REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PACO BALDERRAMA, Chief of Police
Police Department
SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
MIKE MOONEYHAM, PE, Professional Engineer
Public Works Department, Site Development
SUBJECT
Title
Approve an agreement for Professional Engineering Services with PBK Architects, Inc. for $678,300, with a $60,000 contingency, for design and construction support services for the 911 Emergency Call Center Project (Council District 3)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of a Consultant Services Agreement with PBK Architects, Inc. in the amount of $678,300, with a $60,000 contingency, for the design and preparation of construction documents for the 911 Emergency Call Center Project and authorizes the Public Works Director or designee to execute the Agreement on behalf of the City of Fresno.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 911 Emergency Call Center Project proposes to build a new call center at the Municipal Service Center (MSC) and relocate emergency Public Safety Access Point (PSAP) operations from the existing location in the basement of Police Headquarters. The relocation is necessary to house additional staff and equipment which are needed to meet emergency response performance standards. The new 911 Emergency Call Center will house 40 phone operators, 15 radio operators, and 5 supervisor positions, and will be outfitted with new emergency response equipment funded and installed through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The contract for professional engineering design services will be funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allocations budgeted for this project. Council approval of the consultant agreement is recommended in order to facilitate development of plans, cost estimates, and general construction contract documents necessary to complete the project.
BACKGROUND
On February 17, 2022, Council adopted the 52nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2021-178 which included funds for professional engineering design services for the preparation of construction documents for a new 911 Emergency Call Center.
The Fresno Police Department Headquarters is designated as a PSAP by the State of California for the City of Fresno and currently houses the existing 911 call center operations in the basement. In 2022, the authorized employee count for the call center was 108 staff members. These staff members respond to over one million calls for service per year and have a performance goal of answering 95% of all calls within 15 seconds. Due to inadequate staffing levels, the performance standards for the call center are not being achieved. To address this issue, it is necessary to add additional phone and radio operators and equipment, however, it is not possible to add additional staff and equipment to the existing call center. Accordingly, there is a need to relocate the call center operations to a larger facility which will accommodate the increased staffing levels and equipment and enable the Fresno Police Department to achieve stated performance standards.
The new 911 Emergency Call Center will be located at the MSC on the northwesterly corner of G Street and El Dorado Street. The existing development site is currently a parking lot at the MSC (approximately 1.1 acres). The new 911 Emergency Call Center will be furnished to accommodate current staffing requirements as well as projected staffing levels (10-year forecast). The new 911 Emergency Call Center will be outfitted with new emergency response equipment funded and installed through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
In accordance with AO 6-19, staff sent out requests for Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) in August 2022 via Planet Bids, email, and published in The Business Journal. Three (3) Statements of Qualifications were received, and staff interviewed the three (3) qualified respondents between September 23, 2022 and October 10, 2022. PBK Architects, Inc. was determined to be the most qualified and responsive based on consultant interviews. Staff negotiated a fee of $678,300, with a $60,000 contingency, for the preparation of plans, specifications, cost estimates, bidding support services, and construction support services for this project.
Staff recommends approval of the proposed agreement with PBK Architects, Inc. in the amount of $678,300, with a $60,000 contingency, for the design and preparation of construction documents for the 911 Emergency Call Center Project at the City of Fresno MSC and authorizes the Public Works Director or designee to execute the Agreement on behalf of the city of Fresno.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the proposed agreement as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Design of plans and cost estimates are not a “project” pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines § 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
PBK Architects, Inc. is a local business, as defined by the Fresno Municipal Code.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed project falls within Council District 3. The project is funded through $10,000,000 in ARPA appropriations as previously approved by the Council. There is no impact to the General Fund from the recommended action.
Attachments:
Consultant Agreement
Vicinity Map
Location Map