REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Director
Capital Projects Department
BY: JOSHUA S. RHODES, PE, Assistant Director
Capital Projects Department, Construction Management Division
JORDAN CONARD, MBA, Senior Management Analyst
Capital Projects Department, Transportation Project Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to professional On-Call Geotechnical Engineering Services for the Capital Projects Department on City of Fresno capital improvement projects: (Bid File 12402493) (Citywide):
1. Approve an On-Call Consultant Services Agreement with BSK Associates, of Fresno, California in the amount of $1,666,666.66;
2. Approve an On-Call Consultant Services Agreement with Kleinfelder, Incorporated of Fresno, California in the amount of $1,666,666.66;
3. Approve an On-Call Consultant Services Agreement with Moore Twining Associates, Incorporated of Fresno, California in the amount of $1,666,666.66.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve three (3) On-Call Geotechnical Engineering Service Agreements (Agreements) between the City of Fresno (City) and 1) BSK Associates, 2) Kleinfelder, Inc., and 3) Moore Twining Associates, Inc., collectively (Consultants), to provide professional Geotechnical Engineering Services for Citywide capital improvement projects, for an initial three-year term, with two optional one-year extensions, to be reimbursed for hours worked at the hourly rates specified in the Schedule of Fees included in the Consultant’s respective agreement, not to exceed $1,666,666.66 over the entire term of the contract for each Consultant, with no guarantee expressed or implied that the $1,666,666.66 will be authorized under any of the three respective agreements, and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to execute all three agreements on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Capital Projects Department (CPD) actively manages hundreds of the City’s capital improvement projects to deliver critical infrastructure improvements for other City departments such as Public Works, Police, Fire, and PARCS. Due to the increase in project workload and the commonality of the improvements included in these projects, staff is recommending the proposed On-Call agreements as a solution to efficiently deliver these projects.
The Capital Projects Department staff have performed a qualification-based hiring process and have selected three firms to perform these necessary services on an On-Call basis. Staff recommends Council approve the three agreements, each with three-year terms, with two optional one-year extensions, and a total compensation not to exceed $1,666,666.66 individually to BSK Associates, Kleinfelder, Inc., and Moore Twining Associates, Inc., for Professional Geotechnical Engineering Services for the Capital Projects Department. Upon approval and execution of the Agreements, projects will be identified, a Request for Proposal (mini-RFP) will be issued to all three Consultants, and project by project Task Orders will be issued based on the most qualified consultant for each project. The funding for these services will come from different local, state, and federal funding sources for each individual task order.
BACKGROUND
Due to the availability of various grants for capital improvement project funding, the complexity of each application, and the growing demand for geotechnical engineering services in parks, public safety facilities, street infrastructure, and active transportation, there is a need for On-Call consultants to efficiently develop geotechnical engineering services. Hiring consultants to provide these services on a project-by-project basis is time consuming and creates project initiation delays.
The agreements for On-Call Geotechnical Engineering Services will allow staff to deliver projects promptly and more efficiently. Each consultant’s proposed scope of services will vary on a project-by-project basis, varying from comprehensive contract geotechnical engineering to specific services that augment City staff. These services are crucial for ensuring the high-quality construction of City capital projects. Individual projects will be identified, an initial scope of work developed, and issued to the selected On-Call consultants in the form of a mini-RFP. A task order will be issued to the most qualified consultant for a given project.
Staff recommends approval of the proposed agreements to improve efficiencies and project timelines to perform the professional Geotechnical Engineering Services for the City’s capital projects. All funding necessary for the services of the proposed agreements will be appropriated under the individual capital projects for each individual task order.
In accordance with Administrative Order (A.O.) 6-19, staff sent out Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for professional Geotechnical Engineering Services on June 26, 2024, via Planet Bids, email, and published in the Business Journal on July 1, 2024. At the closing of the advertisement period on July 26, 2024, the RFQ received seven responses. City staff evaluated each Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) and determined one submittal was not qualified to move into the interview process. The remaining six SOQ’s were evaluated and ranked and each consultant team was interviewed. At the conclusion of the evaluation period, BSK Associates, Kleinfelder, Inc., and Moore Twining Associates, Inc. were selected as the most qualified consultants for these services.
Staff is recommending the City Council Approve three agreements with 1) BSK Associates, 2) Kleinfelder, Inc., and 3) Moore Twining Associates, Inc., for Professional Geotechnical Engineering Services, each with three-year terms, with two optional one-year extensions, and a total compensation not to exceed $1,666,666.66 individually, with no guarantee expressed or implied that $1,666,666.66 will be authorized under any respective agreement, to provide various Professional Geotechnical Engineering Services for the Capital Projects Department on City capital projects, and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to execute the agreement.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved these agreements as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the award of these contracts does not qualify as a “project.”
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented for this consultant selection process due to federal funding sources that will be attributed to projects under the agreements.
FISCAL IMPACT
These agreements have no immediate impact to the General Fund and the agreements will service projects Citywide. All funding necessary for the services of the proposed agreements will be appropriated under the individual capital projects for each individual task order.
Attachments:
Consultant Services Agreement - BSK Associates
Consultant Services Agreement - Kleinfelder, Inc.
Consultant Services Agreement - Moore Twining Associates, Inc.