BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Approve the Agreements with Panorama Environmental, Inc., CAS File 5077, for a Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $3,000,000, and with GEI Consultants, Inc., CAS File 5119, for a Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $3,000,000, for Project No. 62041043, On-Call Environmental Planning and Permitting Services Project.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement by and between Santa Clara Valley Water District and Panorama Environmental, Inc. for On-Call Environmental Planning and Permitting Services (Project) for a not-to-exceed fee of $3,000,000; and
B. Approve the Standard On-Call Consultant Agreement by and between Santa Clara Valley Water District and GEI Consultants, Inc. for On-Call Environmental Planning and Permitting Services (Project) for a not-to-exceed fee of $3,000,000.
Body
SUMMARY:
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) environmental planning staff provide critical support for the projects and programs that fulfill its water supply, flood protection and environmental stewardship missions. To effectively respond to pressing project schedules and provide necessary technical support for complex CEQA and permitting processes, two on-call environmental planning services agreements are recommended. The on-call agreements will:
1. Augment staff expertise to assist in completing technical analyses and environmental documentation;
2. Increase flexibility to meet demands of accelerated project schedules;
3. Provide expertise and support on an as-needed basis for the regulatory permitting and mitigation planning process for highly complex capital projects;
4. Support public outreach and stakeholder engagement for Valley Water’s role as CEQA Lead Agency.
The agreements will allow environmental planning staff to quickly and efficiently obtain a range of technical and regulatory expert services, on a task-by-task basis. These services will supplement existing staff resources. Task orders will be issued on a competitive basis when the needed expertise is available from both consultants and conflicts of interest do not exist.
Examples of services include conducting visual, cultural, archaeological, traffic, noise, socio-economic studies; developing mitigation strategies; supporting the public outreach and stakeholder process; and providing expert review and technical advice.
Consultant Background
Panorama’s team, a registered small business, includes six subconsultants (Fehr & Peers, JRP Historical, Illingworth & Rodkin, Far Western, SIG, and GSI Environmental, Inc.). GEI’s team, includes four subconsultants (Horizon Water and Environment, Ascent Environmental, Convey, PHA Transportation). Thus, with the approval of these two on-call agreements, Valley Water will have access to the varied expertise of at least twelve different project environmental planning and permitting firms to augment services provided by Valley Water staff.
Consultant Selection Process
On January 22, 2020, a Request for Proposal (RFP) for On-Call Environmental Planning and Permitting was published on Valley Water’s Contract Administration System (CAS). The RFP was sent to firms that are registered in CAS, under expertise code EV11 - Environmental Planning and Management -CEQA/NEPA.
Valley Water received proposals from four consultant firms: Panorama Environmental, Inc., GEI Consultants, Inc., ICF, and EMC Planning Group, Inc. An Evaluation Committee (EC), consisting of four subject matter experts with planning expertise and representing Valley Water’s capital and maintenance project needs, ranked the written proposals. Three firms Panorama Environmental, Inc., GEI Consultants, Inc., and ICF were invited to participate in the subsequent virtual oral interviews conducted on March 25, 2020.
Based on the combined (written and oral) rating scores, the EC recommended staff to proceed with two highest ranked firms for contract negotiations - Panorama Environmental, Inc and GEI Consultants, Inc.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Agreements with Panorama Environmental, Inc. and GEI Consultants Inc. for On-Call Environmental Planning and Permitting Services each have a not not-to-exceed amount of $3,000,000. Each agreement term is for three (3) years. No funds will be encumbered at this time. On-call services will be charged in accordance with each approved task order to budgeted funds from the appropriate capital or maintenance projects.
CEQA:
The recommended action to approve the Agreement does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not have the potential to result in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Agreement, Panorama Environmental
Attachment 2: Agreement, GEI Consultants
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Lisa Bankosh, 408-630-2618