REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SITTING AT THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE FOLLOWING:
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
BOARD GOVERNED COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
San Bernardino County Flood Control District
AND RECORD OF ACTION
report/recommendation to the board of directors
SITTING AT THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Blooming recreation and park district
Big Bear Valley Recreation and park District
And Record of Action
January 23, 2024
FROM
TREVOR LEJA, Assistant Executive Officer, Department of Public Works - Transportation and Special Districts, and Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for On-Call Environmental Permitting and Planning Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Acting as the governing body of San Bernardino County:
a. Approve contracts with the following vendors in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 each, for on-call environmental permitting and planning services associated with transportation projects, effective January 23, 2024 through December 31, 2028:
i. Aspen Environmental Group
ii. CASC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.
iii. Chambers Group, Inc.
iv. Compass Consulting Enterprises, Inc.
v. Dudek
vi. ECORP Consulting, Inc.
vii. Jennings Environmental, LLC
viii. Michael Baker Intl, Inc.
ix. Natural Resources Assessment, Inc.
x. Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
xi. SummitWest Environmental, Inc.
xii. SWCA Environmental Consultants
xiii. Terracon
xiv. Tetra Tech, Inc.
b. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to approve future amendments to the contracts’ Exhibit 1 “Schedule of Rates,” to provide additional personnel and rates to implement projects, so long as the amendments do not increase the total contract amount or change the contract term.
c. Direct the Director of the Department of Public Works to transmit any approved amendments to the contracts’ Exhibit 1, “Schedule of Rates” to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
2. Acting as the governing body of the Board Governed County Service Areas and their Zones, the Bloomington Recreation and Park District, and the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District:
a. Approve contracts with the following vendors in an amount not to exceed $500,000 each, for on-call environmental permitting and planning services associated with Board governed special district projects, effective January 23, 2024 through December 31, 2028:
i. Aspen Environmental Group
ii. CASC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.
iii. Chambers Group, Inc.
iv. Compass Consulting Enterprises, Inc.
v. Dudek
vi. ECORP Consulting, Inc.
vii. Jennings Environmental, LLC
viii. Michael Baker Intl, Inc.
ix. Natural Resources Assessment, Inc.
x. Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
xi. SummitWest Environmental, Inc.
xii. SWCA Environmental Consultants
xiii. Terracon
xiv. Tetra Tech, Inc.
b. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to approve future amendments to the contracts’ Exhibit 1 “Schedule of Rates,” to provide additional personnel and rates to implement projects, so long as the amendments do not increase the total contract amount or change the contract term.
c. Direct the Director of the Department of Public Works to transmit any approved amendments to the contracts’ Exhibit 1, “Schedule of Rates” to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
3. Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Flood Control District:
a. Approve contracts with the following vendors in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 each, for on-call environmental permitting and planning services associated with flood control projects, effective January 23, 2024 through December 31, 2028:
i. Aspen Environmental Group
ii. CASC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.
iii. Chambers Group, Inc.
iv. Compass Consulting Enterprises, Inc.
v. Dudek
vi. ECORP Consulting, Inc.
vii. Jennings Environmental, LLC
viii. Michael Baker Intl, Inc.
ix. Natural Resources Assessment, Inc.
x. Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
xi. SummitWest Environmental, Inc.
xii. SWCA Environmental Consultants
xiii. Terracon
xiv. Tetra Tech, Inc.
b. Authorize the Chief Flood Control Engineer to approve future amendments to the contracts’ Exhibit 1, “Schedule of Rates,” to provide additional personnel and rates to implement projects, so long as the amendments do not increase the total contract amount or change the contract term.
c. Direct the Chief Flood Control Engineer to transmit any approved amendments to the contracts’ Exhibit 1, “Schedule of Rates” to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Assistant Director/Chief Flood Control Engineer, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Department of Public Works - Transportation (Department) is financed by Gas Tax revenues, fee revenue, and other local, state, and federal funding. The Department of Public Works - Special Districts (Special Districts) is funded by property taxes, water and sanitation fees, and recreation fees. The San Bernardino County Flood Control District (District) is funded by property tax revenues, fee revenue, and other local, state, and federal funding. As these are on-call environmental and permitting service contracts, the specific projects have not yet been determined. Depending on the project, one of the above funding sources will be used to fund the cost of the contract. Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the Department, Special Districts, and District’s respective 2023-24 budgets (6650002000, 1051001378, 197002510) and will be included in future recommended budgets.
