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CC - Approval of Professional Services Agreement with California Watershed Engineering for the Design of Mesmer Low Flow Diversion Project, PR-005 in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $129,805 ($120,805 Base Cost with a Contingency of $9,000)
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Meeting Date: March 26, 2018
Contact Person/Dept: Lee Torres
Phone Number: (310)253-6457
Fiscal Impact: Yes [x] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [x]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/21/18);
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson (03/15/18)
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve a professional services agreement with California Watershed Engineering for the design of Mesmer Low flow Diversion Project, PR-005 in an amount not-to-exceed $129,805 ($120,805 base cost with a contingency of $9,000).
BACKGROUND
Centinela Creek is a tributary to Ballona Creek draining approximately 9.83 square mile area (6,288 acres) of Culver City, Inglewood, Los Angeles, and the County of Los Angeles unincorporated areas. Centinela Creek flows into Ballona Creek Estuary immediately downstream of the 90 Freeway crossing.
On December 28, 2012, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) adopted R4-2012-0175, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4 Permit). This latest MS4 Permit establishes waste discharge requirements for stormwater and non-stormwater (urban runoff) discharges within the watersheds of Los Angeles County. Ballona Creek has been identified as being impaired by elevated levels of trash, toxics, and bacteria. The MS4 Permit includes Total Maximum Daily Load regulations (TMDL’s) for these pollutants.
At the time, it was anticipated the initial Ballona Bacteria TMDL compliance date of April 27, 2013 was not going to be met, the Cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Inglewood, and West Hollywood, the County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Flood Control District requested a time extension and proposed the following three regional projects to collectively comply with the final water quality based effluent limitations during dry weather as specified by the Ballona Creek Bacteria TMDL :
1. Low Flow Treatment Facility #1 Project at Ballona Creek;
2. Low Flow Treatment Facility #2 Project at Sepulveda Channel; and
3. Mesmer Low Flow Diversion Project at Centinela Creek.
The participating agencies were granted a time schedule order (TSO) by the LARWQCB that extended the compliance date to December 15, 2019. The participating agencies have been working on the above mentioned projects and have been providing LARWQCB Annual Progress Reports.
DISCUSSION
Mesmer Low Flow Diversion Project
Staff is proposing a low flow diversion system that will divert dry weather run-off from Centinela Creek into the Mesmer Pump Station where the run-off will be pumped into an existing sewer main for conveyance to City of Los Angeles’ Hyperion Treatment Plant for treatment. The Mesmer Sewer Pump Station is located at 5586 Mesmer Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230 adjacent to Centinela Creek.
Feasibility Study
On December 8, 2014, City Council approved award of a contract to PRP Engineering to prepare a Feasibility Study for conversion of the Mesmer Sewer Pump Station for use as a storm water (urban runoff) diversion pump station that will divert dry weather run-off from Centinela Creek and discharge this run-off into the sanitary sewer for treatment at the Hyperion Sewer Treatment Plant. The Mesmer Pump Station is currently used to convey sewage from a portion of Culver City to the City of Los Angeles sewer transmission lines which carry the sewage to the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant for treatment. This pump station is scheduled to be decommissioned after completion of the proposed new Bankfield Sewer Pump Station and all the associated sanitary sewer mains are diverted from Mesmer Pump Station to the new pump station.
The Feasibility Study was completed and submitted on June 15, 2015 to the LARWQCB as part of the TSO commitment.
However, inJune, 2016, due to the shortage of funding in the Bankfield Pump Station Project, it was determined the initially proposed diversion of all sanitary sewer mains leading to Mesmer Pump Station to the new Bankfield Pump Station will be delayed
Therefore, the Feasibility Study was revised to include verification that the existing pump system has the capacity to handle the existing sanitary sewer flows and proposed dry weather run-off flows. This was verified. Also, the study determined that the dry weather run-off from Centinela Creek can be diverted into the Mesmer Pump Station via gravity flow and not require major modification to the existing pump station. Finally, County of Los Angeles Flood Control comments requiring an alternative run-off diversion method was included in the revised Feasibility Study. The revised Feasibility Study was completed on January 12, 2017 and submitted to LARWQCB on December 15, 2017.
CEQA
The City of Los Angeles took the lead on preparing the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for all three regional projects with anticipated certification of the Final EIR by the Los Angeles City Council by April 2018.
PERMITS
All required permits required from Army Corp of Engineers and County of Los Angeles Flood Control will be part of the civil consultants design scope of work and included in the proposed cost.
On February 8, 2018, staff received two (2) proposals for the civil design of the Project. After careful review of the proposals, staff chose the most qualified firm, California Watershed Engineering (CWE). CWE has planned and designed similar diversion projects and more regional BMP projects than any other firm in Southern California. CWE is widely recognized as an industry leader in the design of multi-benefit BMP and urban runoff diversion projects. In addition, CWE provided the lowest proposal at $120,805.
Culver City will take the lead in the management of the design and construction of the Mesmer Low Flow Diversion Project.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Mesmer Low Flow Diversion Project’s feasibility study, design, construction, and construction engineering costs will be shared between Cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Inglewood, the County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Flood Control District and shall be based on percentage contribution to the overall drainage areas as depicted below:
|
|
Sum of Drainage Area |
Percent |
|
County of Los Angeles |
1810 |
29% |
|
Culver City |
954 |
15% |
|
City of Inglewood |
1563 |
25% |
|
City of Los Angeles |
1961 |
31% |
|
Total |
6288 |
100% |
The project funding is as follows:
|
PROPOSED PROJECT BUDGET |
|
Funding Source |
Amount |
|
Mesmer Low Flow Diversion CIP (43480000.730100.PR005) |
$130,000 |
|
|
|
|
Total Available Funds |
$130,000 |
A Memorandum of Understanding will be developed to capture all the costs incurred from Low Flow Treatment Facility #1 Project at Ballona Creek; Low Flow Treatment Facility #2 Project at Sepulveda Channel; and Mesmer Low Flow Diversion Project at Centinela Creek with all participating agencies to share the cost based on drainage area.
We anticipate completing the design by December, 2018, and beginning construction in Spring, 2020. Staff will request funding for construction and construction engineering as part of the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 CIP Budget.
The cost for final design services as stated in CWE’s proposal is $120,805. It is recommended that the City Council authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to authorize amendments to the agreement for additional design work in an amount not-to-exceed $9,000 if necessary.
ATTACHMENTS
None
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve a professional services agreement with California Watershed Engineering for the design of the Mesmer Low Diversion Project, PR-005 in an amount not-to-exceed $120,805;
2. Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve amendments to the agreement with California Watershed Engineering in an amount not-to-exceed $9,000 for additional design work;
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.