be administered and paid through the organization’s processes. The cost for the six-month pilot project is anticipated to be $15,000 (including expenses), with Orange County funding up to one-half or $7,500 of this amount. The two parties will meet in September 2024-June 2025 and determine whether to continue the project as a more permanent arrangement, with any modifications as jointly agreed. The Ombudsman would initially spend time in the Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) office to learn about tools, approaches and the Land Conservation Manager's communication needs, and work closely with the Land Conservation Manager to prioritize areas for outreach. The Land Conservation Manager of Orange County DEAPR will be the primary point of contact for the position. Following that, the position would generate (in coordination with the County) possible lines of easements (connections between roads and/or existing trail) and research and identify the number of landowner contacts along each potential section of MST. Hydrology and topology concerns will be noted. The contractor would be in regular communication in writing with the Land Conservation Manager, at a frequency set by the Land Conservation Manager (time based, number of landowner contacts, etc.). It is anticipated that the Ombudsman will have regular check-ins with the County Land Conservation Manager at least biweekly, or more frequently as needed. It is acknowledged there will be a mix of landowner interest levels encountered, and that understanding and recording the level of interest itself is valuable information for future planning as it can help guide follow-up steps as key land turns over. All Docusign Envelope ID: A683C8B5-6BB7-4CA8-80EC-4BE23376EFAD