Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of August 27, 2019
Title
AWARD OF CONTRACT TO JOHN L. HUNTER
AND ASSOCIATES INC. FOR PROFESSIONAL
STORMWATER CONSULTING SERVICES
(Acting Public Works Director Lucho Rodriguez)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement with John L. Hunter and Associates Inc. to administer the City's Municipal Storm Water Management Program in connection with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements for an amount of $114,989 annually.
Body
Executive Summary:
In June 2019, the City of Hermosa Beach reissued a formal request for proposals to provide professional stormwater consulting services. Four (4) proposals were received by the July 25, 2019 deadline and a panel consisting of staff from Public Works, Community Development, and City Manager Departments ranked the proposers based on experience providing similar services in other cities. Based on experience, references, and cost proposals, John L. Hunter and Associates, Inc. was identified as the most competitive firm. Staff recommends that City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement with John L. Hunter and Associates, Inc. to administer the City's Municipal Storm Water Management Program in connection with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements for an amount of $114,989 annually, for a total contract amount of $344,967 for a three-year contract period.
Background:
On November 8, 2012, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted the fourth Los Angeles Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit (Permit) under the Federal Clean Water Act for discharges within the coastal watersheds of Los Angeles County. The Permit identifies conditions, requirements and programs that municipalities must comply with to protect regional water resources from adverse effects associated with pollutants in storm water and urban runoff.
In 2015, the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group (WMG) submitted an Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP) and Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Program (CIMP) to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB). These programs were approved on April 18, 2016 and November 12, 2015, respectively, and require each city to implement the projects, best practices, and monitoring activities described therein, to achieve pollutant load reductions by the prescribed deadlines.
From 2006 through 2019, McGowan Consulting (Kathleen McGowan) has been assisting the City of Hermosa Beach with implementing the MS4 Permit requirements. At its July 10, 2018 meeting, City Council awarded a contract to McGowan Consulting to implement to provide professional stormwater consulting services through June 30, 2019. At this meeting, City Council requested that staff issue a formal request for proposals for professional stormwater consulting services for the following fiscal year commencing July 1, 2019.
Discussion:
On May 16, 2019, the City issued a formal request for proposals to provide professional stormwater consulting services (Attachment 1). The scope of work to be completed through this Professional Services Agreement (Attachment 2) is detailed in Attachment 1 and is organized into tasks according to the following Permit program areas:
Task 1-Stormwater Program Management and Coordination;
Task 2-Public Information and Participation Program;
Task 3-Industrial/Commercial Facilities Control Program;
Task 4-Planning & Land Development and Construction Programs;
Task 5-Public Agency Activities Program;
Task 6-Illicit Connection & Illicit Discharge Elimination; and
Task 7-Pursuit and Implementation of Grant Funding for Stormwater Projects
One proposal was received by the May 30, 2019 deadline and staff subsequently reissued the request for proposals on June 27, 2019, extending the deadline to submit proposals to July 25, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Staff informed the single proposer of the revised deadline and provided the opportunity to revise and resubmit their proposal, if desired.
Four (4) proposals were received by 4:00 p.m. on July 25, 2019. Staff immediately scheduled interviews with all proposers on Tuesday July 30, 2019. A panel consisting of staff from Public Works, Community Development, and the City Manager Departments interviewed teams from proposing firms and ranked CWE and John L. Hunter and Associates Inc. (JLHA) as the top two firms based on experience providing similar services in other cities. Following the interviews, staff considered the cost proposals presented in Table 1 and conducted reference checks.
Table 1. Rank and Cost Proposals for Stormwater Consulting Services
|
Rank |
Firm |
Cost Proposal |
|
1 |
John L. Hunter and Associates Inc. |
$114,989 |
|
2 |
CWE |
$165,870 |
|
3 |
Colbert Environmental Group |
$126,420 |
|
4 |
CASC |
$122,160 |
Based on experience, references, and cost proposals, JLHA was identified as the most competitive proposer. JLHA previously provided professional stormwater consulting services for the City from 1995 through 2003 and is familiar with the City’s residential and commercial programs, and infrastructure as it relates to stormwater.
Staff requested additional information on the budget for Task 7--Pursuit and Implementation of Grant Funding for Stormwater Projects. JLHA responded that two of their recent grant applications required geotechnical reports, including drilling, as part of the application that cost $8,000 each, and one grant required a separate cost-benefit analysis that cost approximately $8,000. Consequently, additional budget was included in this task if potential grants require any of these extraneous reports, however JLHA would be working on a time and materials basis and would charge accordingly.
Staff recommends that City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement with John L. Hunter and Associates Inc. to administer the City's Municipal Storm Water Management Program in connection with NPDES permit requirements for an amount of $114,989 annually, for a total contract amount of $344,967 for a period of three years .
General Plan Consistency:
PLAN Hermosa, the City’s General Plan, was adopted by the City Council in August 2017. The construction of an infiltration system to capture and infiltrate storm water supports several PLAN Hermosa goals and policies that are listed below.
1.8 Reduce storm water runoff. Reduce storm water runoff consistent with local storm water permits.
5.7 Storm water permits. Strictly implement, enforce, and monitor MS4 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) Permit requirements through storm water ordinances.
Fiscal Impact:
The FY19-20 budget has $76,313 for the Enhanced Watershed Management Program Development and Implementation and $15,000 for the Stormwater Outreach Program in the Storm Drain Division (Account Number 161-3109-4201). A transfer of $23,676 would be made from CIP 8417, Storm Drain Improvements to Account Number 161-3109-4201 to provide a total amount of $114,989.
Attachments:
1. Request for Proposals
2. Professional Services Agreement
Respectfully Submitted by: Lucho Rodriguez, Acting Public Works Director
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager