HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 243-06TO:
FROM:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:PUBLIC WORKS14
DATE:JUNE 5, 2006 CMR:243:06
SUBJECT:CONSULTANT SERVICES CONTRACT FOR NATIONAL
POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT
ASSISTANCE: REJECTION OF CONSULTANT PROPOSAL
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council reject the proposal received in response to Request for Proposals
(RFP) #116653, entitled "Consultant Services for NPDES Permit Assistance" and direct staff to
reissue the RFP.
DISCUSSION
Project Description
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued for consultant services to assist the City with the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit issued for the Palo Alto Regional Water
Quality Control Plant (RWQCP). Consultant help is used to gather data, perform calculations, and
prepare reports reqtfired by the Regional Water Quality Control Board in connection with the
NPDES permit. The consultant will also help negotiate the terms and conditions of the next permit,
to be used in 2008. The negotiations will follow the preparation and submittal of data and
calculations, and reports. Following issuance of the new permit, the consultant will then be asked to
help the City meet the new provisions of the permit.
Rationale for Rejecting the Proposal
NPDES permit assistance work in the San Francisco Bay Area Region is specialized work and only
one proposal was received. That proposal was from Larry Walker Associates (LWA), the firm the
City currently contracts with. The RFP was sent to nine firms doing work in the Bay Area in
wastewater engineering, not all of whom focus on NPDES compliance work.
Staff recommends the proposal be rejected and the RFP be reissued because a key staff change has
occurred at LWA. The vice-president submitting the proposal (and listed as the project leader) is
leaving the firm. Due to the importance of the individual fulfilling the project leader role, Staff
believes it is best to reject the proposal and reissue the RFP. This will allow LWA to resubmit with
a new project leader, if it chooses to do so. It will also allow others to submit proposals that did not
do so the first time.
CMR:243:06 Page 1 of 2
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This Consultant Contract would not constitute a "project" under the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Summary of Proposals
PREPARED BY:
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
PHILIP L. BOBEL
Manager, Environmental Compliance Division
GLENN S. ROBERTS
Director of Public Wo~g~-~
EMm SO
Assistant City Manager
CMR:243:06 Page 2 of 2
ATTACHMENT A
Summary of Proposals
One Proposal was received from:
Larry Walker Associates (LWA)
250 Lafayette Circle, Suite 200
Lafayette, CA 94549
The Contract will be on a time and materials basis. The LWA estimated annual charges were
approximately $117,000 per year. The contract would be established for one year with the
ability of Staff to renew the contract for two additional years.