REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
May 12, 2016
FROM: THOMAS C. ESQUEDA, Director
Department of Public Utilities
THROUGH: KEVIN L. NORGAARD, PE, Supervising Professional Engineer
Department of Public Utilities - Wastewater Management Division
BY: PATRICIA DIEP, Supervising Engineering Technician
Department of Public Utilities - Wastewater Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions Pertaining to the Recycled Water Transmission Main, Northwest Quadrant, Project (Council District 1, 2 and Fresno County)
1. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the 41st Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2015-14 appropriating $3,175,800 for the Northwest Recycled Water Distribution System (Requires affirmative 5 votes)
2. Award a consultant agreement in the amount of $4,491,000 and a contingency of $225,000 with Blair, Church & Flynn for the Northwest Recycled Water Distribution System
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council appropriate the project funding and award the consultant services agreement with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers for the Northwest Recycled Water Distribution System.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Utilities, Wastewater Management Division (Department) requests the adoption of the 41st Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2015-104 and award the professional consultant services agreement with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers in the amount of $4,491,000 and a contingency of $120,000 for the design of the Northwest Recycled Water Distribution System.
BACKGROUND
In 2009, the State of California adopted a recycled water policy establishing a mandate to increase the use of recycled water in California by 200,000 acre-feet per year by 2020 and by an additional 300,000 acre-feet per year by 2030. The Recycled Water Master Plan (Plan) prepared by the Department of Public Utilities’ Wastewater Management Division identifies opportunities to assist with compliance of this law by reducing groundwater pumping and replacing groundwater with recycled water for non-potable purposes (i.e. outdoor irrigation, dust control, fountains, etc.). The Division’s long-term goal is to produce and deliver 25,000 acre-feet of recycled water to the City’s service area to reduce groundwater over drafting. On April 11, 2013, the City Council adopted the Plan which was prepared by Carollo Engineers and associated environmental documents. The Plan defines and evaluates many possible alternatives for increasing usage and distribution of recycled water. It also defines a plan for installation of a recycled water distribution system throughout the City. One piece of the Plan is the identification of recycled water customers in the Northwest Quadrant. This customer information has been used to determine the potential recycled water distribution layout which consist of approximately 18 miles of pipeline ranging from 48-inches to 8-inches in diameter.
The design contract to Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers will provide internal project coordination, hydraulic modeling, environmental services, develop construction documents, bid support, and support during construction. The majority of the proposed pipeline alignments in the Northwest Quadrant will be located in the City of Fresno right-of-way and a minor portion of the pipeline will be located in the County of Fresno right of way. This phase of the recycled water distribution system will continue to move recycled water from the intersection of Cornelia and Shields north to Herndon Avenue and east to Fruit Avenue north area of the City.
Following Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 4, Article 1 and Administrative Order 6-19, the Department of Public Utilities notified in excess of one hundred consulting firms requesting a project proposal. The Department received three proposals. The five person review panel selected Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers for the best value and qualified firm to perform the necessary engineering services. A consultant services agreement has been negotiated in the amount of $4,491,000 and $225,000 contingency.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the contract and approved it as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 the award of these contracts does not qualify as a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was implemented, Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers is a local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
This project has no impact to the General Fund and is located in Council District 1, 2 and Fresno County. This project is identified in the Wastewater Management Division five year capital improvement plans and current rate structure. Funds in the amount of $1,540,200 for the design of this project are budgeted in the 2016 Sewer Enterprise Fund No. 40501. An AAR is necessary to move the additional funding for the design of this project from the Sewer Enterprise Fund.
Attachments:
41st AAR No. 2015-104
Fiscal Impact Statement
Consultant Agreement
Vicinity Map
Review Panel Report