BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☒ No ☐
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: Title
Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreements with Four Consultant Firms: AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Agreement No. A5312A; Balance Hydrologics, Inc., Agreement No. A5313A; FlowWest, LLC., Agreement No. A5314A; and GEI Consultants, Inc., Agreement No. A5315A, to Provide On-Call Design and Technical Services for Fish Passage Remediation and Habitat Enhancement, PB File VW0264, for a Shared Not-to-Exceed Aggregate Fee of $5,000,000.
End
RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
A. Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement No. A5312A, with AECOM Technical Services, Inc., for on-call design and technical support services for fish passage remediation and habitat enhancement.
B. Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement NO. A5313A, with Balance Hydrologics, Inc., for on-call design and technical support services for fish passage remediation and habitat enhancement
C. Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement No. A5314A, with FlowWest, LLC., for on-call design and technical support services for fish passage remediation and habitat enhancement
D. Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement No. A5315A, with GEI Consultants, Inc., for on-call design and technical support services for fish passage remediation and habitat enhancement
E. Approve a Shared Aggregate Not-To-Exceed fee of $5,000,000 for all Agreements.
Body
SUMMARY:
Staff completed a countywide study in 2016 to identify priority sites for fish habitat improvements and is currently conducting a study focused on identifying priority sites fish passage improvements under the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program (SCW) Project D4: Fish Habitat and Passage Improvement. In addition, staff are planning and designing projects that aim to improve fish passage, restore natural channel geomorphology, and install instream habitat features. Examples of such projects currently in the planning phase include Coyote 10b Freshwater Wetland Restoration, Moffett Fish Ladder Improvement Project, Ogier Ponds Separation from Coyote Creek and Live Oak Restoration Reach. SCW Project D4 also includes three future fish habitat enhancement projects that will be identified as part of the current study. This on-call will provide technical services to support these ongoing studies and future fish habitat and passage improvement projects.
There is a continuing demand for technical services to support these ongoing studies and an increasing number of fish habitat and passage projects. To meet this demand efficiently while ensuring flexibility and distributing work among the consultant community, on-call consultant services are required. The consultant services requested through this on-call will complement but not replace staff by filling needs arising from a lack of staff time and/or specialized experience. Staff conducted a consultant selection process and negotiated agreements with the four highest-ranked firms. Each firm will provide as-needed fish habitat and passage support services, with a total contract value of $5 million and an initial five-year term.
To support timely completion of studies and projects, these services will be provided through task orders of up to $500,000, approved by a Deputy Operating Officer or designee. Task orders will be assigned to one of the selected firms at Santa Clara Valley Water District’s (Valley Water) discretion. While each agreement allows for a maximum of $5 million, the total aggregate sum of all task orders across the four agreements will not exceed $5 million.
The distribution of the $5 million among the four firms is not predefined, as each firm offers different technical expertise. By avoiding a fixed allocation, Valley Water retains the flexibility to select the firm that best meets project needs as they arise.
Requests for services may arise at any time and require varying types of expertise. Consultant tasks will include background data collection, fish passage and aquatic habitat assessments, technical report preparation, and the development of conceptual designs, design plans, and cost estimates. The four proposed new agreements will supplement Valley Water staff’s expertise in fish habitat and passage studies/projects on an as-needed basis.
Consultant Selection Process
On July 31, staff published the RFP for On-Call Design and Technical Services for Fish Passage Remediation and Habitat Enhancement. The publication enacted automatic notification to five hundred sixty seven (567) firms registered in the following category codes: were targeted for the RFP outreach to firms:
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90632 - Fisheries; Fish Ladders - Architectural |
92672 - Planning and Advisory Services, Environmental |
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90735 - Designing Services |
20654 - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) |
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90742 - Geotechnical - Soils |
92540 - Fisheries; Fish Ladders - Engineering |
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91800 - Consulting Services |
92670 - Permitting Services, Environmental |
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91855 - Geological Consulting And Study |
96195 - Modeling Services |
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96143 - Hydrological Services |
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Of the total 567 firms informed of the solicitation, forty eight (48) firms confirmed interest as prospective proposers in PB. A total of six (6) proposals were received on June 20, 2024, from the following consultant firms: AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Balance Hydrologics, Inc., Environmental Science Associates, FlowWest, LLC., GEI Consultants, Inc., Northwest Hydraulic Consultants.
An Evaluation Committee (EC), consisting of four (4) Valley Water panelists with subject matter expertise with On-Call Design and Technical Services, evaluated and ranked the written proposals. Based on the technical and interview evaluations, the EC recommended that staff proceed with the highest ranking four firms; AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Balance Hydrologics, Inc., FlowWest, LLC., and GEI Consultants, Inc. for contract negotiations.
Negotiations with these firms, AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Balance Hydrologics, Inc., FlowWest, LLC., and GEI Consultants, Inc., have been successfully completed. Staff recommends Board approval of this Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Balance Hydrologics, Inc., FlowWest, LLC., and GEI Consultants, Inc., to provide On-Call Design and Technical Services for Fish Passage Remediation and Habitat Enhancement, a not-to-exceed aggregate fee of $5,000,000 over a five-year term.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IMPACT:
There are positive environmental justice impacts because this on-call agreement will support studies and implementation projects that improve the health of creeks within Santa Clara County. These improvements will enhance the surrounding environment, benefiting nearby communities, including vulnerable populations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Staff estimates a $5,000,000 aggregate expenditure associated with approval of these items. $600,000 will be encumbered under the Fish Habitat Improvement Project (26042002), with additional funds to be encumbered under individual operational and capital projects as needs arise. Task orders will be approved for work on specific projects and funded by the adopted budgets of those projects.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not have a potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. However, CEQA requirements will be addressed on a project by project basis.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Gov. Code Section 84308
Attachment 1: Agreement, AECOM Technical Services, Inc.
Attachment 2: Agreement, Balance Hydrologics, Inc.
Attachment 3: Agreement, FlowWest, LLC.
Attachment 4: Agreement, GEI Consultants, Inc.
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER: Manager
Lisa Bankosh, 408-630-2618