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CC - CONSENT ITEM: Approval of Amendment to Existing CWE Corporation Professional Services Agreement for Additional Design Services for Transfer Station Stormwater Diversion Upgrades Project Using CIP PZ-948 for an Additional Amount Not-to-Exceed $75,000.
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Meeting Date: January 26, 2026
Contact/Dept: Sean Singletary/Public Works - Environmental Programs and Operations Division
Phone Number: (310) 253-6457
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: E-Mail: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/22/2026)
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (01/07/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with CWE Corporation for additional design services for Transfer Station Stormwater Diversion Upgrades Project, using CIP PZ-948 (Transfer Station Improvements) for an additional amount not-to-exceed $75,000.
BACKGROUND
The City owns and operates a 500-ton per day solid waste transfer station at 9255 West Jefferson Boulevard. The transfer station operates six days a week between the hours of 4:00 am and 4:00 pm. Solid waste, recyclable materials and organics waste collected by City Environmental Programs and Operations Division (EPO) is tipped at the transfer station and transferred to tractor/trailer transfer trucks for transit to area landfills, materials recovery facilities and compost sites. In addition, the City provides roll-off service for the collection of construction and demolition debris. All processing
of materials functions is based at this facility.
The Transfer Station site is divided into four drainage areas. The existing stormwater diversion system captures urban run-off from two drainage areas into two underground storage chambers with a combined capacity of 30,000 gallons. The captured runoff is then pumped to the wastewater system and treated at the City of Los Angeles’ Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant. The stormwater diversion system prevents urban runoff pollutants from reaching Ballona Creek.
The other two drainage areas consist of the roof and parking areas. Currently stormwater runoff from these two drainage areas is treated and discharged into the storm drain system. As a result, the Transfer Station facility is subject to the NPDES Industrial stormwater general permit (IGP), WDID: 4 19I001571. The runoff from the roof drainage area is diverted into two cisterns. In a rain event where the cisterns are full, the runoff is diverted to bio-planters where it gets treated from pollutants. Once
treated, the runoff is released to the curb and then enters the storm drain system. The runoff from the parking drainage area is diverted into two trench drains with filter medias where it gets treated from pollutants before it discharges to the curb and then into the storm drain system.
The City would like to integrate the drainage areas from the roof and parking areas into the stormwater diversion system, thus preventing stormwater runoff from entering the storm drain system and Ballona Creek. Potential improvements include upsizing existing underground storage chambers, building additional onsite underground storage chambers, and diverting the stormwater runoff from the roof and parking drainage areas into the sanitary sewer.
DISCUSSION
On October 31, 2024, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP #2539) seeking proposals from qualified vendors for engineering design services for the Transfer Station Stormwater Diversion System Upgrades. City Council awarded a professional services agreement to CWE for engineering design services for the Transfer Station Stormwater Diversion System Upgrades in an amount not-to-exceed $129,500 on December 9, 2024.
During the design process, site conditions required additional effort outside of the scoped cost, including more complex electrical improvements than originally assumed; requirement of additional structural calculations to place the facility partially below surface; and upgrades to the original system so that the modern elements of the new system can interact with the existing stormwater system.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 includes sufficient funding for the engineering design services in CIP Account No. 202.80000.730100.PZ948 (Transfer Station Improvements) in the Capital Improvements section of the budget book in the Summary by Fund and Project on page 589. The project is funded by the Refuse Disposal Fund (Fund 202). Construction costs will come from CIP Project PW009 (Transfer Station Stormwater Improvements).
ATTACHMENTS
None.
recommended action
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve an amendment to existing Professional Services Agreement with California Watershed Engineering (CWE) for additional design services for the Transfer Station Stormwater Diversion Upgrades Project in an additional amount not to exceed $75,000;
2. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.