BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Standard On-Call Consulting Agreements (2) for On-Call Geotechnical Engineering Services, with Kleinfelder, Inc., for a Not-to-Exceed Fee of $1,000,000, and with Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc., for a Not-to-Exceed Fee of $1,000,000.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Approve the Standard On-Call Consulting Agreement with Kleinfelder, Inc., for on-call geotechnical engineering services for a not-to-exceed fee of $1,000,000; and
B. Approve the Standard On-Call Consulting Agreement with Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc., for on-call geotechnical engineering services for a not-to-exceed fee of $1,000,000.
Body
SUMMARY:
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) performs a number of capital and operational projects and programs to meet its mission and goals in water supply, flood protection and watershed stewardship. Valley Water’s geotechnical engineering staff routinely provides specialized technical support for these capital and operational projects and programs. The on-call services agreements will augment the services by Valley Water staff and provide additional geotechnical engineering services as needed
Starting in 2011, the Board began approving an on-call geotechnical consultant services agreement to augment the services provided by Valley Water staff. This use of on-call geotechnical services was a success in terms of delivering geotechnical aspects of projects efficiently while controlling costs through established labor rates.
Staff is projecting a continuing demand for geotechnical support services during the next three to five years for both the Capital Improvement Program and ongoing operations and maintenance work. To meet this demand, and to achieve greater flexibility and streamlining of work while distributing the work among the consultant community, staff administered a consultant selection process and negotiated agreements with the two highest-ranked geotechnical firms. Each firm will provide as-needed geotechnical support services for up to $1,000,000 in fees, and each agreement provides for an initial three-year term.
Requests for the services of qualified geotechnical engineers from the Consultant’s team may come at any time and may require different levels of staff experience, and expertise to perform the requested tasks. Examples of project types include: investigations, analysis, and safety evaluations of existing levees and flood walls; design criteria for new levees, and flood walls, and recommendations for levee improvement or remedial design; investigations, analysis, and recommendations for design of bridge foundation and pipelines; review of project plans and specifications for Quality Assurance/Quality Control purposes; and construction site inspection and evaluation of geotechnical test results to ensure compliance with project plans and specifications.
As with the current on-call agreement, the two proposed new agreements will augment the services of Valley Water staff on an as-needed basis. To assist staff in accomplishing its projects and programs in a timely manner, these services will be provided through task orders of up to $200,000 approved by a Deputy Operating Officer or designee. Task orders will be issued to the selected firms on a rotational basis.
Consultant Selection Process:
On September 20, 2018 staff published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for on-call geotechnical engineering services (RFP #4913) and distributed to approximately 125 firms on the Valley Water’s self-registered list for expertise GE11 - Geotechnical Engineering, and was posted on Valley Water’s Contract Administration System (CAS) internet portal. Public notices were also published in the Silicon Valley Business Journal and the Small Business Exchange.
The RFP was advertised for a four-week period. Three proposals were received by the submittal deadline of October 18, 2018.
A Consultant Review Board (CRB), consisting of three subject matter experts from Valley Water and one external subject matter expert from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), evaluated and ranked the written proposals and oral interviews. Based on the combined (written and oral) rating scores, the CRB recommended that staff undertake contract negotiations with Kleinfelder, Inc. and Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc., the two highest-ranked firms.
In December 2018 staff initiated agreement negotiations with Kleinfelder, Inc. and Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc., respectively.
Consultant Agreement and Scope of Services:
The recommended consultant agreements with Kleinfelder, Inc. and Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc., each includes the required tasks and budget in the following areas:
1) Site Characterization;
2) Engineering Design Services;
3) Pavement Design;
4) Quality Assurance / Quality Control;
5) Plan and Specifications; and
6) Design Standards and Guidelines.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The not-to-exceed fee for each of the two agreements is $1,000,000, resulting in a total of up to $2,000,000 during their three-year term. No funds will be encumbered at this time for these agreements. Individual operations and capital projects will budget for these services as needed. Task orders will be approved for work on specific projects and funded by the adopted budget 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 1: Agreement, Kleinfelder, Inc.
Attachment 2: Agreement, Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc.
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Ngoc Nguyen, 408-630-2632