HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6f. Authorization to advertise On-Call Services RFQ for various professional services Item 6f
Department: Public Works
Cost Center: 5009
For Agenda of: 10/3/2023
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Matt Horn, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Brian Nelson, Deputy Director of Public Works / City Engineer
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE ON-CALL SERVICES REQUEST FOR
QUALIFICATIONS – VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize the advertisement of Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) to establish on-call
consultant agreements for the following professional services, in a form approved by
the City Engineer and City Attorney:
a. Architectural Design
b. Civil Engineering Design
c. Construction Management
d. Environmental Services
e. Land Surveying
f. Landscape Architecture
g. Mechanical Engineering
h. Right of Way Acquisition
i. Soils and Materials Testing
j. Structural Engineering Design
k. Transportation Engineering Services
l. Travel Demand Modeling
m. Civil Design - Water + Wastewater Specialty (New Service Category)
n. Electrical Engineering (New Service Category)
o. Public Capital Project Management (New Service Category)
p. Urban Design (New Service Category)
q. Energy Services (New Service Category)
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute on-call agreements with selected consulting
firms; and
3. Authorize the City Engineer to amend or extend on-call agreements for services in
accordance with its terms and within the available annual budget; and
4. Authorize the City Engineer to issue an additional 1-year contract extension for the
following professional services set to expire in December 2023, and which have
already received a 1-year extension as allowed by contract:
a. Landscape Architecture
b. Construction Management
c. Environmental Services
d. Soils and Materials Testing
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Item 6f
POLICY CONTEXT
On-call services is a best practices approach to efficient project delivery and is consistent
with San Luis Obispo Municipal Code Section 3.24.070(C) (Authority to Hire Consultants).
Section 3.24.070 provides that bidding procedures do not apply to contracts involving
acquisition of professional or specialized services, and selection of such services can be
made from an approved list of on-call consultants that is established by a formal request
for qualifications (RFQ) process. The section further provides that on-call consultant lists
shall be renewed at least every five years by a new RFQ process.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) implements Council priorities by including
projects that build, maintain, and improve infrastructure. The CIP includes a mix of
projects designed and managed exclusively by City staff as well as projects that use
consultant services, including services provided by on-call consultants. This on-call
service approach has been used successfully for many years, starting with survey
services in 1998 and, in 2007, expanding to engineering, architecture, and other
disciplines. The City’s CIP projects vary in size, and the Request for Qualifications
(RFQs) generally draws local consulting firms familiar with the types of projects the City
implements.
Request for Qualifications Selection and Contract Management
The existing on-call consultant contracts and services are set to expire at various times
over the upcoming 12 months as identified in the below table. The typical contractual term
for on-call services is four years plus an optional one-year extension. Additionally, staff
have identified the need for additional on-call firms with expertise in Civil Design Services
(with a Water and Wastewater focus), Electrical Engineering, Project Management, Urban
Design, and Energy Services.
Table 1: Existing Services and Contract Expirations
ID Service Category Expiration Date
1 Landscape Architecture December 2023
2 Construction Management December 2023
3 Environmental Services December 2023
4 Soils and Materials Testing December 2023
5 Transportation Engineering Design June 2024
6 Travel Demand Modeling June 2024
7 Architectural Design December 2023*
8 Mechanical Engineering December 2023*
9 Right of Way Services December 2023*
10 Civil Engineering Design January 2024*
11 Land Surveying January 2024*
12 Structural Engineering** September 2024*
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Item 6f
*These expiration dates can be extended by mutual consent for up to
one additional year. Due to staff capacity, staff intend execute the
extension for these services and readvertise over the next calendar
year as resources are available.
**The current service agreements for Structural Engineering are
specific to firms with experience in parking structural maintenance
work. Staff intend to readvertise to open this on-call services to more
general structural engineering expertise. Existing agreements will
remain in place through the expiration date.
It is recommended that Council authorize staff to advertise for all on-call services (listed
in Recommendation #1) through the RFQ process in the coming months, with the
immediate priority of securing services that have already been extended by a year and
are set to expire (as identified in Recommendation #4). Due to limited staffing resources
that can be diverted to this work effort, staff are requesting authorization to extend soon -
to-expire agreements for an additional one year while new services proposals are
reviewed, consultants selected, and final agreements reached. The RFQ to final
agreement timeframe can extend up to three months depending on the quantity of firms
that submit proposals as well as staff capacity to coordinate review and selection.
The RFQ model is used to identify the skill set of the consultants submitting qualifications.
RFQs enable City staff to determine how those qualifications align with future City
projects. This is different from the project-specific Request for Proposals (RFP) model.
After evaluating the RFQ submittal packages, the top consultants in each specialized area
will be selected to enter into an agreement with the City. Consultant selection is based on
their demonstrated ability to provide the services proposed in a timely manner with
qualified staff. Once the selected consultants enter into an agreement with the City, their
services on an individual project are implemented rapidly, without the need for an
individual RFP. Staff have the ability, and often will, solicit project specific proposals from
various consultants to ensure cost control. This also allows the City to address emergency
work or unanticipated circumstances in an efficient manner. For instance, the existing
services agreements were crucial for initiating design of storm recovery projects such as
the San Luis Drive Emergency Bank Stabilization. The competitive qualification process
for these services also supports the City during emergency operations and positions the
City to be able to submit claims for emergency work under the rationale that base services
and costs were competitively qualified and selected prior to the emergency.
