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CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: March 18, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Lynn Merrill, Director of Public Works
Department: Public Works
Subject: Request to Approve Professional Services Agreement Between the City of San Bernardino and Tetra Tech BAS,
Inc. for Waterman Inactive Landfill Operations,
Maintenance and Monitoring.
Recommendation:
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-029 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, authorizing the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement for landfill gas extraction Operation, Maintenance and Monitoring (OM&M) with Tetra Tech BAS.
City Manager's Comments
The City Manager recommends approval of the Professional Services Agreement between the City of San Bernardino and Tetra Tech BAS.
Executive Summary
The City of San Bernardino owns and is responsible for operating, maintaining, and monitoring the Waterman Inactive Landfill (WLF) in compliance with the State of California Department of Recycling (CalRecycle). In response to a Notice of Violation (NOV) in 2003, the City retained Bryan A. Stirrant & Associates (now Tetra Tech BAS, Inc.) to comply with Title 27, CCR Section 20919 and Title 27, CCR Section 20921(a)(2) - Gas Monitoring and Control, of post closure landfill requirements.
Compliance with the regulations included site permitting, design, and construction of a landfill gas extraction and treatment system at the site, which was completed in 2006.
Tetra Tech BAS, Inc, has successfully provided necessary operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) services for the site since 2006.
The current Professional Services Agreement between the City and Tetra Tech will expire on June 30, 2026. Tetra Tech has a unique and long-standing history and 3 0
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regulatory knowledge with the site. Most recently Tetra Tech has served the City in performing an intrusive investigation of the landfill as mandated by a Notice & Order from the San Bernardino County Local Enforcement Agency (LEA). Tetra Tech has demonstrated for the past 19 years that they possess the specific historical professional engineering knowledge and skills to continue safe WLF operations and maintenance. In addition, their staffing has provided the demonstrated competence and professional qualifications necessary to continue serving the City in managing the WLF. Therefore, City staff recommends that the Honorable Mayor and City Council Members approve a five (5) year agreement between the City and Tetra Tech for Operation, Maintenance, and Monitoring (OM&M) of the Waterman Inactive Landfill.
Background
The City of San Bernardino owns and is responsible for operating, maintaining, and monitoring the Waterman Inactive Landfill in compliance with the State of California Department of Recycling (CalRecycle). The continuous operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the gas extraction system at Waterman Landfill is mandated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The former landfill site operated between 1950 and 1960 on 19 acres of leased private property. In 2015, the City purchased the former landfill property from the owner. The landfill is located along the south bank of the Santa Ana River, east of Waterman Avenue and north of Vanderbilt Way and Carnegie Drive. As the operator of the former landfill, the City bears responsibility for all regulatory requirements related to it’s closure, maintenance, and ongoing monitoring.
In 2015, Mayor and City Council authorized a Professional Services Agreement (PSA), with Tetra Tech BAS for on-call, professional civil engineering design, and project management services, for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and staff augmentation. It was under this agreement that Tetra Tech not only continued to provide OM&M services at the landfill but also received authorization to implement Phase 3 of the Waterman Landfill Remediation Plan. The term of this agreement expired June 30, 2020.
In 2020, Resolution No. 2020-234 was approved, authorizing a PSA for Landfill Gas Extraction, Operation, Maintenance, and Monitoring (OM&M) with Tetra Tech BAS, Inc. Tetra Tech was selected as a sole source vendor as they “possess the technical, environmental, licensing and engineering expertise required” to perform the work necessary to comply with Title 27. Furthermore, Tetra Tech has maintained a positive relationship with the regulatory agencies overseeing the WLF, which has continued to provide valuable insight and favorable outcomes for the City.
Discussion
Tetra Tech BAS, Inc. has provided OM&M services at the WLF since 2006 and possesses extensive institutional knowledge of the site, including historical operational data, engineered systems, monitoring infrastructure, and regulatory requirements. This site-specific knowledge has been critical to maintaining compliance and responding efficiently to evolving regulatory conditions. Most recently, Tetra Tech conducted an 3 0
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intrusive landfill investigation required by a Notice and Order issued by the County LEA, demonstrating their ability to address complex compliance issues in coordination with regulatory agencies while minimizing risk to the City.
