TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Amber Shah, Parks & Public Works Director/City Engineer DATE: November 13, 2024
SUBJECT: AWARD OF 3-YEAR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENTS TO JOHN L HUNTER AND ASSOCIATES, AND
DUDEK IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000
EACH FOR ON-CALL STORMWATER ENGINEERING
SERVICES THROUGH JUNE 30, 2027
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Safe Community
Well-Maintained Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
Historically, the City has relied upon professional on-call consultant services for technical support, including in the areas of stormwater engineering and compliance with various state and federal stormwater quality regulations, including the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. This model allows the City to maintain a small staff presence and to expand their capabilities as needed for specific initiatives or projects by utilizing these contracted professional services.
Due to the expiration of an existing agreement with a professional stormwater engineering consulting firm, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on September 6, 2024, for multi-year on-call stormwater engineering services.
On September 27, 2024, four (4) firms submitted Proposals to provide on-call stormwater engineering services for the City’s review and evaluation. Based on staff evaluation of the proposals and the subsequent interviews, staff Steven W. Huang, DDS, Mayor
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Vice Mayor
Tony Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
Steve Talt, Council Member
recommends that the City enter into Professional Services Agreements (PSAs) with two qualified firms, John L. Hunter and Associates, Inc. (JLHA) and Dudek.
DISCUSSION
The City’s staffing model requires reliance upon professional on-call consultant services for a variety of operational work and for capital improvement project implementation in the areas of stormwater engineering and regulatory reporting/compliance with various County, State, and Federal stormwater requirements. The professional consultant services are provided on an on-call as needed basis to fill short-term consulting needs and to meet budget goals.
The Scope of Services for On-Call Stormwater Engineering Services requested of the professional consultants in this RFP included, but is not limited to, the following:
a) Assist with the preparation, review, and submission of Safe, Clean Water (SCW) Municipal Program Annual Plans and Annual Reports. Work with City staff to identify potential projects/programs that can utilize SCW funds. b) Assist with the preparation, review, and submission of annual reports to regulatory agencies as required by the Ms4 permit. This may include, but is not limited to, the NPDES Annual Report and Upper Los Angeles River (ULAR) WMP/CIMP Progress and Monitoring Reports, or other reports identified by the City.
c) Represent City at stakeholder meetings relevant to NPDES/stormwater programs, including the Upper Los Angeles River (ULAR) WMP/CIMP Progress and Monitoring Report, or other reports identified by the City. d) Develop and provide NPDES training for applicable City staff. Topics may include Land Development and Construction, Public Works O&M, Illicit Discharge/Spill Response, and other appropriate or required trainings related to stormwater/NPDES.
e) Complete inspections of commercial facilities (approximately 25) to ensure compliance with MS4 Industrial/Commercial Facility Program. Tasks will include inspections, tracking, education of business owners, preparation of necessary reports, and follow-up activities.
f) Conduct the 5-year Daily Generation Rate (DGR) compliance field study, as specified in the Los Angeles Trash TMDL.
g) Assess program compliance and recommend actions
h) Assist with the identification of potential stormwater quality improvement projects and grant funding opportunities. This may include, but is not limited to, preparation of conceptual design plans, cost estimates, and grant application packages.
i) Assist with as-needed NPDES or stormwater-related tasks not specifically identified in the scope of services.
On September 27, 2024, four (4) firms submitted proposals to provide on-call stormwater engineering services for the City’s review and evaluation. Staff evaluated these proposals and subsequently invited all four firms for interviews in the following weeks. The City utilized a qualifications-based selection process to identify professional firms that are best suited and most qualified to serve the City’s needs. The RFP identified the following criteria for the selection of the professional consultants' proposals:
1. Ability of Respondent to perform contract
2. Relevant experience Respondent has working with public agencies
3. Successful delivery of similar services
4. Quality of references
6. Content, quality, completeness and form of submitted proposal
7. Results of the Interview.
Based on staff evaluation of the proposals and the subsequent interviews, staff recommends that the City enter into PSA’s with two qualified firms, John L.
Hunter and Associates, Inc. (JLHA) and Dudek. Having two firms on-call to provide as-needed on-call consulting services allows the City more options for short-term assignments by professional consultants. If a particular professional consultant team is not available at a desired time, another professional consultant can fulfill that need. Additionally, some firms have greater strengths in a particular technical area than others have, which provides the City the flexibility to use the best qualified firm for a particular assignment. The proposed PSA’s for both firms have an initial three-year term, are task-order based, and are non-exclusive which allows the City maximum flexibility for requesting services and, as desired, to seek additional proposals from other firms for any particular initiative.
As a result of the qualifications-based selection process described above, staff recommends that the City enter into the attached PSA with John L Hunter and Associates (JLHA) to provide on-call stormwater engineering services with an annual maximum compensation value of $50,000 ($150,000 total value over the three-year contract duration). JLHA specializes in working with municipalities, as they have 49 cities throughout the southern California region as clients, 41 of which are located in LA County representing nearly half of all cities in LA County. JLHA also has extensive experience with stormwater program administration and funding, compliance planning, and monitoring and reporting. The firm has also worked with the City in a similar capacity over the past several years, and has been professional and thorough in all their duties. Overall, JLHA’s familiarity with San Marino, its residents, and its unique stormwater challenges and needs make them well-suited to continue providing stormwater engineering services for the City.
Staff recommends that the City enter into a second PSA with Dudek, with an annual maximum compensation value of $50,000 ($150,000 total value over the three-year contract duration). Dudek is a full services engineering and environmental practice with over 30 years experience working with various agencies in Los Angeles County. The firm also has familiarity with San Marino having completed a stormwater condition assessment in the past, and is currently working on the design for the Lacy Park Culvert Replacement project.
Dudek has a wide range of experience with both stormwater/NPDES compliance as well as working on stormwater-related capital improvement projects, both of which can be assets to the City as it seeks to leverage Measure W Safe Clean Water funds.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
The use of professional consultant services for on-call traffic engineering support is included in the Parks and Public Works Department Operating Budget with $23,000 total budgeted annually in the Sewer Division for Stormwater Engineering as well as Compliance Review/Reporting (Accounts # 101-44-4104-0000 and 101-40-4150-5170 respectively). $25,000 of funds are also available for Specialized Engineering Services (Account # 101-40- 4104-0000), some of which may be used for Stormwater Engineering Services.
Finally, the Department also budgets for on-call stormwater engineering support within the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget for CIP projects that require stormwater engineering services as part of the project, including but not limited to; the Culvert Replacement Program, the Rio Hondo Load Reduction Strategy, and the Trash Capture Filters Project. By entering into multiple on-call PSAs for as-needed on-call services, the City is neither obligating itself nor guaranteeing any compensation to the selected professional consultants.
Staff will ensure that task orders are not issued without appropriate funding available in the operating and/or capital improvement budgets. The proposed PSA’s will establish an annual maximum compensation value of $50,000 with a three-year term maximum compensation value of $150,000 for each firm.
As such, the total maximum compensation value for the three-year term of both contracts combined is $300,000.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council award professional services agreements for on-call stormwater engineering services to John L Hunter and Associates and Dudek. If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
“I move to award a three-year professional services agreement for on-call stormwater engineering services to John L Hunter and Associates and Dudek through June 30, 2027, with total contract values not to exceed $150,000 each.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Stormwater Engineering Services Proposal from JLHA
2. Draft Professional Services Agreement with JLHA
3. Stormwater Engineering Services Proposal from Dudek
4. Draft Professional Services Agreement with Dudek