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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with CWE for Engineering Design Services for the Citywide Bioretention Basin Project, PW006, in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $353,500 (Proposed Fee $321,363 with 10% Contingency $32,137); and (2) Authorization to the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Approve Amendment(s) to the Agreement up to the Contingency Amount.
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Meeting Date: July 11, 2022
Contact Person/Dept: Sean Singletary/Public Works - EPO
Phone Number: 310-253-6457
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas (07/07/2022)
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (06/21/2022)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a professional services agreement with CWE for Engineering Design Services for the Citywide Bioretention Basin Project, PW006, in an amount not-to-exceed $353,500 (proposed fee $321,363 with 10% contingency $32,137); and (2) authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve amendment(s) to the agreement up to the contingency amount.
BACKGROUND
On December 28, 2012, the Los Angeles County Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4 Permit) became effective in accordance with the Clean Water Act. The Los Angeles MS4 Permit covers unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, and 84 cities within Los Angeles County, including the City of Culver City. Various milestones were set for the treatment of pollutants in stormwater. In order to comply with the MS4 Permit, the City Council approved the development and implementation of an Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP). The EWMP reviews the watershed as a whole and proposes Best Management Practices (BMPs) for responsible jurisdictions to complete.
On August 23, 2021, the City Council adopted the City’s Stormwater Quality Master Plan (SWQMP). The objective of the SWQMP is to provide a planning tool to identify potential regional, green street and Low Impact Development (LID) projects to collectively meet the City’s water quality compliance goals. The primary measure of MS4 compliance implementation is volume of stormwater managed by the BMPs. The Ballona Creek EWMP determined that a combined BMP capacity of 99 acre-feet (ac-ft)
for the prescribed set of BMPs would provide reasonable assurance that water quality
goals are met in the City. The SWQMP identified 441 BMPs or projects Citywide, with the bulk of compliance to be achieved through green street projects.
Green street projects are distributed, smaller scale BMPs such as bioretention and biofiltration areas located along roadways. They can be designed to receive surface runoff from the public right-of-way via curb cut outs and infiltrate through planted media, or through ‘grey infrastructure’ such as permeable pavements and sidewalks in locations where landscaped solutions are not practical. These BMPs can provide water quality benefits as well as pedestrian safety, traffic calming, street tree canopy, and other “complete streets” benefits. The SWQMP identified ideal locations for green street BMPs on a neighborhood and street scale throughout the City.
DISCUSSION
Eight of the green street segments recommended by the SWQMP were selected and packaged as the Citywide Bioretention Basin Project and approved in the City’s FY 2022-2023 Capital Improvement Budget for design and construction. Additionally, the City was awarded a Prop 50 grant to develop the project.
On March 24, 2022, the City posted Request for Proposals (RFP) #2248 for Engineering Design Services for Citywide Bioretention Basin Project. When the RFP closed on April 21, 2022, three submittals were received from Tetra Tech, CWE, and Blue Ocean.
Staff interviewed all three firms to gauge project understanding, approach, experience and cost effectiveness of the proposals. Staff recommends hiring CWE to provide engineering design services for this project, including topographic survey, coordination with geotechnical consultant, hydrology study of the project locations, conceptual design, community outreach, environmental study and final preparation of plans, specifications and estimate. CWE has designed the City’s Mesmer Low Flow Diversion and Washington Boulevard Urban Runoff and Stormwater Diversion projects, and has demonstrated they have strong technical expertise with innovative design concepts with intimate familiarity with the City’s stormwater context.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Sufficient funding has been budgeted in the FY2022/2023 - FY2026/2027 Capital Improvement Plan for this project as follows:
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION
1. Approve a professional services agreement with CWE for Engineering Design Services for the Citywide Bioretention Basin Project, PW006, in an amount not-to-exceed $353,500 (proposed fee $321,363 with 10% contingency $32,137); and
2. Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve amendment(s)
to the agreement up to the contingency amount; and
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.