Tetra Tech has provided a competitive proposal with a total annual cost of $390,264 which is a reduction from the current annual agreement of $418,160. To reduce the total costs, Tetra Tech has lowered the non-routine budget amount of the agreement, which has historically not been completely encumbered each fiscal year.
The City has previously recognized Tetra Tech’s specialized qualifications for this work. In 2020, the Mayor and City Council approved Resolution No. 2020-234, authorizing a sole source Professional Services Agreement for landfill gas OM&M services based on Tetra Tech’s technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and established working relationships with oversight agencies. Those qualifications remain applicable and have been further reinforced through nearly two decades of successful service at the WLF. Based on the reasons presented, staff recommends that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino approve a five-year Professional Services Agreement with Tetra Tech BAS, Inc. for continued OM&M of the Waterman Inactive Landfill. In doing so, authorizing the City Manager to execute the five-year agreement between the City and Tetra Tech, BAS.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
This item is consistent with Key Strategic Target and Goal No. 1e: Minimize risk and litigation exposure. Continuing with Tetra Tech’s services ensure consistency in operation, maintenance, and monitoring required at the Waterman Landfill to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
Fiscal Impact
There is no expected impact on the general fund associated with this item. Funding for the proposed Professional Services Agreement will be incorporated in the approved operating budget for Integrated Waste Management Enterprise Fund (Fund No. 527- 400-0001*5502) and is subject to annual budget appropriation.
The agreement reflects an annual not-to-exceed cost of $390,264, which includes fixed monthly routine operations, maintenance, and monitoring services, as well as City- authorized non-routine services. While the agreement has a five-year term, funding is appropriated on a fiscal-year basis, and no financial obligation exists beyond each adopted fiscal year unless subsequently appropriated and authorized by the City Council. If fully funded over the five-year term, the total potential contract exposure would be approximately $1,951,320.
Cost Component Pricing
Basis
Amount Term Assumption Total
Routine OM&M
Services
Lump sum $20,022 per month 60 months
(July 1, 2026 – June
30, 2031)
$1,201,320
Non-Routine OM&M Time & $150,000 per year 5 years $750,000 3 0
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Services (Allowance) Materials,
City-
authorized
(recommended)
Total Anticipated
Contract Exposure
— — 5 years ≈ $1,951,320
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2026-029, authorizing the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement for landfill gas extraction Operation, Maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) with Tetra Tech BAS.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Tetra Tech Professional Services Agreement (Unsigned) Attachment 2 Sole Source Justification Form
Attachment 3 Resolution No. 2026-029
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
September 16, 2020 Adopt Resolution 2020-234 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San
Bernardino, California, authorizing a
professional services agreement for landfill
gas extraction Operation, Maintenance, and
Monitoring (OM&M) with Tetra Tech BAS.
August 19, 2020 Resolution No. 2020-142 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino,
California, approving a construction
contract with Tetra Tech, Inc. of San
Bernardino, California, for landfill gas
collection and treatment system upgrades
at the Waterman Landfill and authorizing
the City Manager to execute the contract.
September 18, 2019 Resolution No. 2019-282 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino,
California, approving Tetra Tech, Inc. to
install upgrades to the existing landfill gas
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collection and treatment system at the
City's inactive Waterman Landfill.
June 20, 2016 Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino authorizing
the City Manager to execute Amendment
No. 1 to Agreements for On-Call
Professional Civil Engineering Design and
Project Management Services for the
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and
Staff Augmentation.
August 17, 2015 Resolution No. 2015-188 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino
approving Agreements for On-Call
Professional Civil Engineering Design and
Project Management Services for the
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and
Staff Augmentation.
CC
Eric Levitt, City Manager