REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: DENIX D. ANBIAH, PE, Director
Capital Projects Department
PAUL AMICO, PE, Interim Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: francisco V. magos II, PE, Assistant Director
Capital Projects Department, Utilities and On-Site Project Management Division
CHARLES MASTERS, Engineer II
Capital Projects Department, Utilities and On-Site Project Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the First Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement with Provost & Pritchard Engineering Group, dba Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, of Fresno, California, to increase the total contract by an amount not to exceed $99,945.00, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $410,512.00 paid on a time and materials basis, for the Design of Improvements for the Leaky Acres Groundwater Recharge Facility Project and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign and execute all documents on behalf of the City of Fresno. (Council District 4)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve the First Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement (Agreement) with Provost & Pritchard Engineering Group Inc., dba Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, (Consultant), to increase the total contract by an amount not to exceed $99,945.00, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $410,512.00 paid on a time and materials basis, for the Design of Improvements for the Leaky Acres Groundwater Recharge Facility Project (Project); and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign and execute all documents on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On September 12, 2024, the City entered into the Agreement with the Consultant to provide engineering design services for an amount not to exceed $310,567 paid on a time and materials basis. The Project is funded by a State of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) drought resiliency grant. The scope of services includes the design and construction of improvements that will restore groundwater recharge rates and increase operational efficiency. After completing the preliminary design phase, staff determined that additional water distribution facilities could be constructed within the available grant funding. Additional surveying, hydraulic analysis, and buried utility potholing is needed to complete design of the additional intake and distribution facilities.
Staff now recommends approval of the First Amendment to the Agreement in an amount not to exceed $99,945, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $410,512 paid on a time and materials basis, with no change to the project schedule.
BACKGROUND
The Leaky Acres recharge facility was constructed in the early 1970s and expanded over the years to include approximately 200 acres of silt removal and groundwater recharge basins. Fresno Irrigation District (FID) delivers surface water to Leaky Acres through the Gould Canal No. 97 that runs parallel to Ashlan Avenue. The timing and quantities of deliveries are dependent on surface water allocations, FID operational demands, and availability of storm water flows. Groundwater recharge rates initially ranged from approximately 0.6 feet per day to approximately 0.4 feet per day, and rates have declined to an average of approximately 0.2 feet per day in recent years. Restoring recharge rates is needed to meet the City’s overall groundwater recharge objectives.
The Department of Public Utilities prepared the Leaky Acres Groundwater Recharge Facility Master Plan (Plan) to evaluate improvements that could be completed to restore recharge rates and increase operational efficiencies. The Plan was completed in 2023, and the City was awarded a DWR drought resiliency grant in the amount of $5,240,428 to design and construct silt bay modifications and additional distribution infrastructure that will provide for more operational flexibility and increase the potential for increased recharge rates when surface water is available.
On September 12, 2024, the City entered into an Agreement with the Consultant to provide engineering design services for an amount not to exceed $310,567 paid on a time and materials basis. The scope of services included the design and construction of improvements to silt bays, spill structures, and recharge basins, and construction of additional distribution pipelines. After completing the preliminary design phase, staff determined that additional intake and distribution facilities could be constructed within the grant budget. Additional survey, hydraulic analysis, and buried utility potholing is needed to complete design of the additional facilities.
Staff now recommends approval of the First Amendment to the Agreement to increase the total contract by an amount not to exceed $99,945, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $410,512 paid on a time and materials basis, and authorization of the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign the First Amendment on behalf of the City with no change to the project schedule. The First Amendment to the Agreement will be funded by the DWR drought resiliency grant.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the proposed Amendment as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the Amendment of this Consultant Services Agreement for design services does not qualify as a “project” for the purpose of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference does not apply to this action because this is an Amendment to an existing Consultant Services Agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed Project is in Council District 4. The Project is fully funded by a DWR grant and will have no impact to the General Fund.
Attachments:
First Amendment to Agreement
Original Consultant Agreement
Vicinity Map
Location Maps