Report Prepared by: Joseph D. Angulo, Environmental Project Manager, Engineering
Title
SUBJECT: Agreement for Professional Services with HerSchy Environmental, Inc., for Groundwater Sampling and Reporting Services
REPORT IN BRIEF
Consider authorizing an agreement for groundwater well sampling and reporting services in support of the Airport Hazardous Waste Site investigation.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving an Agreement for Professional Services with HerSchy Environmental, Inc. for a three year term of July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019, in the amount of $8,503 annually for each of the fiscal years FY 2016/17, FY 2017/18, and FY 2018/19 to provide groundwater well sampling and reporting services; and, authorizing the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to modifications as conditioned by City Council; or,
3. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
4. Deny.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200, et seq.
Services with an estimated value greater than $28,000.00 are made by written contract in accordance with Merced Municipal Code, Title 3 - Revenue and Finance, Chapter 3.04.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2016-17 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION
The City has been working since the 1980’s to investigate and remediate contamination at the Merced Regional Airport Hazardous Waste Site, located in the vicinity of Riggs and West Avenues. The site contains contaminants from old crop dusting operations, petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents and other volatile substances from a fire department training area. Investigation and asphalt capping of portions of the site has been completed. In 2004, a City consultant performed groundwater remediation by injecting the site with a “hydrogen-releasing compound” to accelerate natural degradation of the contaminants. This action has had a positive effect in reducing contaminant concentrations at the site, but the chlorinated solvent PCE remains in groundwater and it is difficult to address. Regional Water Quality Control Board (Board) staff has acknowledged that the contaminant concentrations have declined and they reduced groundwater sampling and reporting requirements to reduce project costs. However, the residual levels of PCE still exceed the Board’s water quality objectives and they require ongoing monitoring and reporting actions.
The above sampling and reporting requirements necessitate procuring the services of an appropriate environmental consulting firm with the relevant expertise. On March 17, 2016, the City sent out a Request-for-Proposals to six environmental consulting firms. The Request-for-Proposals included provisions for conducting various sampling and reporting activities for the Airport Hazardous Waste Site for the period July 2016 through June 2019.
The proposals received were as follows:
Company (alphabetical order) Location
Condor Earth Technologies, Inc. Stockton, CA
HerSchy Environmental, Inc. Bass Lake, CA
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, Inc. Clovis, CA
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Fresno, CA
The remaining two companies responded as follows:
AECOM Fresno, CA (declined to propose)
Stratus Environmental, Inc. Cameron Park, CA (no response)
City staff convened an evaluation committee consisting of Engineering Division and Public Works Department staff. The proposals were evaluated on criteria including, but not limited to, costs, staff qualifications, groundwater sampling experience and technical approach. All four of the above firms demonstrated technical competence for the proposed work.
The committee selected HerSchy Environmental, Inc.’s proposal, with the lowest fee cost, as best meeting the needs of the City. Staff requested that HerSchy Environmental, Inc., provide a scope of work to meet the City’s requirements for a three-year period as detailed in the Request-for-Proposals. Their fee proposal of $25,509 will be apportioned at $8,503 equally for fiscal years FY 2016/17, FY 2017/18, and FY 2018/19.
HerSchy Environmental has been carrying out the project groundwater well sampling and reporting for the past several years and has performed satisfactorily.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
The current Fiscal Year 2016/17 budget includes an adequate balance in Fund 557-Water System Enterprise Fund, Professional Services Account No. 557-1106-532.17-00, for the first fiscal year 2016/17. Future appropriations will be incorporated into the annual budget.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement for Professional Services