Title
Transportation Department recommending Chairman be authorized to sign Amendment II to Agreement for Services AGMT 05-777 with Dokken Engineering to amend the scope of services to clarify task order requirements; increase compensation by $100,000 to $280,000 adding a revised fee schedule; extend the term through April 8, 2008; modify the indemnity provision for services rendered after December 31, 2006; add a requirement for progress reports; and add requirements regarding ownership of date.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve and find that, pursuant to Article II, section 210 b (6) of the County Charter, the ongoing aggregate of work performed under said Amendment is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff for planning and design review services necessary for project development.
FUNDING: Developer Fees - Time & Material Billings
Body
BUDGET SUMMARY: |
|
|
Total Estimated Cost |
|
$100,000.00 |
|
|
|
Funding |
|
|
Budgeted |
$100,000.00 |
|
New Funding |
$ |
|
Savings |
$ |
|
Other |
$ |
|
Total Funding Available |
$100,000.00 |
|
Change To Net County Cost |
|
$-0- |
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: : This Amendment provides for $100,000 in additional compensation for a total not-to-exceed Agreement amount of $280,000. Costs will be funded through Time and Material billings to Developers. There is no cost to the County General Fund.
Background: Professional Services Agreement #AGMT 05-777 with Dokken Engineering was approved by the Board of Supervisors on March 29, 2005 in the amount of $80,000 to perform on-call professional and technical services entailed in the planning, project management, design review and analysis of designated subdivision project plans, systems and studies. Work Orders have been issued under this Agreement primarily for the review and analysis of retaining walls on land development projects. The work performed to date requires the review of drawings, plans and specifications, prepared by the Developer's Civil Engineers, for conformance with local and state engineering practices.
Amendment I to this Professional Services Agreement was approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 20, 2006, providing for $100,000 in additional compensation for a not-to-exceed contract amount of $180,000.
Reason for Recommendation: Dokken Engineering was selected based on their experience performing similar services for other agencies. There was no formal RFP process performed by the Department of Transportation to select them to perform services under this Agreement. However, the Development Services Department went through an RFP process to augment its staff resources when it assumed responsibility for some of the commercial grading activities from the Department of Transportation last summer. Dokken Engineering was chosen by an independent team of engineers from the Development Services Department to provide very similar services for them.
Dokken Engineering has performed its services professionally and promptly under this Agreement. In fact, there have been many occasions when Dokken has billed a specific work order for less than had been allocated. Those funds have been unencumbered and can be applied to other plan reviews. The services provided by this consultant continue to be of vital assistance to the Department to conduct timely plan reviews as mandated by the County Ordinance Code.
Dokken Engineering does not typically work directly for developers but instead works exclusively for Public Agencies. This prevents any appearance of potential impropriety and provides an enhanced level of confidence that their comments are fully in the public's best interest.
Continuous recruitment efforts have been underway to find and hire qualified Engineering staff to fill vacant positions since the date this Agreement was originally approved in March 2005. The results of that effort resulted in the hiring of one full-time Assistant in Civil Engineering last summer.
During the one-year term extension recommended for Amendment II, the Department will continue its efforts to hire qualified staff and increase utilization of in-house resources to process, review, and approve improvement plans.
Per the direction by your Board at its March 6th meeting, the Department of Transportation is initiating an RFQ process to select firms to provide professional engineering services. The scope of work to be considered under the RFQ process will encompass the work involved under this proposed Amendment. If the Department is unable to hire qualified applicants to perform this work in house, a new Agreement to perform these services, with this or another firm, will be brought back to your Board for consideration at the completion of the RFQ process.
The not-to-exceed total approved by the Board of Supervisors to date is $180,000. The total amount expended and/or encumbered under existing work orders totals $174,010, leaving an available balance of $5,990 which will be insufficient for the additional term recommended for this Amendment.
The El Dorado County Employees Association, Local #1, has been informed of this proposed Amendment. Local #1 responded on February 7, 2007 as follows: "EDCEA does not have an issue with this contract, other than our usual caveat that all efforts should be made to bring work in-house." /s/ Jere Copeland, Executive Director
The Department requests the Board make findings pursuant to Article II, section 210 b (6) of the El Dorado County Charter, the ongoing aggregate of work performed under this Amendment is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
1. The Chairman will sign two originals of Amendment II to Agreement for Services #AGMT 05-777 with Dokken Engineering.
2. The Department will forward one original to the consultant.
Contact:
Richard W. Whepard, P.E.
Concurrences: Approved by County Counsel and Risk Management