BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Approve Agreement with AECOM Technical Service, Inc., for Consulting Services Not-to-Exceed $320,000 from the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program’s Fish Habitat and Passage Improvement Project for the Second Phase of the Large Woody Debris and Gravel Augmentation Study, Project No. 26042002, CAS File No. 4915.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the Agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc., for Consulting Services for the second phase of the Large Woody Debris and Gravel Augmentation Study for a not-to-exceed amount of $320,000 from the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program’s Fish Habitat and Passage Improvement Project.
Body
SUMMARY:
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) staff recommends Board approval of an Agreement for professional services to conduct the second phase of the Large Woody Debris and Gravel Augmentation Study (LWDGAS) as part of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program (Safe, Clean Water Program). The study will identify priority locations for installation of large woody debris and gravel augmentation in six major steelhead streams in Santa Clara County. The objectives are to improve steelhead habitat and to increase in-stream complexity.
Background:
The Safe, Clean Water Program (SCW) identified five priorities (A through E), of which, Priority D, Restore Wildlife Habitat and Provide Open Space, includes eight projects. Fish Habitat and Passage Improvement Project (Project D4) focuses on restoring and maintaining healthy steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations in the county.
Project D4’s key performance indicators (KPIs) include conducting a study of all major steelhead streams in the county to identify priority locations for installation of large woody debris and gravel as appropriate and construction of five such projects (1 per each of the 5 major watersheds). Such installation/augmentation is intended to increase in-stream complexity and improve steelhead habitat. The study also helps support the large woody debris and gravel augmentation mitigation obligations for steelhead from the Valley Water Stream Maintenance Program II.
On March 22, 2016, the Board authorized the CEO to negotiate and execute a consultant agreement with Balance Hydrologics, Inc. to provide professional engineering and ecological services for Project D4 to conduct the first phase of LWDGAS in eight major steelhead streams (primarily in North County). This first phase study was completed with a summary report titled “Study of Santa Clara County Steelhead Streams to Identify Priority Locations for Gravel Augmentation and Large Woody Debris Placement.” The report was posted on the SCW Project D4 website at: <https://www.valleywater.org/project-updates/creek-river-projects/fish-habitat-passage-improvement>.
The second phase study will be conducted under the subject Agreement and is intended for the remaining major steelhead streams not covered by the first phase of LWDGAS, including: Calero Creek, Llagas Creek, Pacheco Creek, Los Trancos Creek, San Francisquito Creek and the Pajaro River.
Consultant Selection Process:
Staff published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the second phase of LWDGAS on Valley Water’s Contract Administration System (CAS) Web-portal on November 9, 2018 through December 14, 2018.This RFP was sent to 231 consulting firms. The RFP solicitation was published for five weeks. AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) was the only firm that submitted a proposal for this RFP. An internal-member evaluation committee (EC), consisting of four members from various disciplines and programs, evaluated AECOM’s written proposal. The EC also conducted an oral interview to assess AECOM’s experience and expertise to complete the desired services successfully.
The EC determined that re-publishing the RFP to attract additional proposals was not necessary due to AECOM’s strong qualifications, with past experiences in conducting similar studies as well as their extensive knowledge of the relevant watersheds. AECOM is a large firm; however, they are proposing to allocate approximately 20% of the Agreement’s $320,000 not-to-exceed amount to small businesses, certified with the Department of General Services.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The not-to-exceed compensation limit for the recommended Consultant Agreement is $320,000. There are sufficient funds in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget under Project 26042002 to cover this amount.
CEQA:
The second phase of LWDGAS itself does not constitute a project for purposes of compliance with CEQA; any future implementation related to the study including construction of large woody debris and gravel augmentation projects will constitute a project under CEQA and would therefore need to conduct relevant CEQA analysis.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Agreement
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Vincent Gin, 408-630-2633