BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Approve the Consultant Agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for Engineering and Environmental Planning Services, for the Distribution System Master Plan Implementation Project, Project No. 95044001, PB File No. VW0008, for a Not-to-Exceed Fee of $5,992,234 (Countywide).
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the Consultant Agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for engineering and environmental planning services, for the Distribution System Master Plan Implementation Project, Project No. 95044001, PB File No. VW0008, for a Not-to-Exceed Fee of $5,992,234.
Body
SUMMARY:
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) is undertaking a comprehensive master planning effort for existing water utility treatment and distribution system infrastructure with three distinct projects: the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Master Plan Implementation Project, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Master Plan Implementation Project, and Distribution System Master Plan Implementation Project. These three projects are intended to comprehensively evaluate water utility infrastructure and identify the improvements needed to address aging infrastructure, meet future demands, meet regulatory requirements, ensure reliability, and incorporate future supplies such as purified water.
The three projects will ultimately develop a plan of capital improvement projects to address the identified needs, will develop selected projects up to 10% design, and will prepare an associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). Completing 10% design and a PEIR will facilitate future implementation of the proposed projects. The plans will be re-evaluated and updated every 5-10 years.
This item requests approval of a consultant services agreement for the Distribution System Master Plan Implementation Project. The consultant will provide engineering, infrastructure planning, and environmental planning services needed to develop a 30-year program of recommended distribution system capital improvement projects along with a PEIR for the Board’s consideration.
The 30-year program will include projects to repair, replace, or upgrade distribution system infrastructure including raw and treated water pipelines, pump stations, canals, wells, and recycled water facilities. To enable the development of the PEIR, projects scheduled for implementation in the first ten years of the 30-year planning horizon will be developed up to 10% design. Staff anticipates that development of the 30-year program, PEIR, and 10% design will take approximately three years to complete. Implementation of recommended projects will continue over the 30-year planning horizon.
Project Background
On January 14, 2020, staff presented the three master plan implementation projects for the Board’s consideration for inclusion in Valley Water’s five-year CIP. The Board approved the three projects, and they were subsequently adopted as part of Valley Water’s Fiscal Year 2021-25 CIP.
This project supports the Board Governance Policy and Water Supply (WS) Goal E-2.3 to protect and maintain existing water infrastructure; and the corresponding WS Objectives:
2.3.1. Plan for infrastructure maintenance and replacement to reduce risk of failure
2.3.2. Prioritize funding for maintenance and replacement of existing water infrastructure over investments in new infrastructure
2.3.3. Prepare for and respond effectively to water utility emergencies
Consultant Selection Process
On June 30, 2021, staff published a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Distribution System Implementation Project on Valley Water’s procurement portal, PlanetBids (PB).
The RFP notification was sent to 454 firms registered under the Distribution System Master Planning category, which is one of 18 targeted categories within PB. Additional outreach was performed to three hundred sixty-six (366) firms with the use of the Department of General Services (DGS) small business enterprise search tool. Furthermore, advertisements were issued in the San Jose Post and on SBEINC.com prior to publishing the RFP.
Valley Water received proposals from three consultant firms, AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM), Black & Veatch Corporation, and Hazen and Sawyer.
An Evaluation Committee consisting of subject matter experts from Valley Water and an external member, retired from East Bay Municipal Utility District, evaluated and ranked the written proposals. All three firms were invited to participate in the subsequent virtual oral interviews conducted on September 29, 2021.
Based on the combined (written and interview) rating scores, the evaluation committee recommended staff to proceed with the highest ranked firm, AECOM (Consultant), for contract negotiations.
Consultant Agreement & Scope of Services
The Consultant will develop project goals and objectives; evaluate distribution system infrastructure for its ability to meet future capacity, reliability, and operability goals; provide repair, replacement, or improvement recommendations; develop a detailed 30-year program of capital improvement projects. To help expedite implementation, the Consultant will also prepare a PEIR for the recommended program improvements. To enable the development of the PEIR, a recommended suite of projects will be developed up to 10% design. At key decision-making junctures throughout the Distribution System Master Plan Implementation Project, staff and the Consultant team will bring the plan to key stakeholders, the CIP Committee, and the Board for updates and policy guidance as needed.
The Cost Breakdown below (Table 1) provides a list of tasks included in the scope of services, the associated not-to-exceed fees for each task, and the total for the agreement.
Table 1: COST BREAKDOWN
|
Task |
Description |
Not-to-Exceed Fees |
|
1 |
Project Management, Stakeholder Meetings, and Project Development Workshops |
$641,078 |
|
2 |
Review Existing Records, Master Plans, and Reports |
$60,635 |
|
3 |
Define Goals and Objectives with Board and Stakeholder Input |
$137,611 |
|
4 |
Asset Risk and Renewal Methodology |
$197,704 |
|
5 |
Develop Project Assessment Methodology |
$127,413 |
|
6 |
Evaluation of Raw Water Pipelines |
$239,906 |
|
7 |
Evaluation of East Side Treated Water Pipelines |
$186,663 |
|
8 |
Evaluation of West Side Treated Water Pipelines |
$197,088 |
|
9 |
Evaluation of Pump Stations |
$319,780 |
|
10 |
Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Canals, Wells, and Recycled Water Facilities |
$267,974 |
|
11 |
Integrate Recommendations with Other Master Plans |
$192,003 |
|
12 |
Project Development, Evaluation, Selection, and Planning Study Report (10%) |
$715,773 |
|
13 |
Project Implementation Plan |
$60,226 |
|
14 |
Distribution System Implementation Project Report |
$57,226 |
|
15 |
Stakeholder Outreach Strategy |
$110,526 |
|
16 |
Support Development of Technical Standards |
$147,559 |
|
17 |
Environmental Planning and Permitting |
$1,633,069 |
|
18 |
Supplemental Services |
$700,000 |
|
Total Not-to-Exceed Fees |
$5,992,234 |
Potential Future Program Management Supplemental Services
The scope of services also includes potential program management support as supplemental services, if needed for implementing the program of distribution system capital improvement projects. At the completion of the development of the 30-year program and PEIR, Valley Water may request the Consultant to perform these program management services. If this option is exercised, Staff will negotiate the additional services with the Consultant as a Task Order, and if necessary, propose an amendment to the agreement at that time.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
Further analysis is necessary to determine the Environmental Justice Impacts associated with this item. During the development of project goals, environmental justice objectives will be established and will be included in updates to the Board during the project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Distribution System Master Plan Implementation Project, Project No. 95044001, is included in the FY 2023-27 Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and in the Board-adopted FY 2022-23 and FY2023-24 rolling biennial budget. There are adequate funds in the project’s FY 2021-22 Adopted Budget to encumber the initial planned expenditures for the consultant agreement this fiscal year. The consultant agreement total not-to-exceed fee for the Agreement is $5,992,234, which does not change the overall total project cost reflected in the CIP. Funds to cover the remaining consultant services in subsequent fiscal years will be recommended by staff during the biennial budget process or through budget adjustment(s). The Project is funded through the Water Utility Enterprise Fund (Fund 61), with 84.6% of the costs allocated to North County Zone W-2, and South County Zones as follows; 11.8% to Zone W-5, 3.3% to Zone W-7, and 0.3% to Zone W-8. Long term forecasts for Fund 61 includes placeholder capital projects costs for implementation of the developed plan. Those forecasts will be revised as the plan is developed and the funding will be requested in future CIPs and budgets.
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.
The scope of services for this agreement includes the development and completion of a Programmatic EIR, and the developed plan will not be implemented until completion and certification of the PEIR.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Agreement
Attachment 2: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Melanie Richardson, 408-630-2035