Candidate for
Council Member; City of Pismo Beach; 4 Year Term

Kris A. Vardas

EDUCATION:

Masters of Business Administration, California State University, Sacramento, 1998

B.S. Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, University of California, Davis, 1990

QUALIFICATIONS: Land Use Consultant/Planner

SKILLS: Mr. Vardas' work focuses primarily on environmental impact assessment and permitting. As a project manager and environmental planner, Mr. Vardas interfaces with public agency and applicant representatives, and coordinates project work. He maintains day-to-day involvement with the projects he is involved with by actively preparing reports and reviewing supporting materials prepared by team members. He manages project budgets and financial reporting and is also responsible for business development.

Mr. Vardas has been involved in several phases of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes from the preparation of Initial Studies/Mitigated Negative Declarations (IS/MNDs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for a variety of water resources, oil & gas/industrial, land use development, restoration, and schools facility projects throughout California.

Mr. Vardas has been involved in the permitting process for projects with multi-agency involvement including the California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Air Pollution Control/Management Districts, and City and County governments.

Mr. Vardas has served on a variety of committees and task forces organized to develop and implement plans and projects to resolve various land use issues.

Specific skills include:

• Project Management
• Business Development
• Staff supervision
• CEQA/NEPA
• California Endangered Species Act/Federal Endangered Species Act
• 1602, 401, and 404 permitting
• Technical Writing
• MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, ArcGIS (ArcView)
• Oral Presentations before Boards, Councils, and Commissions

PADRE ASSOCIATES Project Manager/Business Development North Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse Project. Mr. Vardas is serving as project manager for preparation of an EIR/EIS for the North Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse Project for the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA). This project involves developing the infrastructure (100 miles of pipelines, 10 pumping plants, and 18 reservoirs) to store and distribute recycled water to approximately 21,000 acres of agricultural land in the Russian River, Alexander, and Dry Creek Valleys of northern Sonoma County. Primary issues include impacts to biological resources, cultural resources, land use, public health, water quality, and other issues. The project also involves coordination with various agencies, including the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Morro Bay State Park Marina Enhancement Plan EIR/EIS. Mr. Vardas is serving as project manager for preparation of an EIR/EIS for a proposed expansion and enhancement of the Morro Bay State Park Marina. Primary issues include water quality and biological resource impacts, tidal hydrology, sediment analysis, dredging, bathymetry, and cultural resources. The project is being executed in three phases: (1) Project Refinement and Alternatives Development; (2) EIR/EIS preparation; and (3) Permitting. The project will require numerous federal, state, and local permits.

Plains Exploration and Production EIR. Mr. Vardas served as project manager for the preparation of an EIR for the Plains Exploration and Production Phase IV Development Plan, which involved expansion of an existing oil field in the Price Canyon Oil Field. The project will involve construction of 125 oil wells and increasing oil production from approximately 1,800 BOPD to 5,000. Issues include aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, paleontological resources, hydrogeology/water quality.

Biorn Asphalt Plant and CUP EIR. Mr. Vardas served as project manager for the preparation of a Draft EIR for construction and operation of a proposed asphalt plant and associated general plan amendment. The project site is just north of the Santa Maria River, adjacent to Highway 101. Issues included aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, wastewater, water resources, and transportation/circulation.

Grant Joint Union High School District EIR. Mr. Vardas prepared an EIR for a proposed high school/middle school to be constructed north of downtown Sacramento. The project included various administrative buildings, classrooms, sport fields, and a stadium. Key issues include aesthetics, biological resources, noise, public services, transportation/circulation, and consistency with both the County of Sacramento and City of Sacramento General Plans and related plans and policies.

Village at Maymont IS/MND. Mr. Vardas served as project manager for preparation of an IS/MND for the City of Sacramento for a mixed-use project consisting of a collection of enclaves that combine living, working, and shopping. Issues included aesthetics, cultural resources, hazardous materials, land use, and transportation/circulation.

Dove Creek Mixed-Use Development IS/MND. Mr. Vardas served as project manager for preparation of an IS/MND for a proposed 282-residential unit and 60,000 sq-ft of commercial use for the City of Atascadero. Primary issues include impacts to biological resources, aesthetics, cultural resources, and traffic/circulation.

California State Lands Commission Carone Petroleum Oil Field Development Project. Mr. Vardas served as State project manager for preparation of a draft EIR for a project involving horizontal drilling from Platform Hogan (federal waters) into State waters.

CSLC Project Management Office. Mr. Vardas helped develop a Project Management Office (PMO) to ensure the successful execution of internal projects to improve operations. This entailed working with operations/information technology consultants in developing an agency-wide strategic plan, tactical plan, operations plans, records management plan, feasibility study reports, business case, project management procedures and processes, and detailed requirements documents.

AT&T NEX/CORE Fiber Optic Cable Project. Mr. Vardas served as project manager for preparation of an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for a project involving installation of a fiber optic cable in several counties in California. Project management required consultations with the California Department of Fish and Game, and US Fish and Wildlife Service. He also oversaw the preparation and execution of a mitigation monitoring program for the project.

Lower Owens River Project. Mr. Vardas represented the California State Lands Commission in an initiative involving multiple agencies and interest groups to restore a 60-mile stretch of the Lower Owens River Project. He helped prepare and review supporting materials for the EIR/EIS prepared for the initiative.

California Department of Water Resources Kern Fan Element EIR. Mr. Vardas prepared sections of an EIR for a project to develop a groundwater recharge and extraction bank in Kern County. He also assisted in the preparation of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to meet additional mitigation bank project goals.

Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basins Comprehensive Study. Mr. Vardas served as project manager for development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to assist in mapping and modeling of riparian, agriculture, infrastructure, and land use of the Central Valley.

Merced River Restoration Project. Mr. Vardas oversaw the preparation of a mitigated negative declaration and environmental assessment and subsequent permitting for a project to restore a reach of the Merced River for Chinook Salmon.

Delta Land Management. Mr. Vardas performed various land management activities on behalf of the Department for properties owned in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This work involved monitoring encroachments, conducting environmental assessments, and coordinating compliance activities.

San Bernardino Intake Tower Reconstruction Project. Mr. Vardas prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration for a project to reconstruct an intake tower at Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. He also prepared a biological assessment for the project and coordinated with the California Department of Fish & Game and the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

Coastal Branch Phase-II Pipeline. Mr. Vardas prepared sections of an Environmental Impact Report for the construction of a pipeline to convey water to San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. Mr. Vardas obtained permits, and assisted in the development and execution of a mitigation monitoring program for the project.

Pyramid Lake Dam Emergency Spillway Repair Project. Mr. Vardas prepared the necessary CEQA document and obtain the required permits to allow repair of the emergency spillway of the Pyramid Lake Dam.

VOLUNTEER WORK:

Pismo Beach Planning Commission. Mr. Vardas served a 2-year term as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Pismo Beach. During this position, Mr. Vardas reviewed proposed use permit and variance requests for consistency with the City of Pismo Beach's General Plan and 1983 and 1998 Zoning Codes and in keeping with the community. Mr. Vardas made interpretations of policies and also made recommendations to the City Council on General Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments.

Central Coast American Public Works Association Treasurer. Mr. Vardas served as treasurer for the Central Coast Public Works Association. Duties included bookkeeping, collecting fees and dues, accounting, and preparing financial reports. UC Davis Planning Department

Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) EIR. Mr. Vardas assisted the University of California at Davis in developing a mitigation monitoring program in support of its long-range development plan. He coordinated with various departments within the campus to implementation of mitigation measures identified in the LRDP EIR.

RV Crago Research Vessel Teaching Assistant. Mr. Vardas served as a teaching assistant for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District's RV Crago Research Vessel/Program. Mr. Vardas conducted various water quality, sediment quality, and biological sampling techniques and taught these techniques to fifth-grade to junior college students throughout Contra Costa County.

Assistant Coach/Coach. Mr. Vardas has served as an assistant coach and/or coach with both AYSO and Beach Cities Baseball.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Mr. Vardas engages in continuing education in the fields of land use, environmental permitting, planning and special topics by attending courses offered through the University of California (U.C.), Los Angeles Public Policy Program, U.C. Davis Extension, and other professional skills enhancement programs. His hobbies include surfing, woodworking, cycling, and spending time with his family.