BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Agreement with Environmental Science Associates, Inc. to Prepare Stream Maintenance Guidelines for the Watersheds Maintenance Guidelines Update Project, Project No. 62042050.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the agreement with Environmental Science Associates, Inc. (ESA) for consulting services to prepare stream maintenance guidelines for the Watersheds Maintenance Guidelines Update Project (Project), for a not-to-exceed fee of $996,000.
Body
SUMMARY:
Stream maintenance guidelines are a critical component to ensuring Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) fulfills its responsibility for continued flood protection to the community and to comply with regulatory permits. When properly maintained, streams convey flows at levels for which they were designed or at historic levels. Stream maintenance guidelines better inform inspection and maintenance obligations by providing a quantitative and objective approach to identifying conditions under which maintenance actions (e.g., sediment removal, vegetation management) should be undertaken to maintain adequate flow capacity in streams. In addition, Valley Water is required to update 40 stream maintenance guidelines for its stream/creek facilities over ten years, pursuant to San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Order Number R2-2014-0015. This permit, along with others from federal and state regulatory agencies, allows Valley Water to perform routine stream maintenance activities under Valley Water’s multi-year Stream Maintenance Program.
With existing staff supporting capital and operations projects, consultant services are needed to augment Valley Water resources to prepare stream maintenance guidelines. Through a competitive procurement process, staff has selected ESA to perform such services. Staff recommends Board approval of the Agreement with ESA for preparation of stream maintenance guidelines for a not-to-exceed fee of $996,000.
Background
On October 28, 2014, the Board approved Agreement No. A3788A with ESA for an amount not to exceed $1,736,354 to prepare ten stream maintenance guidelines over two years. Work under that agreement was completed December 31, 2017. On June 27, 2017, the Board approved Agreement No. A4082A with ESA for an amount not to exceed $1,450,000 to prepare stream maintenance guidelines for ten other creek facilities. Work continues to be conducted on schedule under that agreement; that agreement is scheduled to expire December 31, 2019.
Through the two existing contracts, staff has been working closely with the consultant to develop a format for the stream maintenance guidelines that not only complies with regulatory permit conditions, but is useful for staff who are responsible for conducting inspections to better identify when stream maintenance is required. To date, seventeen guidelines have been completed and two are in draft form, close to completion. Ten guidelines are on schedule to be completed by the end of 2019. Valley Water is currently on-track to complete or update 40 guidelines by 2023. Executing the new consultant agreement would ensure that Valley Water continues to remain on schedule and comply with regulatory permits. The Agreement, if approved by the Board, requires ESA to develop stream maintenance guidelines for ten other creek facilities over three years.
Consultant Selection Process
A Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Project’s consulting services was published on Valley Water’s Contract Administration System (CAS) web portal on January 10, 2019. Over 150 consultant firms that are registered in CAS under the expertise code WQ30 were notified of the RFP.
Valley Water received one proposal. A Consultant Review Board (CRB) consisting of hydraulics, asset management, and operations and maintenance staff evaluated the written proposal. An oral interview was conducted by the CRB. Subsequently, the CRB recommended that staff undertake contract negotiations with ESA.
Consultant Agreement Scope of Services
The Agreement scope of services includes the required tasks and budget to perform (1) project management and coordination, (2) data collection, review, and preliminary investigation, (3) topographic surveying, (4) hydraulics analyses, and (5) preparation of stream maintenance guidelines. The supplemental services task could include additional meetings or reports, expanded level of effort for field data collection or hydraulic modeling, regulatory agency coordination support, and modifications to previously-developed stream maintenance guidelines based on updated information.
The Agreement is provided in Attachment 1.
Table 1 presents a summary of the tasks and associated costs for this Agreement.
Table 1 - Summary of Tasks and Associated Costs
for Preparation of Stream Maintenance Guidelines
|
Task |
Description |
Total Fixed (Not-to-Exceed) Fees |
|
1 |
Project Management and Coordination |
$120,000 |
|
2 |
Data Collection, Review, and Preliminary Investigation |
$176,000 |
|
3 |
Perform Surveying |
$140,000 |
|
4 |
Hydraulics Analyses |
$170,000 |
|
5 |
Stream Maintenance Guidelines Development |
$310,000 |
|
6 |
Supplemental Services |
$80,000 |
|
Total Not-to-Exceed Fees |
$996,000 |
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Staff estimates a $996,000 expenditure associated with approval of this item. Funding for this item is included in the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 budget, Project No. 62042050.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have a potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. The stream maintenance guidelines, once developed, would be implemented consistent with the Stream Maintenance Program’s Environmental Impact Report and in compliance with applicable regulatory permits.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Agreement
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Sue Tippets, 408-630-2253