REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
October 25, 2018
FROM: MICHAEL CARBAJAL, Director
Department of Public Utilities
THROUGH: DEJAN PAVIC, Supervising Professional Engineer
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
BY: RAUL GONZALEZ, Professional Engineer
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Design of Substation Expansion at the Fresno/Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (Council District 3)
1. Award a consultant services agreement in the amount of $177,003 and a contingency of $10,000 to Electrical Power Systems, Inc., for professional engineering services for the Design of Substation Expansion at the Fresno/Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (Council District 3)
2. Authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign agreement on behalf of the City
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council award a consultant services agreement in the amount of $177,003 and a contingency of $10,000 to Electrical Power Systems, Inc., for the Design of Substation Expansion at the Fresno/Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (RWRF) and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Utilities, Wastewater Management Division, seeks to Design a Substation Expansion at the RWRF. The existing substation is nearing full load capacity and will not accommodate future plant expansion.
BACKGROUND
Prior to commissioning the existing substation, the RWRF was fed from two separate 12 kilovolt (KV) distribution feeds from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). The current distribution service has severe limitations, especially for a public utility that must operate 24 hours per day: they are shared with surrounding users within a several mile radius, which limits the power that is available to the RWRF. Distribution service is also less reliable and more susceptible to power swings and dips which can knock equipment off line or lose the source altogether for an unpredictable period of time. With planned expansion of RWRF facilities, in 2001 the decision was made to provide the RWRF with a dedicated substation to exclusively serve the growing needs of the plant.
Phase 1 of the substation provided a 70KV transmission feed from two different PG&E substations. The higher voltage service equates to greater power stability and a higher load capacity. Phase 1 provided capacity to handle existing plant loads plus the additional capacity for the Organics Upgrade Expansion Project (completed in 2009), the Enhanced Dewatering Facility Project (completed in 2014), and the Tertiary Treatment and Disinfection Facility (completed in 2017). A Load Study performed in late 2017 concluded that the Phase 1 Substation is nearing available capacity and will not support the next major plant expansions identified in the 2005 Master Plan Update.
To accommodate future growth at the RWRF, Phase 2 will expand the substation to add another 70KV to 12KV transformer, rated at 10 Mega Volt Amp (MVA). This expansion will include the addition of a high-side circuit switcher and connection to the existing switchgear installed in Phase 1.
Pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 4, Article 1 and Administrative Order 6-19, the Department of Public Utilities posted a Request for Qualifications for a consultant to design the substation expansion on the City’s Planet Bids website on April 10, 2018. Five Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) were received. A selection panel was tasked with interviewing the five candidates to select the most highly qualified. Three of the five consultants which submitted SOQs were deemed highly qualified and were asked for proposals. Electrical Power Systems, Inc., was selected as the firm most qualified to provide the best value to the City. Staff negotiated a professional services fee of $177,003 with a contingency of $10,000 for professional engineering services. A standard consultant services agreement was used. Upon approval by the City Council, the 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 contract does not qualify as a “project” for the purpose of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was implemented and Electrical Power Systems, Inc., is a local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
This design contract has no impact on the General Fund and is located in Council District 3. Funds in the amount of $203,900 are included in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget within the Sewer System Enterprise Fund (40501) for this design project.
Attachments:
Agreement (attachment 1)
Fiscal Impact Statement (attachment 2)
Vicinity Map (attachment 3)