REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
June 18, 2020
FROM: MICHAEL CARBAJAL, Director
Department of Public Utilities
THROUGH: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Assistant Director - UP&E
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
BY: GLENN A. KNAPP, PE, Supervising Professional Engineer
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a Consultant Services Agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc., for preparation of the 2020 Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Report, and 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, for an amount not to exceed $2,005,762. (Citywide)
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that City Council approve a Consultant Services Agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc. (WSC), for preparation of the 2020 Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan and associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Report, and 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), for an amount not to exceed $2,005,762, which includes a contingency amount of $182,000, paid on a time and materials basis; and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign the agreement on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The present and future economic vitality of the City of Fresno to a great extent relies on there being a reliable and long-term sustainable water supply to meet current and projected demands. In 2014 the City adopted its new General Plan and the State of California adopted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The significance of having adequate and reliable water supplies along with the infrastructure to develop, treat, convey, and deliver it to the community couldn’t be more prominent than when this policy document and regulatory requirement were promulgated. In keeping with its historic proactive strategy the Department of Public Utilities desires to renew its long-range water supply and demand planning document known as the Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan (Metro Plan). Preparation of the 2020 Metro Plan and its associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) enables the Department to implement strategies and capital investments needed to provide safe and reliable water for existing customers and to meet demands associated with planned growth identified in the 2035 General Plan. Additionally, by July 1, 2021, the State of California requires the filing of the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan to demonstrate water supplies are adequate to meet projected city growth. The timely preparation of these highly complex and detailed documents is essential to assuring the opportunity for the City to attract new residents and businesses while providing a consistent level of service for existing customers.
BACKGROUND
In recognition of the vulnerability of the City’s water supply system as highlighted in the late 1980s by widespread regional groundwater contamination from agricultural pesticides, City Council in 1990 directed staff to prepare a long-range water supply plan. With assistance from water supply consultants, staff initiated a multi-year analysis of water resources and water supply alternatives. This analysis provided the basis for development of the Department’s 1996 and subsequent 2014 Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plans.
The 2020 Metro Plan is a continuation of the City’s near-term (1-10-year) and long-range (50-year projection) planning document that outlines water supply programs and proposed capital projects needed in order to meet the projected demands identified for the study periods. Development of the 2020 Metro Plan will consider new available data, incorporate physical and institutional changes, align with the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Plan (NKGSP), and take into consideration the Governor’s 2020 Water Resilience Portfolio. As the City has historically been dependent on groundwater and will rely on it as a continued component of our water supply portfolio, consideration of the NKGSP will help guide evaluation of alternatives considered for implementation in the 2020 Metro Plan. Preparation and Certification of the associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Report is also a part of the Metro Plan effort. Over the last thirty years the City has made substantial strides in diversifying its water supply and infrastructure portfolio allowing it to reduce the reliance on the groundwater system. The 2020 Metro Plan will be a complete renewal of water resource management planning, and will craft strategies, projects, and programs, to ensure the long-term viability and reliability of resources in meeting the City’s current demands and those for planned growth as outlined in the 2035 General Plan.
The City’s standing 2015 UWMP was adopted by City Council on June 23, 2016. Development of the 2020 UWMP is a means in which to demonstrate over a twenty-year planning period, continued compliance to the State that appropriate water supply planning has been conducted and that adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water demands. Preparation of the 2020 UWMP will follow established guidelines set forth by California Water Code Section 10608 and Sections 10610 through 10656. UWMP’s must be prepared every five years and submitted to the California Department of Water Resources. The 2020 UWMP must be submitted to the State by July 1, 2021.
Completion of these highly complex and detailed documents will facilitate future water resources management, operations decisions, capital improvement project planning, assist in satisfying requirements for State grant and loan funding opportunities, and provide an avenue for diversification of the City’s water supply portfolio and to enhance overall water supply reliability. This effort requires detailed technical analysis by a qualified team of individuals with substantial experience in the fields of hydraulics, civil engineering, and environmental assessment. While the department maintains staffing that includes professional engineers and technicians, these individuals are focused on delivering the department’s annual capital improvement program and supporting operation activities. Successful completion of Metro Plan in the allocated timeline requires a partnership with a qualified consultant team as was implemented during the prior Metro Plan Update initiated during 2007.
In accordance with Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 4, Article 1, and Administrative Order 6-19, the Department of Public Utilities conducted a competitive process to select a consultant to develop these water resource planning documents. On February 28, 2020, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was advertised in the Fresno Business Journal and on the City’s online PlanetBids website. The RFP requested that consultants submit proposals by April 16, 2020. In response, the Department received three proposals by the deadline. A selection committee, consisting of representatives from DPU, Utilities Planning and Engineering, Water Division, and Wastewater Division, evaluated the proposals and ranked the consultants. Based on this evaluation Water Systems Consulting, Inc., was deemed the most qualified consultant to meet the City’s needs for this effort.
The services required by this agreement will be completed within 914 consecutive calendar days from the authorization to proceed. The contract is for an amount not to exceed $2,005,762, which includes a contingency amount of $182,000, paid on a time and materials basis.
A standardized consultant service agreement has been used in accordance with Administrative Order 4-4, and the consultant’s Certificates of Insurance have been approved by the City’s Risk Management Division. Upon approval by the City Council, the agreement will be executed by the Director of Public Utilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The approval of the Agreement is not a “project” for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was implemented because WSC is subcontracting 15% or more of the work to local businesses.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund. This project is budgeted in the Water Division’s Fiscal Year 2020 Capital Improvement Program within the Water Enterprise Fund 40101. No additional appropriations are necessary.
Attachment:
Attachment 1 - Consultant Services Agreement