1 STAFF REPORT
DATE
: January 24, 2023
TO: J
ustin Hess, City Manager
FR
OM: Dawn Roth Lindell, General Manager, Burbank Water and Power VIA: Richard Wilson, Assistant General Manager, Water Systems BY: Michael Thompson, Manager Water Engineering/Planning SUBJECT: Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with HDR Engineers, Inc. for the Development of a Drought Contingency Plan
RECO
MMENDATION
Approve and authorize the Burbank Water and Power (BWP) General Manager, as designee of the City Manager, to execute a p rofessional services agreement with HDR Engineers, Inc. (HDR) for the development of a drought contingency plan.
BACKGRO
UND
In October 2020, BWP staff reviewed the requirements to apply for a grant to develop a drought contingency plan. The available grant was from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s, 2021 WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Drought Response Program issued through the Bureau of Reclamation ( bureau). The WaterSMART Drought Response Program supports a proactive approach to drought management by providing financial assistance to water managers to develop and update comprehensive drought plans ( drought contingency planning) and implement projects that will build long-term resilience to drought (drought resiliency projects). After reviewing the grant requirements , staff determined that the city stood a good chance of r eceiving the grant, so we began work on the application.
On J
anuary 5, 2021, City Council approved the submittal of a grant application to develop the drought contingency plan and the application was submitted January 6, 2021. We were successful in our efforts, and we were awarded the grant on March 15, 2022.
Additionally, BWP had included $200,000 in the fiscal year 2021/22 budget to provide matching funds for grants.
WATER AND
POWER
2 A completed drought contingency plan that meets the b ureau’s requirements increases our chances of receiving more grants from the bureau – we would not qualify for many of them without one.
DISCUSSION
Since the last drought in 2016, BWP has taken many actions to mitigate the impacts of the drought and expand our sustainability efforts by 1) expanding our recycled water system to capture more users ; 2) creating a sustainable water use ordinance limiting irrigation to three days a week as the new normal ; and 3) providing many conservation programs to encourage our customers to conserve water. The drought contingency plan consolidates these efforts into one document and includes other elements:
• Establishment of a d rought planning task force, which the grant requires BWP to establish to guide and monitor the development of the plan. • Development of a detailed work plan, which lays out specifics of how the work will be conducted and defines the roles and responsibilities of the participants. • Development of a c ommunication and o utreach plan, which establishes how the community is engaged to participate in the project, how project information is communicated to the community, and which allows the community to provide input. • Development of a Burbank -specific drought contingency plan, which customizes drought planning to Burbank-specific features.
On October 6, 2022, staff advertised on Planet Bids a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of a drought contingency plan with proposals due November 3, 2022. On October 17, 2022, staff conducted a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting with potential proposers to discuss project elements. One potential proposer attended the meeting. On October 20, 2022, questions from proposers were due to be submitted on Planet Bids; no questions were submitted. No proposals were received by the deadline of November 3, 2022.
After consulting with the city’s Purchasing Division, it was determined that BWP could negotiate a contract with a qualified consultant. Water Division staff selected HDR wh o has completed complex planning projects for the water division . Staff concluded negotiations with HDR resulting in the attached professional services agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378. The final Drought Contingency Plan will 3 be submitted for review and approval to City Council and the applicable environmental review will apply for any approval and adoption of the Drought Contingency Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
The project has a budget of $350,000. The funding for this project comes from the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation grant in the amount of $175,000 and matching funds budgeted in the water fund in the amount of $175,000 (the grant requires a 50% match from the city). $200,000 was previously budgeted by BWP for grant matching funds, of which $175,000 will be used for the development of the drought contingency plan.
The project budget of $350,000 is broken down as follows : 1) $275,000 for HDR’s consulting services to develop the plan; and 2) $75,000 for BWP’s fully burdened labor cost for project management and administrative support.
The budget for this PSA in the amount of $350,000 is available in cost center PS51D, O&M account# 62085 professional services agreement (368.2200518-03.63260).
CONCLUSION
Staff requests that the Burbank City Council approve and authorize the BWP General Manager, as designee of the City Manager , to enter into a professional services agreement with HDR for the development of a drought contingency plan in the amount of $275,000.00.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Professional Services Agreement