Title
Transportation Department recommending Chairman be authorized to sign Amendment I to Agreement for Services AGMT 05-967 with Dowling Associates, Inc. increasing compensation by $200,000 to $700,000 for the term April 4, 2006 through April 3, 2008, and amending other articles of the contract to conform to current contract standards to provide as-needed traffic engineering and transportation planning services.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve.
FUNDING: Dowling Associates will be working on several different projects on an on-call basis under the task order process. Funds for this amendment will come from the various Capital Improvement Program projects funded through traffic impact fees or through time and material billings against development projects.
Body
BUDGET SUMMARY: |
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Total Estimated Cost |
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$200,000.00 |
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Funding |
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Budgeted |
$200,000.00 |
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New Funding |
$ |
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Savings |
$ |
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Other |
$ |
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Total Funding Available |
$200,000.00 |
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Change To Net County Cost |
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$-0- |
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: This Amendment provides for $200,000 additional compensation for a total not-to-exceed Agreement amount of $700,000. There is no cost to the County General Fund.
Background: The Board of Supervisors approved Professional Services Agreement AGMT 05-967 with Dowling Associates on April 4, 2006 providing the Department with on-call traffic engineering and transportation planning services in support of General Plan implementation efforts and in support of projects included in the County's Capital Improvement Program administered by DOT. Services also include review of traffic reports for discretionary applications.
The Department has conducted a continuous recruitment for a Senior Civil Traffic Engineer to support a variety of in-house traffic issues, including some of the type of work Dowling Associates has provided. The complexity of traffic engineering required to develop traffic models and to develop, implement, and maintain the County's Traffic Model is far beyond the scope of work found under County classifications.
Consultant Selection: The Department of Transportation has contracted with Dowling Associates, Inc. for the provision of "as needed" traffic engineering, transportation planning, and development review support services. Tasks include: traffic modeling for multiple interchange projects within the U.S. Highway 50 Corridor and ensure coordination with Caltrans and other consultants; supports Department Staff in the development of the Traffic Impact Mitigation Fee Program to include review and analysis of program fees. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars was spent for the scoping and review of traffic studies for Land Development Projects on a time and material basis paid by the developers.
The Department conducted an RFQ process in September 28, 2004. Dowling Associates, Inc. was selected as a qualified consultant at that time to perform the needed services. The nature of the services preformed by Dowling Associates, Inc. will be part of a new RFQ process that the Purchasing Agent is currently working on with the Department.
Because the prior RFQ process used did not include outside review of the consultant's ability to perform the work, the Purchasing Agent has coordinated the review of the consultant's qualifications to perform the needed services with Richard Tippett, P.E., City Engineer with the City of Placerville. The Purchasing Agent concurs that Dowling Associates, Inc. has demonstrated its ability to perform the work based on prior experience with this consultant, qualifications of the consultant's personnel assigned, and the availability of the consultant to perform the services.
The County Purchasing Agent has reviewed the Department's request to amend the contract with Dowling Associates, Inc. and concurs that the continued use of this consultant is appropriate and that the department's request is in compliance with Board of Supervisors Policy C-17, Sections 7.4.2, and 7.10.
Justification for Additional Compensation: Amendment proposes to add $200,000.00 in compensation for a total not-to-exceed amount of $700,000.00. The current not-to-exceed total for this service agreement is $500,000.00. At present, $448,810 is encumbered for existing authorized work under multiple task orders, leaving only $51,190 available for the remaining term of the agreement, which will expire in April 2008.
The work entailed under current task orders has ranged from conducting peer reviews of traffic studies used to support discretionary projects, conducting a Traffic Impact Study for the General Services Department for the new Animal Control Facility, and performing traffic forecasting and traffic operations analysis in support of the environmental impact analysis for a variety of projects. The additional $200,000.00 will be necessary to accomplish the work during the remaining term of the agreement without the need for additional contract amendments.
The El Dorado County Employees Association, Local #1 has been informed of this proposed Amendment.
The Department requests the Board make findings pursuant to Article II, Section 210 b (6) of the El Dorado County Charter that, in part, there are specialty skills required for the work performed under this Agreement that are not expressly identified in County classifications, and in part, that an independent contractor can more economically and feasibly perform the work performed under this Agreement due to the existing vacant allocations with the Department's Transportation Planning Unit.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
1. The Board Chairman will sign two originals of Amendment I to Agreement For Services #AGMT 05-067 with Dowling Associates, Inc.
2. The Department will forward one original to the consultant.
Contact: Jim Ware, Deputy Director
Concurrences: Approved by County Counsel and Risk Management.