REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PAUL AMICO, PE, Interim Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: CASSIE L. SCHOLZ, PE, Licensed Engineer Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
JOSEPH DE GEORGE, PMP, Project Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the Second Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc., to extend the Agreement to June 30, 2027, with no additional funding, and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to execute the Second Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement. (Council Districts 2 and 6)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve the Second Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement (Amendment) with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (Consultant) to extend the term of the Agreement to June 30, 2027, with no additional funding, and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to execute the Amendment.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City has approximately 260 operable wells in the public water supply system, the majority of which utilize electric motor driven pumps to extract and distribute groundwater. Should there be a loss of electrical power at these facilities, only those with a backup power source would continue serving potable drinking water to the City’s distribution system. The City already utilizes backup emergency generators at multiple well sites to provide emergency electric power. City staff have identified three additional wells at Pump Stations 154, 158, and 163, as necessary to maintain the integrity of the water system in case of widespread electrical power loss. Therefore, emergency backup generators are proposed to be installed at those locations. The Consultant will assess the current electrical and mechanical needs at each site to appropriately size and design the emergency backup generators as well as provide construction support services. The City and the Consultant entered into the First Amendment on December 11, 2024, to extend the term to June 30, 2025. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) now desires to amend the agreement to extend the time of work to June 30, 2026.
BACKGROUND
On June 11, 2022, the City entered into an agreement with the Consultant to provide design services for the installation of emergency backup generators (Gensets) at Pump Stations 154, 158, and 163. These pump stations are classified as critical infrastructure essential to maintaining adequate pressure within the City's potable water distribution system during electrical power outages. The proposed backup generators are diesel-powered internal combustion units designed to automatically activate within seconds of a power disruption and are equipped with telemetry systems to support remote monitoring and operation. Ongoing maintenance and refueling are provided by DPU staff or contracted service vendors. The Fresno Fire Department will inspect and approve all installations, and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) will conduct periodic emissions testing in accordance with applicable regulations.
On December 11, 2024, the City and the Consultant executed a First Amendment to the Agreement, extending the term through June 30, 2025. This extension was necessary to allow DPU to prepare and submit a request to the SJVAPCD seeking an exemption from Tier 4 emissions certification requirements for the generators. If approved, the exemption is expected to result in cost savings of more than $100,000 per unit, in addition to significant reductions in long-term maintenance expenses.
DPU now seeks to further amend the agreement to extend the term to June 30, 2027 to allow additional time for the SJVAPCD to complete its review and to finalize the Consultant’s deliverables.
All work performed by the Consultant to date has been completed in a timely, professional manner, and remains within the authorized budget.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved as to form the Second Amendment to the Agreement. Upon approval by the City Council, the Second Amendment will be executed by the Director of Public Utilities, or designee.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this is an amendment to an existing consultant services agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding for these services is included in the Water Division’s Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvement Program budget within the Water Enterprise Funds 4000-4001. The Project is located in Council Districts 2 and 6.
Attachments:
Second Amendment to Agreement
First Amendment to Agreement
Consultant Services Agreement