Posting Language
Title
Authorize negotiation and execution of five professional services contracts for engineering services for the 2024 Construction Inspection Rotation List with HDR Engineering, Inc., Freese and Nichols, Inc., Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc., and Weston Solutions, Inc., for total contract amounts not to exceed $7,200,000.00, divided among the firms.
[Note: These contracts will be awarded in compliance with City Code Chapter 2-9A (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program) by meeting the goals with 10.50% MBE and 2.86% WBE participation].
Body
Lead Department
Financial Services Department.
Managing Department
Capital Delivery Services.
Fiscal Note
Funding is available in the Capital and/or Operating and Maintenance Budgets of the various departments requiring services.
Purchasing Language:
The Financial Services Department issued a Request for Qualifications RFQS 6100 CLMP364 for these services. The solicitation was issued on December 11, 2023, and closed on January 25, 2024. Of the 10 offers received, the recommended firms submitted the best evaluated responsive offers. A complete solicitation package, including a log of offers received, is available for viewing on the City’s Financial Services website, Austin Finance Online. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=139888.
For More Information:
Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at: FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation.
Additional Backup Information:
As a standard business practice, the City routinely engages the services of professional engineering firms to perform analysis, design, and support services associated with construction or improvement of City capital assets. Rotation List contracting allows the City to always have a group of qualified consultants available to perform a specific type of recurring work in a timely manner to meet the project and operational needs of the City.
Prior to issuing, this solicitation was reviewed by the City’s Rotation List Advisory Committee, which is made up of staff from the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement, Capital Contracting, the Small and Minority Business Resource Department, Transportation and Public Works Department, and other user departments. The total authorization amount, the number of firms to be recommended for selection, and the authorization amount per firm were discussed and reviewed by the Committee. Capital Contracting expects that user departments will require these services to meet current and future engineering needs.
The City of Austin’s previous rotation list contract for professional construction inspection firms has expired and has no remaining authorization. The new rotation list will be used to augment the City’s Capital Delivery Services Construction Management quality assurance inspection staff and provide inspection services for projects of a general or routine scope, and for projects having a critical or emergency schedule. The total funding authority for the 2024 Construction Inspection Services Rotation List is $7,200,000 with the authority to be divided amongst five firms.
Current and projected CIP workloads cannot be adequately staffed for quality assurance inspection by City forces. Capital Improvement Projects currently underway at various water and wastewater treatment facilities will benefit from augmented inspection staff. Similarly, the volume of projects located in the Right-of-Way requires increased personnel. Many of these projects are critical or emergency in nature, thus precluding going through the normal individual project Request for Qualifications selection process. The rotation list will facilitate assignment of inspection staff in an expedited manner.
Staff augmentation will provide necessary inspection services for small to medium sized projects involving various construction scopes, as well as augmenting City inspection staff on large projects. The rotation list staff will report to City supervisors and provide the same services to client departments, residents and stakeholders that current City inspection staff provides. They will attend meetings as necessary and serve as the Owner’s Representative on Capital Improvement Projects.
Delay of contract approval could impact adequate inspection coverage on important capital improvement projects over the next few years.
This request allows for the development of contracts with each of the recommended five Rotation List firms until financial authorization is expended. Initial project assignments will be based on the firm’s final ranking as determined during the Request for Qualifications evaluation (highest to lowest), the maximum cumulative contracted amount in comparison to the estimated task budget for that firm, and the firm’s qualifications and availability of expertise at time of project need. Per firm authorizations may be increased or decreased, through the life of the contract, based on the needs of a particular assignment and will follow the established rotation list policies and procedures. If the City is unsuccessful in negotiating a satisfactory agreement with a recommended firm(s), if a selected firm ceases practice during the contract period, or if the City elects to terminate its agreement with one of the selected firms, the remaining assignments will be assigned to the remaining firm(s) for the duration of the contract period.