DEPARTMENT
Business Services
AGENDA NO.
5i
MEETING DATE
June 13, 2023
AGENDA ITEM
Public Utilities Commission
City and County of San Francisco
Professional Services Award: Consent Calendar
Contract Manager: Nancy Hom
Award Contract No. PRO.0253, Low Interest Loans and Grants Program
Summary of
Proposed
Commission Action:
Award Contract No. PRO.0253, Low Interest Loans and Grants Program, to EPC Consultants, Inc. - Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., Joint Venture ( EPC-AVILA JV), in an amount not-to-exceed $4,000,000, and with a duration of five years, to provide support for maximizing access to federal, state, and other low -cost financing and grant options and managing all aspects of loan and grant applications and award requirements from end -to-end under the direction of Loans and Grants Steering Committee and SFPUC Loans and Grants Director.
Background: On January 27, 2023 , the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) issued a Request for Proposa ls to retain as -needed contract support for the SFPUC’s Low Interest Loans and Grants program to maximize low -interest loan and grant finan cing for capital improvement projects, emergency services and other SFPUC programs; expertise on and support for maximizing access to federal, state, and other low-cost financing and grant options; and manage all aspects of loan and grant applications and award requirements from end -to-end under the direction of the Loans and Grants Steering Committee and SFPUC Loans and Grants Director.
The RFP closed on March 7, 2023, and the SFPUC received one proposal from EPC-AVILA JV.
Scope of Contract: The Contract work consists of:
Program Leadership & Strategy Development Tasks:
• Build and oversee a portfolio of federal, state, and other loan and grant opportunities and related annual and 10-year acquisition plans;
• Develop engagement, state and federal advocacy, and acquisition strategies; coordinate applications with all participating SFPUC divisions; and manage end-to-end implementation from
application, to award, through grant close-out;
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with funding partners to include proactive understanding of emerging opportunities, funding priorities, timelines and requirements; serve as SFPUC liaison; Agreement: PRO.0253, Low Interest Loans and Grants Program Commission Meeting Date: June 13, 2023
• Facilitate the participation of the Loans and Grants Steering Committee and all relevant stakeholders in the overall loans and grants acquisition strategy and subsequent implementation and communication; and
• Participate with legal counsel to negotiate agreement and facilitate adoption with SFPUC Commission and leadership for loan and grant agreements and requirements.
Loans and Grants Administration Tasks:
• Oversee and implement processes to ensure the appropriate use and tracking of all federal and state loans and grants received through effective program and project management; develop reports and lead quarterly reviews of loans and grants portfolio across all stages from application through close-out;
• Manage, facilitate and ensure compliance with all federal and state loan and grant requirements (e.g. monitoring, accounting, procurement, contracting, procedures and guidelines, etc.) across all phases with participating SFPUC divisions (from award through payment, final audits and close out); develop and facilitate the completion of reports on payments, expenditures, outcomes, etc., and ensure all fund expenditures remain in compliance with terms and conditions; ensure appropriate documentation of eligible costs required for proof of eligibility;
• Manage complex audits as necessary for loan and grant programs; review all audit reports; lead responses to audit questions and potential audit findings; work with SFPUC staff and auditors to produce audit documentation; and
• Facilitate the active and timely participation of all relevant SFPUC stakeholders across Finance, External Affairs, Operations (Water, Wastewater and Power), and Infrastructure, inclusive of attorneys, mediators, and project managers to ensure compliance with loan and grants requirements.
Funding and Costs: Funding Source: Operating, programmatic, and/or capital budgets from the Water Enterprise, Wastewater Enterprise and Power Enterprise.
Not-to-Exceed Amount: $4,000,000
Schedule: Advertised: January 27, 2023
Estimated Notice-to-Proceed Date: August 2023
Estimated End Date: August 2028
Duration: Five years
Evaluation and
Selection Criteria:
Evaluation and Selection
The evaluation and selection process consisted of three scored elements:
(1) Technical Written Proposal, (2) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Submittal, and (3) Oral Interview. Scoring of proposals provided for up to
Agreement: PRO.0253, Low Interest Loans and Grants Program Commission Meeting Date: June 13, 2023
a maximum of 1,000 points; 695 points for the technical written proposal, five points for the DEI submittal, and 300 points for the oral interview.
SFPUC received one proposal, which staff determined is responsive and met all minimum qualifications. Since only one proposal was received, the proposal was evaluated by the technical panel and oral interviews were not held.
The technical evaluation panel consisted of individuals knowledgeable on the subject matter and included staff from San Francisco International Airport and San Francisco Public Works.
This single responsive proposal is being recommended for contract award.
Final Score
Summary:
Technical Written Proposal Score , DEI Submittal Score, and contract Monitoring Division (CMD) Bonus:
Firm
Technical
Written
Proposal
Score
(695)
DEI
Score
(5)
Oral
Score
(N/A)
CMD
Bonus
%
Total
Score
(700)
EPC-AVILA JV 669.000 5.000 N/A 7.50% 724.550
Note: Scores have been rounded to the third decimal place.
Local Business
Enterprise
Participation and
Non-Discrimination
In Contracting:
The Contract Monitoring Division established a 5% Local Business Enterprise (LBE) subcontracting requirement for this contract. The contractor committed to an 8% LBE subcontractor participation with its bid submittal.
