Title
MOTION TO APPROVE PROPOSED WORK ORDER #17 WITH HAZEN AND SAWYER, P.C., PURSUANT TO THE AWARD OF PSUT-20-10 "WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROCESS ENGINEERING, PUMPING AND FORCE MAINS", IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $499,277.
Summary Explanation and Background
PROCUREMENT PROCESS TAKEN:
- Chapter 35 of the City’s Code of Ordinance is titled “PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES, PUBLIC FUNDS.”
- Section 35.15 defines a Request for Qualifications as “A written solicitation for competitive sealed offers with the title, date and hour of the public opening designated. A request for qualifications shall include, but is not limited to, general information, functional or general specifications, statement of work, instructions for offer and evaluation criteria. All requests for qualifications shall state the relative importance of the evaluation criteria. The city may engage in competitive negotiations with responsible offerors determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award for the purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of and conformance to the solicitation requirements. Offerors shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of offers, and such revisions may be permitted after submissions and prior to award for the purpose of obtaining the best and final offer.”
- Section 35.18 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "COMPETITIVE BIDDING OR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS REQUIRED; EXCEPTIONS."
- 35.18(A) states, "A purchase of or contracts for commodities or services that is estimated by the Chief Procurement Officer to cost more than $25,000 shall be based on sealed competitive solicitations as determined by the Chief Procurement Officer, except as specifically provided herein."
- Section 35.19 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCEDURE."
- Section 35.19(A) states, "All sealed competitive solicitations as defined in §35.18 shall be presented to the City Commission for their consideration prior to advertisement."
- Florida Statute (F.S.) 287.055 is known as the “Consultant’s Competitive Negotiation Act” (CCNA).
- F.S. Section 287.055(2)(a) defines Professional services as “those services within the scope of the practice of architecture, professional engineering, landscape architecture, or registered surveying and mapping, as defined by the laws of the state, or those performed by any architect, professional engineer, landscape architect, or registered surveyor and mapper in connection with his or her professional employment or practice.”
- F.S. Section 287.055(2)(f) states “Project” means that fixed capital outlay study or planning activity described in the public notice of the state or a state agency under paragraph (3)(a). A project may include:
1. A grouping of minor construction, rehabilitation, or renovation activities.
2. A grouping of substantially similar construction, rehabilitation, or renovation activities.
- F.S. Section 287.055(2)(g)1. states “A continuing contract" is a contract for any of the following: a. professional services entered into in accordance with all the procedures of this act between an agency and a firm whereby the firm provides professional services to the agency for projects in which the estimated construction cost of each individual project under the contract does not exceed $7.5 million. Beginning July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter, the department shall adjust the maximum amount allowed on the preceding June 30 for each individual project in a continuing contract by using the change in the June-to-June Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor. The department shall publish the adjusted amount on its website; b. Study activity if the fee for professional services for each individual study under the contract does not exceed $500,000; or c. work of a specified nature as outlined in the contract required by the agency, with the contract being for a fixed term or with no time limitation except that the contract must provide a termination clause.
- F.S. Section 287.055(3)(a)1. Each agency shall publicly announce, in a uniform and consistent manner, each occasion when professional services must be purchased for a project the basic construction cost of which is estimated by the agency to exceed the threshold amount provided in s.287.017 for CATEGORY FIVE ($325,000) or for a planning or study activity when the fee for professional services exceeds the threshold amount provided in s.287.017 for CATEGORY TWO ($35,000), except in cases of valid public emergencies certified by the agency head. The public notice must include a general description of the project and must indicate how interested consultants may apply for consideration.”
- Section 35.21 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "AWARD OF CONTRACT."
- Section 35.21(A) of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "City Commission Approval."
- Section 35.21(A)(1) states, “An initial purchase of, or contract for, commodities or services, in excess of $100,000, shall require the approval of the City Commission, regardless of whether the competitive bidding or competitive proposal procedures were followed.”
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. On August 25, 2025, the City Commission authorized the Third Amendment to extend the engineering services contract with Hazen for 180 days, naturally expiring July 31, 2026, pursuant to the award of PSUT-20-10 "Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Engineering, Pumping, and Force Mains", in accordance with Florida Statute 287.055, Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA).
2. On November 25, 2024 the City Commission authorized RFQ# PSUT-25-04 Wastewater Transmission System Hydraulic Model seeking statements of qualifications from qualified firms, referred to as the "Consultant", to develop, calibrate, and implement a hydraulic model for the City's wastewater transmission system, and use the model to assess and optimize system capacity, in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications contained in that solicitation.