The total annual contract expenditures will be limited to budgeted funds and will not exceed the annual budgeted amount of $1,000,000 for transportation project services, $500,000 for Special Districts project services, and $3,000,000 for District flood control project services. Over the five-year term of the contracts, the total aggregate contract expenditures will be limited to budgeted funds and will not exceed the aggregate budgeted amount of $5,000,000 for transportation project services, $2,500,000 for Special Districts project services, and $15,000,000 for District flood control project services. The resulting contracts will not be utilized on projects subject to California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) requirements (for example, federally funded transportation projects). This exclusion, however, does not apply to projects subject to federal reimbursement that meet the Caltrans Emergency Opening (EO) project designation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department maintains the County Maintained Road System consisting of over 2,500 miles of roadways and Special Districts responds to emergency and routine facility maintenance projects for roads, parks, water, and sewer infrastructure. The District implements new capital improvement projects for flood control facilities as well as maintains 535 regional facilities consisting of dams, basins, levees, channels, and storm drains throughout San Bernardino County. The Department, Special Districts, and the District all require expert and supplemental consultant services to maintain compliance with state environmental planning law and state and local regulatory agencies.
As services are required, the Department, Special Districts, or District will prepare a draft task order that includes a scope of work, the funding source of the project and solicit cost proposals from one or more consultants with an approved on-call contract for environmental permitting and planning services at the Department, Special Districts and/or District’s sole discretion. The cost proposal shall include, at a minimum, the summary of the approach to the Department, Special Districts, or the District identified scope of work, and a cost estimate breakdown including labor, materials, sub-consultants, unit rates, etc. The cost proposal will be reviewed, and written approval will be provided by an authorized representative of the Department, Special Districts, or the District prior to work activities commencing. For any contract awarded, no minimum or maximum number of tasks assigned to a consultant can be guaranteed by the Department, Special Districts, or District. The Department, Special Districts, and the District may also solicit proposals for environmental permitting and planning services from vendors that do not have an approved on-call contract if it is determined that specialized expertise is needed or additional unique circumstances may require a wider circulation of a request for proposal.
The Department, Special Districts, and District staff have reviewed the proposed scope of these contracts and determined that these services do not constitute a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Underlying projects which facilitate the use of consultants under these contracts will be subject to individual, separate CEQA review.
Approval of this item aligns with the County and the Chief Executive Officer’s goals of operating in a fiscally-responsible and businesslike manner as well as providing for the safety and health needs of County residents by providing a streamlined procurement process for services needed to implement and obtain regulatory permits for transportation, special districts, and flood control projects in a timely and responsible manner.
PROCUREMENT
On October 17, 2023, Request for Proposals (RFP) No. PWG124-LANND-5096 for On-Call Environmental Permitting and Planning Services was released through the County’s Electronic Procurement System (ePro). The RFP was sent to vendors registered in ePro. On November 14, 2023, 14 proposals were received from the vendors listed in the Recommendations.
A selection committee comprised of three representatives from the Department reviewed the firms’ proposals. Of the 14 proposals received, the selection committee determined that all 14 had relevant project experience and demonstrated a clear understanding of the scope of work. The selection committee evaluated and compiled scores from the proposals in accordance with the criteria set forth in the RFP and identified all 14 firms to enter into contract negotiations. The firms’ rate sheets were evaluated and determined to be fair and reasonable. No appeal/protest letters were received.
The agreements identify Department, Special Districts, and District representatives that have the authority to administer the contracts, as well as approve task orders and exercise the Department, Special Districts, and the District’s rights to terminate the contracts for convenience.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Curtis and Aaron Gest, Deputies County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 9, 2024; Purchasing (Jason Cloninger, Buyer III, 387-8258) on December 21, 2023; Finance (Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on January 4, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on January 5, 2024.