Report Prepared by: Joseph D. Angulo, Environmental Project Manager, Engineering
Title
SUBJECT: Award of Bid and Approval of Contract to LSA Associates, Inc. for Environmental Compliance Services for the Proposed Well Site No. 22, Project No. 116020, in the Amount of $94,422.02
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers awarding a contract in the amount of $94,422.02 to LSA Associates, Inc. to prepare an Environmental Impact Report for the proposed municipal Well 22 at 3987 North Hatch Road.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion awarding a contract for the proposed Well Site No. 22 environmental impact report to LSA Associates, Inc., in the amount of $94,422; and, authorizing the City Manager or the Assistant 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 $31,000 are made by written contract in accordance with Merced Municipal Code, Title 3 - Revenue and Finance, Chapter 3.04.
Merced County Code, Title 9, Chapter 9.27 - Merced County Groundwater Mining and Export Ordinance No. 1930
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2019-20 Adopted Budget
DISCUSSION
Municipal Well Site 22
The City of Merced utilizes groundwater as the sole source for the City’s water supply system. Existing municipal Well No. 7B, located at 3362 McKee Road, has contained nitrate concentrations above the California Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water supplies. Due to this condition, it was taken out of service in April 2009. The State Water Resources Control Board- Drinking Water Division (SWRCB-DDW) is the permitting agency for the City’s water supply system and it issued the City an updated Water Permit No. 03-11-17P-029 in March 2017. The new 2017 permit required that the City physically disconnect Well No. 7B from the system.
A new Well No. 22 is proposed to serve as a replacement for Well No. 7B. The City Engineer and Public Works Director have recommended that a new water well be located on a 4-acre City owned parcel at the intersection of Hatch and Cardella Roads (approximately 1.4 miles north of Well No. 7B). This location is outside of the current City limits and in the unincorporated area of Merced County.
The Well No. 22 pump station project generally consists of: the installation of a groundwater well, pump station building, electrical service, emergency backup generator, and associated plumbing to connect the site to the existing water system. The installation of the new groundwater well outside of the City limits will require a permit from the Merced County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health.
In 2015, Merced County adopted a new ordinance pertaining to groundwater supply wells and associated permitting - Merced County Groundwater Mining and Export Ordinance No. 1930. This ordinance requires that new well permitting conform to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Staff expected that a CEQA Focused Environmental Impact Report would be applicable to the new well site project and solicited proposals from consulting firms with relevant environmental compliance experience. Four firms submitted proposals as of the suspense date. An evaluation committee was convened consisting of Public Works Water Division, Planning and Engineering staff members. Each member rated the proposals by granting up to 100 points on criteria including, but not limited to: staff qualifications, technical experience, technical approach and completeness. Shown below are the proposals’ combined scores out of a maximum possible of 400 total points:
LSA Associates, Inc., Fresno, California 363
Quad Knopf Inc., Merced, California 361
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Engineers, Merced, California 359
Stantec, Rocklin, California 345
The evaluators selected LSA Associates, Inc. as the preferred proposal.
LSA Associates, Inc. Scope of Work
The contract under consideration includes the preparation of an Initial Study and a Focused EIR. The contract also includes assisting staff with reporting and public review requirements of CEQA.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
This project was established as a Capital Improvement Project and account 556-1118-637.65-00-116020 contains sufficient funding to complete the project.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Site Map
3. Contract
4. Merced County Ordinance No. 1930