Title
Transportation Department recommending Chairman be authorized to sign Amendment III to Agreement for Services AGMT 05-841 with Area Transit Management, Inc., increasing compensation by $122,781 to $1,028,343 and extending the term three additional months through March 31, 2008 to provide transit services in the South Lake Tahoe Basin and adopt the recommended findings.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve.
FUNDING: Federal Transit Administration Grant Funds and Transportation Development Act Monies granted through the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Body
BUDGET SUMMARY: |
|
|
Total Estimated Cost |
|
$122,781.00 |
|
|
|
Funding |
|
|
Budgeted |
$122,781.00 |
|
New Funding |
$ |
|
Savings |
$ |
|
Other |
$ |
|
Total Funding Available |
$122,781.00 |
|
Change To Net County Cost |
|
$0 |
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost:
The South Lake Tahoe Transit Program is funded through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grant Funds and Transportation Development Act (TDA) monies granted through the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). Additionally, riders pay a bus fare based on Area Transit Management, Inc.'s (ATM) fare box rates that is retained by El Dorado County's (County) transit operator consistent with the terms of the Agreement. The $122,781 for this Amendment is included in the Transportation Department's (Department) FY 07/08 budget. There is no Net County Cost.
Background:
In April 1998, the County entered into a Participation Agreement to implement a Coordinated Transit System (CTS) on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. CTS participants include the City of South Lake Tahoe, Douglas County (Nevada), the Tahoe Transportation District, various casinos and Heavenly Mountain Resort. Since its inception, CTS has been operated by ATM under separate operating contracts.
ATM has provided transit services in the unincorporated areas of South Lake Tahoe for the last sixteen (16) years. The programs provided through the ATM Agreement are summarized as follows:
General Public Demand Response and Paratransit Service - The General Public Demand Response Blue Go service is a door-to-door service which also transports riders to the City of South Lake Tahoe's fixed route Blue Go system. The Paratransit program provides transportation to riders that are elderly and/or have special needs. Eligibility for the use of Paratransit is determined by the County's Department of Human Services.
Summer Trolley - This is a seasonal fixed route service managed by the Blue Go Partnership and operated by ATM during the summer months.
As previously stated, the City of South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County, Nevada, also contract with ATM for transit services within the City limits and the South Shore portion of Nevada, allowing for an integration of the two systems.
In June 2005, the Board approved Agreement for Services # AGMT 05-841 with ATM in the amount of $640,000 for the term of July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2007 to provide transit transportation services in the South Lake Tahoe Basin.
In February 2006, the Board approved Amendment I to Agreement for Services # AGMT 05-841 with ATM to amend Article XX, Compliance with Federal Requirements, and Article XXXVII, Incorporation of FTA Terms, to add provisions required by the FTA.
In June 2007, the Board approved Amendment II to Agreement for Services # AGMT 05-841 with ATM to increase the compensation for services by $265,562 to $905,562 and to extend the term of the Agreement for six additional months from July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007, during which time the Department planned to conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. The Department has not previously conducted an RFP process for these transit services. However, due to the Department recently becoming a recipient of FTA operational funds, Caltrans, the agency responsible for administering the FTA funding, requested that the Department conduct a solicitation process for these services to comply with FTA procurement procedures.
Reason for Recommendation:
With the approval of Amendment II, the Department anticipated that enough time would be provided from July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 (the time provided by the 6-month extension) to draft an RFP, conduct the solicitation process, select a vendor, and draft and enter into a new agreement with a transit services provider. However, due to emergency conditions that have existed since the Angora Fire started on June 24, 2007, Departmental priorities shifted to planning, designing, permitting, and constructing four (4) emergency erosion control projects in the Angora Fire area. At the present time, the Department has drafted an RFP for submittal to Procurement and Contracts; however, there will not be enough time to complete the RFP and contract process prior to the expiration of AGMT 05-841, which would jeopardize the County's ability to provide transit services to the visitors and citizens of El Dorado County during the peak winter season. It is imperative that the Department proceed with Amendment III for an additional 3-month extension until the RFP process can be completed. In light of the Angora Fire and the Department's shifted priorities, Caltrans agreed that an additional 3-month extension to the existing Agreement was acceptable while the County conducts the RFP process.
The Department recommends increasing the not-to-exceed compensation amount of the Agreement from $905,562 to $1,028,343 and adding a requirement that ATM promptly submit any documents requested by the County that are required to prepare Federal and State reports associated with the funding for this Agreement. The $122,781 increase consists of $40,927 per month (no change to the current monthly rate) for the 3-month extension for General Public Demand Response and Paratransit Service.
The terms of this Agreement include cost control and audit provisions requiring ATM to provide statistical reporting of performance indicators on a monthly basis. Performance indicators include reports on the number of passengers, service hours, service miles, employee hours and fare box revenues, subject to County audit.
Due to the specialized services to be provided by ATM, the Department recommends the Board make findings pursuant to Article II, Section 210 b (6) of the El Dorado County Charter that there are specialty skills required for the work performed under this Agreement that are not expressly identified in County classifications, and that the ongoing aggregate of the work performed under this Agreement is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff. In addition, the work to be perfomed by ATM requires some equipment that is not identified in available County assets.
In accordance with the Feasibility Analysis, the Department is not required to notify an employees' association regarding this Agreement.
In accordance with Board of Supervisors Policy C-17, Sections 7.4.2, 7.5, and 7.10, the Purchasing Agent concurs with the Department's request to amend the existing Agreement with ATM for the provision of transit transportation services for special needs clients and the general public in the South Lake Tahoe Basin. Caltrans is responsible for administering the agreement for which the Department receives federal funding for the operation of the needed transit services. The Amendment to extend the term through March 31, 2008 is necessary to avoid interruption of transit services in the South Lake Tahoe Basin. Caltrans and the Purchasing Agent have agreed to the extension with the understanding that the Department will solicit competitive proposals prior to the expiration of the extended Agreement.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
1. The Board Chairman will sign the two (2) originals of Amendment III to Agreement for Services # AGMT 05-841 with ATM.
2. The Board Clerk will forward one fully-executed original to the Department for further processing to ATM.
Contact:
Richard W. Shepard, P.E.
Director of Transportation
Concurrences: