City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: July 18, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.D
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Award RFP to Geoscience Support Services, Inc. for On-Call Hydrogeological Services
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines.
2. Award RFP# 345 to Geoscience Support Services, Inc., for on-call hydrogeological services for the Public Works Department.
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Geoscience Support Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,402,000 over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
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Summary
The City of Santa Monica’s Water Resources Division within the Department of Public Works operates and maintains 10 groundwater wells that provide the majority of the City’s locally-sourced water supply. The groundwater wells require routine maintenance, condition assessment, and from time to time may need to be rehabilitated or replaced to preserve the City’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality, and affordable potable water.
Access to local groundwater also helps the City reduce its reliance on imported water supplies that have been severely impacted by on-going climate change effects across the southwest United States. Staff solicited proposals for on-call hydrogeological services to assess the condition of the City’s groundwater wells and to oversee the design, replacement, and rehabilitation of wells, if needed.
Staff recommends awarding Request for Proposal (RFP) #345 to Geoscience Support Services, Inc., to provide these services and executing an agreement with Geoscience Support Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,402,000 over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Discussion
The City’s local groundwater supply comes from three groundwater well fields: Arcadia, Charnock, and Olympic. Two of the wells in the Charnock Well Field, the City’s largest groundwater aquifer, are over thirty years old and will need to be rehabilitated or replaced within the next five years. Combined, these two wells account for approximately 25 percent of the City’s local water supply. In addition, production from one well in the Arcadia Well Field has decreased by more than half its original capacity, signaling that it has passed its normal useful life, and thus requires evaluation for potential major rehabilitation or replacement.
Hydrogeological consulting services are needed to assess the condition of the City's wells and to provide recommendations on whether to rehabilitate or replace them.
Services are also needed to analyze the City’s overall groundwater production portfolio, including recommending best practices for on-going operation and maintenance, evaluating locations that may be suitable for replacement groundwater wells in the 3 of 5
future, and reviewing groundwater quality. Proactively managing the City’s groundwater wells is a key element in helping the City maintain a reliable and sustainable local groundwater supply, reducing the City’s reliance on imported water, and helping maintain overall affordability of the City’s drinking water supply as local groundwater has historically been 30% cheaper than imported water supplies.
Consultant Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified
Person/Firm
Geoscience Support Services, Inc.
Evaluation
Criteria
Training/credentials/experience, competence/skill, capacity/ability to perform services promptly, character/reputation, ability to provide future services as needed and price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
Submittals Received
Geoscience Support Services, Inc. INTERA
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
2/21/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 27 4/4/2023
Justification to Award
Proposals were reviewed by a selection panel consisting of staff from the Water Resources Division. The evaluations were based on the firms experience with projects of comparable complexity, scale, and nature; training and proven expertise in the area of work required; ability to complete work within a desired time frame; consultant’s ability to provide insight and information; cost effective work and services; and references from clients with similar projects. Based on the evaluation criteria and criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, staff recommends Geoscience Support Services, Inc., as the best qualified firm to provide on-call hydrogeological services based on their extensive and prior experience in developing similar projects for other California municipalities and water production agencies including the City of Oceanside, City of Lakewood, and Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.
Environmental Review
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The on-call hydrogeological consulting services is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. The award agreement is covered by the commonsense exemption which states that CEQA does not apply, “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The award agreement is administrative in nature and would not result in physical effects. A complete CEQA review will be conducted for any construction projects that are identified through the oncall hydrogeologic services.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
11/27/2018 (Attachment A) Sustainable Water Master Plan Update Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Water Fund to award an agreement with Geoscience Support Services, Inc., for on-call hydrogeological services.
Agreement Request
FY 2023-24 Budget
Request Amount
Future Years
Amount
Department / CIP
Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$640,000 - C5006050.689410 $640,000
- $762,000 50500001.552010 $762,000
$640,00 $762,000 $1,402,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Sunny Wang, Water Resources Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. November 27, 2018 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. Oaks Initiative Form - Geo Science