Title
General Engineering and Consultation Services (NB)
Staff recommends authorization to negotiate amendments to contracts for professional engineering and consulting services.
Explanation
On September 4, 2008, the City Commission approved a list of qualified firms and authorized GRU to initiate contract negotiations in accordance with the Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA) with architectural, engineering and consultation firms as a result of a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) for those services. After the initial establishment of 23 contracts, 12 additional contracts were authorized by the City Commission in 2009, 2011 and 2012 based on the potential need for their unique capabilities and experience. The purpose of developing these contracts is to pre-establish terms and labor rates which are negotiated, approved and available to GRU when needed while complying with the state of Florida's qualifications-based CCNA bid requirements.
The terms of the current contracts include an option for a five-year extension. Labor rates may be adjusted annually based on negotiations and concurrence of GRU. Since the inception of the contracts, only 10% have had rate changes. Any proposed rate changes will be compared to the Consumer Price Index and other applicable indices and negotiated to ensure price competitiveness.
The scope of services includes engineering and specific consultation services which are used to supplement GRU's in-house design and professional staff in support of budget-approved Capital Improvement projects or other projects that may emerge, on a project specific basis. Selection of a firm is based on the firm's understanding of the project scope, specific expertise or ability to complete the project, and the project timeline and cost as reflected by proposed level of effort. For projects with a construction cost estimated to exceed one million dollars, a separate RFSQ will be issued using the list of firms under contract with GRU, requesting project specific submittals. The ranking of responding firms will be submitted to the City Commission for approval.
GRU intends to extend the term of contract with the following firms:
Affiliated Engineers SE Inc.
Mactec Engineering & Consuling, Inc.
Black & Veatch Corporation
Brown & Cullen, Inc.
Burns & McDonell Engineering Company Inc.
Causseaux Hewett & Walpole, Inc.
Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc.
CH2M Hill
Dyer, Riddle, Mills & Precourt, Inc.
Eng, Denman & Associates
Environmental Consulting & Technology Inc.
Flad Architects
George F. Young, Inc.
Golder Associates Inc.
Innovative Waste Consulting Services LLC
Intertek Aptek
Jordan Jones & Goulding, Inc.
Jones Edmunds & Associates, Inc
Power Grid Engineering, LLC
SAIC , Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, LLC (formerly RW Beck Inc.)
Suncoast Industrial Services Inc.
Webster Environmental Associates Inc.
Consideration of other professional engineering and consulting firms, such as newly identified or other interested firms, will be handled through another RFSQ in the upcoming fiscal year. Staff will request approval from the City Commission for the qualified firms and authorization to negotiate contracts in accordance with CCNA at that time.
Fiscal Note
Funding for the projects for which design or consultation services as required have been budgeted in the proposed Capital Improvements Budgets of Utility departments requiring these services for FY 2014 and will be budgeted in future years as required.
Recommendation:
The City Commission: 1) authorize the General Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute amendments to the contracts for professional engineering and consulting firms extending the term through September 30, 2018, in accordance with the Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA) and subject to approval of the City Attorney as to form and legality; and 2) approve the issuance of purchase orders for these services, in amounts not to exceed budgeted amounts, subject to the final appropriation of funds for each year of the contract.