COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

DATE:

April 9, 2009

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 28, 2009

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

James C. Porter, Director of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Retention of Consulting Firms for On-Call Engineering Professional Services for Public Works Projects within the County of San Mateo

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board to execute agreements with consulting firms for On-Call Engineering Professional Services.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goal 7: Maintain and enhance the public safety of all residents and visitors.

Your Board’s adoption of the proposed resolution will allow the Public Works Department to expedite projects that can improve and maintain the integrity of various County infrastructure and protect the environment for the benefit of the public.

BACKGROUND:

The consultant selection procedures in the County’s Administrative Memorandum
B-1 were used to select consultants for the On-Call Engineering Professional Services Agreements. The Request for Proposals Process Matrix describing the process and selected firms is attached as Exhibit “A”.

DISCUSSION:

It is anticipated that a number of flood control, water distribution, storm and sanitary sewer and streetlight improvement projects will need to be designed and constructed within the next five years. A majority of these projects are being proposed to repair deteriorated infrastructure and meet State and Federal requirements and standards, and must also be designed in accordance with specific schedules to qualify for State or Federal funding through the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Construction costs for the projects that will utilize the On-Call Engineering Professional Services are expected to range between $50,000 and $5,000,000. The fees for individual “Task Orders” for specific projects will typically range from $5,000 to $500,000.

Retaining on-call consultants will enable the Department to utilize consultants with specific expertise for the projects or project components, which may include preliminary studies, alternative design studies, specific designs, environmental assessment, permitting, and construction management.

Proposals were solicited from engineering firms with expertise in specific categories, as outlined in Exhibit A, by direct mail, through advertising in the newspapers, and posting information to the Department’s website. The Department reviewed proposals submitted by thirty (30) firms. Based on the results of the review, the Department is recommending that the firms listed on Exhibit A be retained to provide on-call professional consulting services for the various work categories on an as-needed basis. The consulting service agreements are for maximum amounts ranging from $300,000 to $500,000.

Consultants will be selected for specific projects by the Department and Task Orders will be issued to the firms that will detail the requirements of the projects including a scope of work and a not-to-exceed amount. The sum of the fees for the various individual Task Orders, should the firm be assigned to more than one project, will not exceed the not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement. Any increase above the limit of the Agreements that are less than $500,000 would be brought back to your Board for approval.

The term for these agreements will be for three (3) years from April 28, 2009 through April 27, 2012.

A resolution and the agreements have been approved as to form by County Counsel and the consultants have executed the agreements.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Each On-Call Engineering Service Agreement has a Not-to-Exceed amount ranging from $300,000 to $500,000, depending on the project category and number of firms to be retained for work in that category. Funds to pay for the assigned work will come from the budgets for the flood control, water, sewer and streetlight special districts, and the Road Fund for environmental permitting.

There is no impact to the General Fund.

Attachment:

Exhibit A