REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: PAUL AMICO, PE, Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Administration
JOSEPH DE GEORGE, MS, MBA, Project Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to Master Planning Services for the Department of Public Utilities Operations and Maintenance Facility at 1626 E Street (Bid File 12400574) (Council District 3):
1. Approve a consultant services agreement with William Duff Architects, for an amount not to exceed $164,816.00, inclusive of a contingency amount of $15,000.00, for Master Planning Services for the Department of Public Utilities Operations and Maintenance Facility at 1626 E Street.
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the 31st Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2024-122 to appropriate $136,500.00 for Master Planning Services for the Department of Public Utilities Operations and Maintenance Facility at 1626 E Street. (Requires 5 Affirmative Votes) (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve a consultant services agreement with William Duff Architects (Consultant), for an amount not to exceed $164,816.00, inclusive of a contingency amount of $15,000.00; and adopt the 31st Amendment of the Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) 2024-122 to appropriate $136,500.00 for Master Planning Services for the Department of Public Utilities Operations and Maintenance Facility at 1626 E Street (Project) for the City of Fresno (City); and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign the agreement on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) acquired the former Fresno Bee property in April 2021 as the site to consolidate the Administration, Utilities Planning & Engineering (UP&E), Water, and Solid Waste Management Divisions to a single location referred to as the DPU Operations and Maintenance Facility (Facility). The consolidation aims to reduce the ongoing costs of operating separate facilities for the different divisions and enhance intradepartmental collaboration. The Facility currently houses DPU’s Administration and UP&E Divisions, and the Solid Waste Management Division is scheduled to relocate to the Facility in 2025.
BACKGROUND
DPU purchased the former Fresno Bee property located at 1626 E Street in April of 2021. The 14.84-acre site includes a 295,227-square-foot industrial building that consists of office space, a connected printing press building, and warehouse space; a vehicle maintenance shop; a fueling station; a small, corrugated metal outbuilding; and a rail spur. The main building is three stories with a basement level, and it was constructed in phases. The oldest portion of the building was constructed in 1968, major updates were performed in 1971, and thousands of square feet of printing and warehouse space was added in 1991. The eastern side of the second floor was converted from warehouse space to office space in the early 2000s.
DPU’s Administration and UP&E Divisions currently occupy a small portion of the Facility. The Solid Waste Management Division and Water Division are currently located in two different locations: the Municipal Services Center at 2101 G Street and the Water Yard at 1910 E University Avenue. DPU is planning to consolidate these divisions with DPU Administration and UP&E at the Facility at some point in the future, and the Solid Waste Management Division will relocate from 2101 G Street to the site in 2025.
The site and buildings were originally constructed and operated for a different industry and use, and DPU needs to prepare a facility master plan to evaluate options for consolidating the divisions at the site and determine the capital costs and any potential phasing for the improvements. The master plan will determine the needs of DPU and an optimum configuration to accommodate staff, vehicles, warehouse space, and fleet maintenance operations. Potential options include upgrading and retrofitting the existing building, reconfiguring the site to utilize portions of the existing structure, or demolishing and completely rebuilding with a new site configuration. The master plan will be conducted in phases, with anticipated completion in early 2026. This consultant services agreement will complete the first phase, which is a suitability study to assess the existing building and site to determine whether there are any fatal flaws to renovating and reusing all or a portion of the existing building, and to evaluate the site configuration for DPU’s planned uses. Future phases will involve conducting a needs assessment, updating the programming report, refining site layout and circulation concepts, evaluating site and building configuration alternatives, and recommending a capital investment plan for the ultimate site buildout.
In accordance with Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 4, Article 1, and Administrative Order 6-19, DPU conducted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to select a consultant to provide the requisite professional services. The RFQ was published in the Business Journal and posted on the City’s Planet Bids website on August 18, 2023. One (1) Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) was received by the submission deadline of September 22, 2023. A selection committee, consisting of representatives from DPU’s Water, Solid Waste Management, UP&E, and Administration Divisions evaluated the SOQ and, upon review of the qualifications and the proposed fees, selected William Duff Architects, Inc. Staff recommends approving a consultant services agreement to William Duff Architects, Inc., for a total amount not to exceed $164,816, inclusive of a $15,000 contingency. Funding for this Project is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 capital improvement budget within the DPU Operations and Maintenance Facility Fund 5200-5253.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the proposed consultant services agreement and approved as to form. Upon approval by the City Council, the consultant service agreement will be executed by the Director of Public Utilities, or designee.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section
15378, the award of this consultant services agreement is not a “Project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because only one responsive SOQ was received by the deadline.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact on the General Fund. Approval of the amendment to the AAR will establish funds for this Project in the DPU Operations and Maintenance Budget Fund 5200-5253. This Project is in Council District 3.
Attachments:
Consultant Service Agreement
31st Amendment to the AAR No. 2024-122
Vicinity Map