ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE

 

 

 

2.

AUTHORIZE EXPENDITURE OF BUDGETED FUNDS FOR CONTRACT WITH GOLDEN STATE PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING TO PROVIDE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM PERMIT PROCESSING ASSISTANCE FOR FY 2006-2007

 

Meeting Date:

December 1, 2006

Budgeted:  $12,500

 

From:

David A. Berger

General Manager

Program No.:  2-5-5-A

Acct. No. 4-7855.03-03

 

 

 

Staff Contact:

Henrietta Stern

Cost Estimate:  $25,000 ($12,500 is 100% reimbursable)

 

General Counsel Approval:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on December 1, 2006 and recommended _________.

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

SUMMARY:   The Board will consider authorizing the General Manager to enter into a contract with Golden State Planning and Environmental Consulting (GSPEC) to help District staff carry out MPWMD Rules and Regulations governing Water Distribution Systems (WDS).  The contract term would be for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2006-2007 (December 12, 2006 through June 30, 2007) for a not-to-exceed amount of $25,000.   GSPEC would replace the previous consultant (Mark Dias), who requested termination of services due to his new role as a full-time employee of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency.  

 

District staff held pre-qualification meetings in October 2006 with two local firms who specialize in assisting local public agencies with planning and environmental review: Pacific Municipal Consultants (PMC) and GSPEC.  A Request for Proposal (RFP) and Scope of Services (Exhibit 2-A) was provided to PMC and GSPEC (exhibit excludes several large attachments).  Two proposals were received, followed by additional questions and answers by phone and e-mail.  While both firms are well-qualified, District staff believes that GSPEC would be the best choice, primarily due to lower cost and less complex logistics. The GSPEC proposal is included as Exhibit 2-B.  It is noted that if a workload surge occurs in the future, PMC’s services could also potentially be tapped, upon Board approval. 

 

Retention of GSPEC will help District staff address the backlog of over 30 applications and speed the permit review process for future applications.  GSPEC will also help District staff complete formal Implementation Guidelines for the WDS permit process, as required by the MPWMD Rules & Regulations. Work would be directed by the MPWMD Project Manager in consultation with the Planning & Engineering and Water Resources Division Managers.  Work would be coordinated with the WDS hydrogeologic reviews performed by Pueblo Water Resources, whose contract was approved by the Board at its June 22, 2006 meeting.

RECOMMENDATION:  Staff recommends that the Board authorize the General Manager to retain and enter into a standard District professional services contract with GSPEC for a not-to-exceed amount of $25,000 allocated into reimbursable and non-reimbursable portions of $12,500 each (see below).   The Administrative Committee reviewed this item at its December 1, 2006 meeting and voted ____ to recommend ______.   If this item is adopted along with the Consent Calendar, staff will execute a contract with GSPEC for the remainder of FY 2006-2007.  

 

IMPACT TO DISTRICT RESOURCES:  The number of WDS applications and Pre-Applications received in 2006 is nearly five times the annual total of previous years, and a severe backlog currently exists. The use of GSPEC will help staff meet its customer service timeline goals for future WDS permit applicants without compromising work product quality or adversely affecting other high-priority projects. 

 

Assistance for WDS permit processing is a $12,500 line item in the 2006-2007 budget approved by the Board in June 2006 (Item 2-5-5-A).  The contract limit would be separated into two parts:

 

  1. $12,500 not-to-exceed amount for preparation of Implementation Guidelines and related non-reimbursable tasks; and
  2. $12,500 as a starting amount for tasks associated with WDS permit processing that would be 100% reimbursable from applicants. 

 

Thus, the total contract limit of $25,000 is recommended.  A refinement to the FY 2006-2007 budget line item is proposed for the mid-year budget adjustment scheduled for the February 2007 Board meeting.  All charges would be on a time and materials basis.    The contract is on an as-needed basis, and all work related to WDS applications would be invoiced to the respective applicants. 

 

The GSPEC co-principal, Matthew Sundt, has reviewed the District’s contract language and has no concerns.  References for Mr. Sundt (LAFCO and City of San Juan Batista) were checked and were positive.  For reference, the full RFP package and PMC Proposal are available for review at the District office.

 

EXHIBITS

2-A      Request for Proposal excerpts

2-B      GSPEC Proposal

 

 

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