REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: JESUS A. GONZALEZ, PE, Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
PATRICIA DIEP, Supervising Engineering Technician
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Award a consultant services agreement to Hazardous Materials Institute, LLC, in the amount not to exceed $121,575 to update the confined space entry program and provide training for the Department of Public Utilities - Wastewater Management Division (Citywide).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council award a consultant services agreement to Hazardous Materials Institute, LLC, in the amount not to exceed $121,575, inclusive of a $25,000 contingency, to update the confined space entry program and provide training for the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) - Wastewater Management Division (WMD); and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
DPU is seeking to award a consultant services agreement to Hazardous Materials Institute, LLC (Consultant), for the project. The Consultant will identify and evaluate potential confined spaces at WMD facilities and train WMD staff to recognize and mitigate confined space hazards, thereby reducing the likelihood of job-related injuries and illnesses (Project).
BACKGROUND
DPU-WMD operates and maintains the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (RWRF) and the North Fresno Wastewater Reclamation Facility (NFWRF), as well as sewer lift stations and sewer access structures throughout the City. There are WMD work groups that utilize confined space entry in the performance of their regular duties at these facilities. Confined space is defined as an enclosed or partially enclosed area that is big enough for a worker to enter and conduct repairs or maintenance work, has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous occupancy.
WMD recognizes hazardous confined space entry as a critical aspect of staff safety and the appropriate management of WMD assets. To this end, WMD has established a goal to perform a complete assessment of the facilities to have their confined spaces evaluated, identified, labeled, and cataloged to bring the facilities into compliance with CAL/OSHA per California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Chapter 4, subchapter 7, Group 16, Article 108, section 5157.
In accordance with Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 4, Article 1, and Administrative Order 6-19 (AO 6-19), DPU conducted a competitive process to select a consultant to provide services for the Project. A Request for Qualifications was published in the Business Journal and posted on the City’s Planet Bids on March 6, 2023. The City received one qualification package from prospective consultants on March 30, 2023. On April 10, 2023, the selection committee members met to review and evaluate the qualifications. As allowed for in AO 6-19, the Request for Qualifications was structured for the consultant to provide detailed information regarding experience of the firm and team members, along with other project related concerns, to perform the confined space entry program and training for WMD staff. Upon review of the qualifications for meeting the various criteria and analysis of the proposed fee, -Hazardous Materials Institute was ultimately selected as the firm providing the best value for provided services based on the totality of the evaluation.
A standardized consultant services agreement has been approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office 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, 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 does not qualify as a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because no local firm submitted a bid.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund. This Project is located Citywide. This Project is identified in the Wastewater Management Division’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan. Funds for the Project are budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2023 Sewer Enterprise Fund 40501.
Attachment:
Attachment 1 - Consultant Services Agreement