Report Prepared by: Ken F. Elwin, PE, Director of Public Works
Title
SUBJECT: Approval to Waive the Competitive Bidding Requirements for Professional Services, Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with V&A Consulting Engineers for Sanitary Sewer Flow Monitoring in the Amount of $68,875.
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers waiving the City’s competitive bidding requirements pursuant to Merced Municipal Code Section 3.04.210 and approving a Professional Services Agreement with V&A Consulting Engineers for Sanitary Sewer Flow Monitoring in the amount of $68,875.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Waiving the City’s competitive bidding requirement as permitted by Merced Municipal Code Section 3.04.210 for professional services; and,
B. Approving a Professional Services Agreement with V&A Consulting Engineers for Sanitary Sewer Flow Monitoring in the amount not to exceed $68,875; and,
C. Authorizing the Finance Officer to make the necessary budget adjustments; and,
D. Authorizing the City Manager or Deputy City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to conditions other than recommended by staff (identify specific findings and/or conditions amended to be addressed in the motion); or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
5. Continue to a future meeting (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
City of Merced Charter Section 3.04.210 - Exemptions from Competitive Bidding:
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, competitive bidding requirements for purchases in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00), the "bidding threshold, "may be waived with the approval of the city council. Waivers may be authorized for, but are not limited to, cooperative purchasing in conjunction with other governmental entities, professional services, annual service or supply agreements, or purchases necessary for standardization on particular types of equipment. The bidding threshold shall be adjusted for inflation utilizing the same index and methodology as the bidding threshold in Section 3.04.080 of this code.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the FY 2021/2022 adopted budget.
DISCUSSION
During the months of November and December 2019 the City performed flow monitoring at various points within the collection system. This flow-monitoring was conducted during that time period in an effort to try and capture wet weather flow events. The Flow monitoring information gathered was subsequently provided to Stantec to analyze and help with the hydraulic recalibration of the sewer model conversion and update that was done soon thereafter.
It was the intention of the City to do follow-up flow monitoring that would capture flow-monitoring during that part of the year where there is an extended dry period and when schools were back in session. This proposed flow monitoring is proposed to start in September and will collect flow data at 21 monitoring sites. These sites will be associated with particular zone areas in order to determine average dry weather flows from each. Analysis will be done for each zone based on specific data such as population within each in order to determine a per-capita flow. The determined per-capita flow numbers will be utililzed to update and refine the City’s sewer model.
History & Past Actions
At the March 3, 2019 meeting, Council approved an agreement with EMC Planning Group to prepare the North Merced Annexation Feasibility Study in the amount of $423,136. This contract is substantially complete and the remaining $65,809 from Fund 017 is available to partially fund the Flow Monitoring Study.
At the August 17, 2020 meeting, Council gave direction as part of the North Merced Annexation Feasibility Study item to move forward to doing more fine-tuning flow monitoring study to determine a more accurate assessment of a per capita flow sewer generation number. However, due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic it was not advisable to perform this flow monitoring during that period.
Staff is recommending waiving the City’s competitive bidding requirements for the procurement of Professional Services for standardization and continuity as V & A did the previous flow monitoring which was used in the calibration of the converted sewer hydraulic model work in collaboration with Stantec Consulting.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Fund 017-Development Services and Fund 551 - WWTP Component Fund contain sufficient funding within Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget to cover the cost of the agreement.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Professional Services Agreement