3. The City’s current Continuing Services Consultant for Wastewater Treatment Process Engineering, Pumping, and Force Mains, pursuant to the award of PSUT-20-10, includes provisions that allow these services to be directly assigned for the City’s Wastewater Hydraulic Model and Calibration efforts.
4. The Utilities Department also determined that significant updates and corrections to the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS) data for the wastewater collection and conveyance system were necessary before the Wastewater Transmission System Hydraulic Model could be accurately developed and calibrated. As a result, RFQ #PSUT-25-04 was withdrawn by the Utilities Department to allow these GIS updates and data corrections to be completed prior to proceeding with the hydraulic modeling effort.
5. During the preparation for this work authorization, Hazen reviewed some legacy hydraulic model files provided by the city which were developed in the "WaterCAD" software. "WaterCAD" is a software program developed to evaluate water distribution systems and has historically been applied to force main networks and not designed specifically for sewer collection systems.
The legacy model files encompass the eastern portion of the City’s wastewater transmission system and provide a valuable starting point for the development of the updated hydraulic model. However, additional evaluation, validation, and refinement will be necessary to ensure the model accurately represents the existing wastewater collection and conveyance system and supports future planning and operational needs.
6. Within this Work Order, the Consultant will develop the city's wastewater hydraulic model within the "InfoWorks ICM Hydraulic Model", which is a software program that allows simulation of flow in both gravity collection and sewer force main networks.
7. At this time, the Utilities Department has completed the critical updates to the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS/Atlas) necessary to support development of the wastewater hydraulic model. While staff continue to make additional refinements to the GIS data, the system has been updated sufficiently to initiate the first phase of the wastewater hydraulic modeling effort.
Accordingly, these services can be efficiently performed through a Work Authorization issued to the City’s Continuing Services Consultant under RFQ PSUT-20-10, eliminating the need to issue a separate Request for Qualifications (RFQ) while remaining consistent with the assignment provisions of the continuing services contract.
8. The City’s Consultant is currently reviewing two proposed developments to evaluate their impacts on the City’s wastewater collection and conveyance systems, including both the gravity sewer and force main networks. At present, these evaluations must be performed without a fully calibrated hydraulic model, requiring the Consultant to rely on assumptions regarding local boundary conditions and system behavior.
While these assumptions allow for a localized assessment, they do not provide a comprehensive understanding of how the proposed developments may affect the broader wastewater system. A fully calibrated hydraulic model would incorporate detailed information on pipe locations, sizes, materials, pumps, and other system characteristics to accurately simulate system performance.
The completed model will enable the City to evaluate impacts beyond the immediate project area, including changes in flows, pressures, pump run times, force main performance, and potential surcharging within the surrounding gravity sewer network. It will also improve the City’s ability to assess system redundancy and operational resilience by modeling various pump configurations and service conditions, resulting in more informed planning and development review decisions.
9. The Utilities Department has obtained a proposal from Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. to provide the professional engineering services necessary to develop a comprehensive, calibrated computerized hydraulic model of the City’s wastewater collection and conveyance system. Once completed, the model will be maintained by the City and its consultant and will serve as a critical planning tool to support informed decision-making regarding the operation, maintenance, and capital improvement of the City’s gravity sewer and force main systems.
The proposal includes the following work elements and associated estimated costs:
|
|
Scope of Services |
Fee |
|
1 |
Development of Wastewater Transmission System Hydraulic Model |
$143,570.00 |
|
2 |
Calibration of the Wastewater Transmission System Hydraulic Model |
$178,880.00 |
|
3 |
Deliverables |
$73,700.00 |
|
4 |
Project Management, Project Kickoff, and Coordination Meetings |
$15,810.00 |
|
5 |
Flow Monitoring Subcontract |
$87,317.00 |
|
6 |
Total Cost |
$499,277.00 |
Per Section 4.1 of the First Amendment, the City may negotiate compensation separately for each work authorization. The detailed fee schedule is attached to the proposal.
10. Recommend City Commission approve the proposed Work Authorization #17 with Hazen and Sawyer, P.C., pursuant to the award of PSUT-20-10 “Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Engineering, Pumping and Force Mains” for an amount not to exceed $499,277.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: $499,277
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No.: 471-535-6021-663122-0000-000-0000-00812
c) Source of funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: Not Applicable
d) 5 year projection of the operational cost of the project:
|
|
Current FY |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
$499,277.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
Net Cost |
$499,277.00 |
|
|
|
|
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable
FEASIBILITY REVIEW:
A feasibility review is required for the award, renewal and/or expiration of all function sourcing contracts. This analysis is to determine the financial effectiveness of function sourcing services.
a) Was a Feasibility Review/Cost Analysis of Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor Conducted for this service? Not Applicable
b) If Yes, what is the total cost or total savings of utilizing Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor for this service? Not Applicable