ITEM:		ACTION ITEMS
12.	CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION AND AUTHORIZATION TO CONTRACT WITH BOOKMAN-EDMONSTON/GEI CONSULTANTS TO PREPARE COMPARISON OF DESALINATION PROJECT COSTS AND TIMELINES
Meeting Date:			January 26, 2006	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David A. Berger,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Andrew Bell	Cost Estimate:	$30,000-50,000
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on January 13, 2006 and recommended that this item be deferred to the February 23, 2006 Board meeting so that it may be considered in the context of the mid-year budget adjustment. The Committee also concurred in staff’s determination that the proposal submitted by Bookman-Edmonston/GEI Consultants is the superior proposal, subject to verification of references.
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: District staff submitted a Request for Proposals for evaluation of various aspects of three proposed seawater desalination projects to five engineering consulting firms in December 2005. The projects to be evaluated are the Coastal Water Project proposed by California American Water, the Monterey Bay Regional Desalination Project proposed by the Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District, and the 7.5 million-gallon-per-day project in Sand City most recently evaluated by MPWMD in 2003 and early 2004. Exhibit 12-A is the Request for Proposals (RFP), including the proposed Scope of Work and the schedule for performing the evaluation and presenting the results at a public workshop of the Board. Exhibit 12-B is the list of consulting firms that were sent the RFP. Proposals were received from three firms: E2 Consulting Engineers, Bookman-Edmonston/GEI Consultants, and Raines, Melton & Carella. A staff committee reviewed the proposals and determined that the superior proposal was submitted by Bookman-Edmonston/GEI Consultants. This firm’s proposal includes an estimated cost of $54,036 to perform the work.

Staff’s recommendation for the consultant providing the superior proposal is provided in Exhibit 12-C, a memorandum from the District Engineer to the General Manager dated January 12, 2006. Attached to the memorandum are the portions of each firm’s proposal showing the project team, project understanding and study approach, and a breakdown of each firm’s estimated costs for consulting services.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Board defer this item to the February 23, 2006 Board meeting so that it may be considered in the context of the mid-year MPWMD budget adjustment.

BACKGROUND: As part of the MPWMD 2005-2006 Strategic Plan adopted by the Board at its October 18, 2005 meeting, the Board directed staff to hold a series of public workshops dealing with several aspects of water supply augmentation. One of the workshops is titled “Water Projects Cost and Timeline Analysis.” The purpose of this workshop is to present information on the major potential water supply projects being proposed for the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding areas. During discussion of an item at the December 12, 2005 Board meeting relating to the Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District’s North County Desalination Project, the Board directed staff to bring a proposed consultant contract to conduct a comparison of seawater desalination project costs and timelines for consideration at the January 26, 2006 Board meeting.

Because the comparison of desalination project costs and timelines was not anticipated at the time the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 budget was adopted, no funds are included in the budget that could support this work, other than in contingency or reserve amounts. Staff plans to bring a proposed mid-year budget adjustment to the Board at their February 23, 2006 meeting. At that time, the Board will have the opportunity to consider the supplemental appropriation necessary to cover the cost of this unbudgeted consulting service in the context of the District’s updated financial projection for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2005-2006.

EXHIBITS

12-A Request for Proposals for 2006 Monterey Peninsula Seawater Desalination Projects Evaluation (December 22, 2005 letter from Andrew M. Bell to five consulting firms)

12-B List of Recipients of Request for Proposals

12-C Recommendation for Consultant, 2006 Monterey Peninsula Seawater Desalination Projects Evaluation (January 12, 2006 Memorandum from Andrew Bell to David Berger)

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