Ventura authorizes $343K in new Sinclair gas station leak work

The Ventura City Council on March 24 authorized a combined $342,500 increase in spending tied to the Sinclair Gas Station Fuel Leak, raising the cap on environmental-consulting work and a separate legal-services contract.

Council voted to extend a Professional Services Agreement with Rincon Consultants, Inc. through December 31, 2026, increasing the not-to-exceed cap from $335,000 to $587,500. The City Attorney is also authorized to commit an additional $50,000 in contingency funding and to extend the term by up to six months.

According to the March 24 agenda packet, the same meeting raised the not-to-exceed cap on a separate Legal Services Agreement with Best, Best & Krieger, LLP from $60,000 to $150,000 for advisory work on the same incident.

Both contracts were brought to council by City Attorney Javan N. Rad and approved on consent. The agenda packet refers to the matter as both the 'Sinclair Gas Station Fuel Leak' and the 'Bayshore Incident' but does not specify the gas station's location, the volume of fuel released, when the leak was discovered, or which regulatory agencies are involved.

No further council action on either contract is currently scheduled.