The selected consultant firms will remain on contract for four years, with the option to
extend the contract one additional year. The consultants will operate under the conditions
of the agreement included in the RFQ. Individual projects will be scoped by the City
department most involved. The City’s Project Manager will work with the consultant to
determine the final cost for the services, which are determine by the consultant’s scope
of work and hourly rates for services. The specific project work will then be authorized via
a Purchase Order through the Finance Department. Prior to advertising for qualifications,
RFQ documents specific to each service category will be reviewed and approved by the
City Engineer and City Attorney.
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Item 6f
New Services
As identified above, there are several new service categories that staff believe could
provide more expertise and design support for current and future Capital projects.
Civil Design - Water + Wastewater Specialty (New Service Category)
Water treatment/distribution and Wastewater collections and treatment is a specialized
sub-discipline of civil engineering. Many civil engineering firms specialize in providing
these services to government agencies, and therefore a separate on -call list for this
specialized service will provide the Utilities Department with more consultants to choose
from to assist with the delivery of capital projects.
Electrical Engineering (New Service Category)
Typically, the City’s electrical needs are ancillary to other capital work, and the electrical
components of a project are contracted to sub-consultants of the architects or civil
engineering firms leading the work. As an example, the City would work with an architect
for a facility remodel and the architect would hire an electrical engineer if lighting
modifications or other electrical upgrades were found necessary. However, with
increased needs in the area of solar power, EV Charging Stations, and lighting retrofits,
electrical engineering services could help to imp lement energy efficiency projects within
current and future capital improvement plans.
Public Capital Project Management / Staff Augmentation (New Service Category)
This service category would entail comprehensive Capital Project Management services,
aimed at overseeing and optimizing the planning, execution, and monitoring of City capital
projects. It is expected that chosen firms and their assigned resources would i dentify and
collaborate closely with all stakeholders to define project goals, establish budgets, create
timelines, and implement efficient project management methodologies while reporting
progress and deliverables to program managers. Firms could also pro vide Staff
Augmentation services, offering the flexibility to bolster the City’s existing workforce with
skilled professionals in project management and engineering. With ongoing challenges
filling existing staffing vacancies in the CIP Engineering and Transportation programs, an
on-call list of firms that provide these services could prove valuable as an interim solution
to maintain progress on delivery of the City’s capital improvement plan.
Urban Design (New Service Category)
Urban design professional services encompass a wide range of activities aimed at
improving the quality of life in urban areas, promoting sustainability, and creating vibrant,
functional, and visually appealing cities and neighborhoods and embed inclusiveness and
the perspective of how people will use them safely and that projects will enrich the urban
fabric and design of the community. These professionals work at the intersection of
architecture, planning, and social sciences to shape the future of urban environments.
This service category would provide an opportunity to engage with professionals that
have a track record of success in San Luis Obispo and similar communities. Staff expect
that firms interested in working with the City under this classification could overlap with
other existing service categories but provide a more holistic approach to City design.
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Energy Services
The City’s commitment to Climate Action includes providing sustainable design and
reducing overall energy usage and cost through implementation of energy ef ficiency
measures and renewable energy solutions. Under Government Code Section 4217.12,
public agencies may streamline the delivery of energy efficiency projects and Council
approved this approach and the use of “design/build” procurement at the September 20,
2022 Council meeting, including adoption of Resolution 11361.
The FY23/25 Financial Plan includes funding for City fleet charger installations that could
benefit from efficiencies of design-build delivery, which incorporates design and
construction services under one contract. By issuing an RFQ for Energy Services
Companies that provide design-build services and a history of successful energy
efficiency projects, the City may achieve more rapid deployment of electric vehicle
charging stations as well as other future efficiency projects that advance the City’s
Climate Action Plan.
Public Engagement
These RFQs will be advertised to the public. Specific public engagement will occur for
each specific project as needed and will conform to the City’s adopted Public En gagement
Manual.
CONCURRENCE
The Public Works and Utilities Departments concur with the need for renewed
professional services contracts.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in
this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines
Sec. 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: N/A Budget Year: N/A
Funding Identified: N/A
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Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund N/A
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total
There is no fiscal impact associated with establishing on-call service contracts with
consultants because no specific funds are obligated or earmarked under these contracts.
After the agreements are executed by the City Manager, scoping meetings and Purchase
Order issuance will follow obligating funding amounts and sources. Work will be billed to
individual project accounts, within the authorized and appropriated project budgets.
ALTERNATIVES
Individual Project RFPs. Council can direct staff to proceed in a manner of issuing RFPs
for each individual project in the process outlined by the City’s Purchasing Guidelines. In
this case, a company with greater experience in the specific work might be attracted;
however, this process is very time consuming and increases the work required for an
individual project, reducing overall project production. Staff does not recommend this
approach because it increases the time to implement individual contracts, while providing
minimal benefit. RFPs can still be issued on a case-by-case basis when specialized skills,
not available through on-call contracts, are needed.
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