Environmental
Review:
Award of this contract does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines s ection 15378(a) because there would be no physical change in the environment , and under section 15378(b)(4) because work under this contract is a fiscal activity which does not involve a commitment to any specific project.
Attachment: 1. Contract Monitoring Division Memo
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
City and County of San Francisco
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) requires as-needed contractor support for the SFPUC’s Low Interest Loans and Grants program to maximize low - interest loan and grant financing for capital improvement projects , emergency services and other SFPUC programs; and
WHEREAS, On January 27, 2023, t he SFPUC advertised a Request -for-Proposals for support on maximizing access to federal, state, and other low-cost financing and grant options and managing all aspects of loan and grant applications and award requirements from end-to-end under the direction of the Loans and Grants Steering Committee and SFPUC Loans and Grants Director; and
WHEREAS, Services are anticipated to begin in August 2023 and end in August 2028 and the duration of this contract is five years; and
WHEREAS, The estimated cost of services is $4,000,000; and WHEREAS, SFPUC and Contract Monitoring Division (CMD) staff, upon review of the proposal scores, determined that EPC-AVILA JV is the highest ranked firm with a responsi ve proposal based on the established scoring criteria; and WHEREAS, Award of this contract does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines s ection 15378(a) because there would be no physical change in the environme nt, and under section 15378(b)(4) because work under this contract is a fiscal activity which does not involve a commitment to any specific project; and WHEREAS, The CMD established a 5% Local Business Enterprise (LBE) subcontracting participation requir ement for this contract and EPC-AVILA JV committed to a n LBE subcontractor participation of 8%; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Commission hereby awards Contract No. PRO.0253, Low Interest Loans and Grants Program, to EPC-AVILA JV to provide support for maximizing access to federal, state, and other low-cost financing and grant options and managing all aspects of loan and grant applications and award requirements from end- to-end under the direction of Loans and Grants Steering Committee and SFPUC Loans and Grants Director, for an amount not-to-exceed $4,000,000, and with a duration of five years.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Public Utilities Commission at its meeting of June 13, 2023.
Secretary, Public Utilities Commission
RESOLUTION NO.
1155 Market Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103 Telephone (415) 581-2310; Fax (415) 581-2351
CONTRACT MONITORING DIVISION
OFFICE OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR
London N. Breed, Mayor
Carmen Chu, City Administrator
Stephanie Tang, Director
MEMORANDUM
Date: April 28, 2023
To: Nancy Hom, Contract Manager, SFPUC
Daniel Kwon, Contract Administrative Analyst, SFPUC
From: Michelle Kassatly, Contract Compliance Officer, CMD
Subject: PRO.0253 Low Interest Loans and Grants Program
The Contract Monitoring Division (“CMD”) has reviewed the consultant proposals and supporting documentation, and applied the appropriate rating bonuses submitted for the above referenced project. Based on this review, CMD has determined that the proposals were materially compliant with the pre-award Chapter 14B requirements.
Rating Bonus
The following is a summary of the rating bonus information:
FIRM
(PeopleSoft:
Supplier/Supplier ID)
LBE JV Partner
Status, Type and
Size
(PS: LBE and LBE
Size)
Rating Bonus
EPC-Avila JV
Avila and Associates
Consulting Engineers,
Inc.
SF LBE-WBE
(Small) 7.5%
Score Sheets and Score Tabulations
CMD has reviewed the score sheets submitted by the panelists, the overhead profit schedule and the final score tabulations from the SFPUC. Based on this information and after the application of the LBE rating bonus, CMD has determined that EPC-Avila JV is the sole proposer.
LBE Subconsultant Participation Requirement
EPC-Avila JV achieved the highest score. Avila & Associates Consulting Engineer’s, Inc. (“Avila”), a LBE certified firm, is a 40% joint venture partner. To meet this commitment, Avila will manage and perform a substantial portion of the work. EPC-Avila JV met the 5% Micro/Small LBE subconsultant participation requirement by listing the following Micro LBE firm:
2 Firm
(PeopleSoft:
Supplier/Supplier ID)
Service
Status,
Type and
Size
LBE
Participation
(PS: Percent
of Work (%)
and Percent
LBE (%))
Davis & Associates
Communications, Inc. Communications SF LBE-
MBE (Micro) 8.00%
TOTAL: 8.00%
EPC-Avila JV also listed the following non-LBE firm:
Firm Service
LBE
Participation
(PS: Percent
of Work (%))
Piper Sandler Financial Advisory 2.00%
TOTAL: 2.00%
Good Faith Efforts Requirements
EPC-Avila JV utilized Approach A (35% Approach) on CMD Form 2B to meet the Good Faith Efforts (“GFE”) Requirements. EPC-Avila JV demonstrated that it met the GFE requirements under Approach A by exceeding the sum of the LBE subcontracting participation requirement(s) established for this project by at least 35%.
The RFP indicates that a contract will be awarded to the firm with the highest total score. Based on the foregoing, CMD has determined that EPC-Avila JV has complied with the pre-award Chapter 14B requirements. Should you have any additional questions and/or concerns, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].