Title
Professional Engineering and Architectural Consulting Services (Continuing Contracts) (B)
**This item was on the UAB consent agenda on July 12, 2018.**
Explanation
This Purchasing solicitation was a joint effort between CRA, the City (Public Works and Facilities), and GRU, with review and approval by the Assistant City Attorney and the Utilities Attorney. This collaboration between departments was first undertaken several years ago, with the goal of attracting more firms by streamlining the process and drafting a single contract with each firm for use by the City, GRU and CRA. Continuing contracts have historically been utilized by each entity to provide staff augmentation when internal resources are already being fully utilized, the internal technical capabilities are not available or third party input is desired from professionals from various disciplines. This joint effort has proven to be efficient and beneficial.
Utilities Purchasing issued a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) to one-hundred forty firms and posted the RFSQ on GRU’s website. Labor rates may still be adjusted annually, based in part on the CPI, with the concurrence of the City, GRU and CRA. Seventy-four firms responded and all seventy-four were qualified. The list of qualified firms is attached.
As with all requirements for these professional services, the City, GRU and CRA, will award work to a firm on a project specific basis, and will award each project based upon an evaluation of a firm's understanding of the project scope, specific expertise and ability to complete the project, as well as the project completion time and cost as reflected by proposed level of effort. Staff will issue separate requests for professional services when it is deemed to be in the best interest of the City, GRU or CRA. For projects with a cost estimated to exceed two million dollars, a separate RFSQ will be issued requesting project specific submittals from the list of qualified professionals with the ranking submitted to the City Commission for approval.
Fiscal Note
Funding for the projects for which design or consultation services are required have been budgeted in the Capital Improvements Budgets of the City, GRU and CRA departments requiring these services for FY 2019 and will be budgeted in future years as required.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Commission:
1) Approve the listing of qualified engineering and architectural consulting firms as submitted by staff;
2) Authorize the City Manager, General Manager and CRA Executive Director, or their designees, to initiate contract negotiations with the qualified firms in accordance with the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA);
3) Authorize the City Manager, General Manager and CRA Executive Director, or their designees, upon successful negotiations, to execute agreements for professional services for a term extending through September 30, 2023, with no renewals, subject to approval of the City Attorney as to form and legality, in an amount not to exceed budgeted amounts for professional architectural, engineering or consultation services.
The UAB unanimously approved the staff recommendation on their consent agenda on July 12, 2018.