City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve an amendment (Change Order #3) to
the existing professional services agreement with Utility Systems Science and
Software (US3) to provide software, hardware, engineering services, and technology
integration services, for the Emergency Notification System (ENS) and the Sewer
Flow Monitoring System (SFMS), in an amount not-to-exceed $86,061.
BACKGROUND:
In 1999, the City Council approved entering into an Amalgamated Agreement with
the City of Los Angeles (LA Agreement) for the conveyance of Culver City’s
sewerage to the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant. The LA Agreement requires
that Culver City report to the City of Los Angeles the amount of sewage flow in
monthly, quarterly, and yearly increments. The purpose of the flow data is to
determine Culver City’s fair share of operational and capital costs at the Hyperion
Plant and the maintenance of the Los Angeles sewer transmission lines. In 2000 the
City of Culver City entered into an agreement with ADS Systems (ADS Agreement)
in the amount of $745,909 to integrate a system wide network for sewage flow
monitoring data (SFMS) and emergency notification system (ENS) for pump station
interruptions to pre-designated City personnel. The City subsequently terminated
the ADS Agreement with ADS in 2003 due to breach of contract/non-performance.
In 2003, the City Council awarded a 5 year agreement to US3 (US3 Agreement) to
complete the ENS/SFMS in the amount of $576,350. The US3 Agreement required
the enhancement of some of the equipment installed by ADS in 2000. Also the US3
Agreement required the installation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
Meeting Date: 09/08/08 Item Number: C-4
AGENDA ITEM: Approval of an Amendment (Change Order #3) to an Existing
Professional Services Agreement with Utility Systems Science and Software for the
Update to Components of the Sewer Emergency Notification System and Sewer Flow
Monitoring System.
Contact Person/Dept.: Gabe Garcia/PW Phone Number: (310) 253-5633
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Master E-Mail Notification List (09/03/08) US3 by phone.
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (09/02/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (09/03/08)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (09/03/08)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (09/03/08) City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
(SCADA) system. This system is a collection of computer programs that gives
intelligence to the ENS/SFMS.
On January 8, 2007, the City Council approved an amendment (Change Order #2)
to the US3 Agreement in an amount not to exceed $232,767 to further enhance the
capabilities of the ENS/SFMS system and provide additional functionality beyond the
2003 effort to further safeguard the City from sewer spills. The work under Change
Order #2 is ongoing. Because of cost savings due to pump station parts not needed
to be purchased and associated labor, there are approximately $30,000 of the funds
from Change Order #2 that can be allocated to Change Order #3. The net costs of
Change Order #3 can be reduced by this amount. The amount requested for
approval under this staff report reflects this adjustment.
DISCUSSION:
Several of the components of the ENS and SFMS installed originally by ADS in 2000
urgently need to be replaced. After eight years of operation, these components are
experiencing an increasing number of malfunctions due to communication conflicts
between the multiple software applications and hardware systems. Also these
conflicts are due to software upgrades not being compatible with the existing
hardware. Given these malfunctions, both systems’ ability to provide notification of
potential spills and sewer flow data gathering are not being adequately addressed.
The existing US3 Agreement does not require them to replace these software and
hardware components.
Under the existing ENS/SFMS there are a variety of independent applications from
several third-party companies performing the functions of data gathering and
storage, data report generation, checking for alarm incidents, notifying first-
responders of events, and the persistent effort of making phone calls to first
responders/staff until someone acknowledges the alarm. Communications are
increasingly being dropped between these applications and between the
applications and the modem required by the applications. The end result is the loss
of sewer flow data. Any loss of data would subject the City to a penalty under the LA
Agreement. (The US3 Agreement makes US3 responsible for the maintenance of
the ENS/SFMS but does not make them responsible for the proper functioning of
third party applications and hardware components, but only their integration.)
Additionally, the system intermittently loses its system alarm function. While there
has not been a spill since 2006, without this aspect of the ENS, staff may not be
notified by the system in time to prevent a future spill.
The proposed replacement is a single, integrated application that contains all the
functionality of all the present applications. The proposed software application is City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
called Virtual Tag System (VTS). This integration of all functionality into a single
application ensures reliable communications within the system. The application
manufacturer also programs all its own drivers for the hardware components, which
ensures harmonious software-hardware communications. Staff believes that the
aforementioned proposals will ensure that Public Works Department personnel will
be notified of conditions requiring attention at the sewer pump stations.
Finally staff proposes to replace the two four year old computer servers and combine
their functionality into a single server (it was less expensive to purchase one new
server than to purchase extended warranty for the two existing servers). Under the
proposed scenario, all applications, data, and communications would reside in a
single server rather than the existing two servers. This will simplify the maintenance
and oversight of the system.
The replacement of the above components of the ENS/SFMS with current software
and new server hardware is necessary in order for the system to be up to date.
In the event of a sewer spill that is determined to have occurred as a result of a
ENS/SFMS failure, the standard liability language contained in the original contract
number 2003-043 (which language will be restated and reaffirmed in Change Order
#3) provides that US3 indemnifies the City to the fullest extend under the law.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The total costs for the replacement of the ENS/SFMS is $86,061, less $30,000 from
change order #2, for a net cost of $56,061, itemized as follows:
Software $20,118
New Computer Server $6,000
Braddock Pump Station flow meter $8,860
Engineering Services and Integration of technology $43,260
Subtotal $78,238
Contingency (10%) $7,823
Total Gross $86,061
Savings realized in Change Order #2 ($30,000)
Net request $56,061
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
It is recommended that the amendment to the US3 Agreement be funded by the
Sewer Operations Maintenance Other Contractual Service Budget Account
#20466100.619800. There are sufficient funds in this account in fiscal 2008-09 to
pay for this change order #3.
MOTION:
1. Approve an amendment (Change Order #3) to the existing professional services
agreement with Utility Systems Science and Software in the amount of $86,061
for the update to the components of the Sewer Emergency Notification/Sewer
Flow Monitoring System;
2. Approve an amendment to Change Order #2 to decrease its amount by $30,000
to a not-to-exceed amount of $202,767;
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.