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Community Development Services, Department of Transportation, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the First Amendment to Agreement for Services 053-S1611 with WRECO, increasing the not-to-exceed amount by $150,000 for a total of $450,000, with no increase to the rates or term, to perform on-call geotechnical, geological, hydraulic, and hydrological engineering support services for various Capital Improvement Program projects, including those resulting from the storms of 2017.
FUNDING: Various Capital Improvement Program Funding Sources, including Federal, State, and Local Funds.
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services (CDS), Department of Transportation (Transportation), recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the First Amendment (Amendment I) to Agreement for Services 053-S1611 (Agreement) with WRECO, increasing the not-to-exceed amount by $150,000 for a total of $450,000, with no increase to the rates or term, to perform on-call geotechnical, geological, hydraulic, and hydrological engineering support services for various Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects, including those resulting from the storms of 2017 (emergency projects).
Transportation recommends the Board make findings in accordance with Section 3.13.030 of the County Ordinance that it is more economical and feasible to engage an independent contractor for these services because there are specialty skills required for the work performed under this Agreement that are not expressly identified in County classifications. Various CIP and emergency projects require geotechnical, geological, and environmental skills, as well as complete geotechnical engineering and consultation, including field investigation. These skills are engineering specialties for which there are no County job classifications.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On October 27, 2015 (Item 17), the Board approved the Agreement with WRECO to perform on-call geotechnical, geological, hydraulic, and hydrological engineering support services in support of various CIP projects, with a not-to-exceed amount of $300,000. Transportation has engaged WRECO through several task orders and work orders using existing funds in the amount of $298,457.12, leaving a balance of $1,542.88. Transportation believes an additional $150,000 will allow additional task orders and work orders to be issued for remaining emergency projects and provide for normal CIP work through the remaining term of the Agreement. The new not-to-exceed amount will be $450,000.
The CDS Contracts and Procurement Unit completed a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process in March 2014 for a variety of project support services. A multi-jurisdictional panel evaluated and ranked each Statement of Qualifications and established, based on category of service, a short list of acceptable service vendors. In April 2015, Transportation initiated an on-call Request for Proposals (RFP) process and sent RFPs to the top eleven ranked consulting firms listed in the RFQ's Category 2E, Geotechnical Engineering services. Senior engineering staff evaluated the five proposals received. It was determined that WRECO was highly qualified and possessed many years of experience to assist Transportation in successfully designing and constructing various projects. In February 2017, another CDS RFQ process was completed which provided updated short lists of acceptable vendors based on category of service, with WRECO once again determined to be a highly qualified geotechnical service vendor. Both the 2014 and 2017 RFQ processes were conducted in accordance with Procurement Policy C-17.
The El Dorado County Employees Association, Local 1, has been informed of this proposed Amendment.
ALTERNATIVES
1) Direct Transportation to make changes to Amendment I and return to the Board at a later date. Transportation's ability to move forward on normal and emergency repair projects might be delayed.
2) Direct Transportation to complete the geotechnical engineering through an alternate agreement. This option would result in delayed completion of normal and emergency repair projects and potentially increased costs.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel and Risk Management have approved the proposed Amendment.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for Amendment I will be provided by various CIP funding sources approved in the 2016 CIP, including Federal, State, and Local funds. The proposed action results in no change to Net County Cost.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on two (2) original copies of Amendment I.
2) The Clerk of the Board will forward one (1) fully executed original Amendment I copy to the Community Development Services, Contracts and Procurement Unit, for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure and Public Safety.
CONTACT
Bard R. Lower, Interim Director
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation