Title
Resolution to Approve a Best Source Professional Services Agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. for Environmental Assessments Required for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award and the Congressionally Directed Spending Award ($88,500.00)
Memorandum
Attached for your consideration is a resolution approving a Professional Services Agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (“OHM”) to conduct required environmental assessments for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (“CFI”) Award and the Congressionally Directed Spending Award that the Office of Sustainability and Innovations (“OSI”) received in FY24 and FY25. Both of these awards require that the City conduct a series of environmental assessments before moving forward with installing improvements such as solar, EV charging, heat pumps, and other energy-related improvements.
In the past, OSI has worked with OHM under an umbrella contract that the City secured to conduct any necessary environmental assessments. This contract was recently rebid (RFP 25-27) but the City is not sure if room will exist for OSI’s time sensitive tasks. As such, OSI has decided to move forward with a separate scope of work with OHM to support a series of environmental reviews that need to be completed by early 2026. These reviews are essential for ensuring our CFI work to install EV chargers in the community and our work to decarbonize the election center, funded through the Congressionally Directed Spending Award, proceeds on time and on budget. As such, OSI is seeking Council authorization for a Best Source Professional Services Agreement with OHM in a not to exceed amount of $88,500.00 to conduct the necessary environmental reviews for core projects between November 2025 and March 2026.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: Funding to support the environmental assessments which are part of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award ($69,500) will come from the CFI Award. The remainder of the funding, which is for detailed site assessments required by the Congressionally Directed Spending Award, will come from the OSI FY26 budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director
Reviewed by: Valerie Jackson, Assistant City Attorney - Sustainability
Reviewed by: Kim Hoenerhoff, Financial Analyst
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, In 2020, Ann Arbor City Council unanimously adopted the A2ZERO Plan and the associated goal to achieve a just transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by the year 2030;
Whereas, In 2024, the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations won a Congressionally Directed Spending Award to support decarbonization of City facilities;
Whereas, In 2025, the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations won a Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award to support the installation of electric vehicle chargers throughout the community;
Whereas, Both the Congressionally Directed Spending Award and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award require the completion of environmental assessments before projects can proceed to implementation;
Whereas, The City issued RFP 25-27 to find a firm capable of supporting a series of necessary services, including assistance with conducting environmental reviews;
Whereas, The initial scope of services under RFP 25-27 did not include the critical and time sensitive work that the Office of Sustainability and Innovations needs to complete under the Congressionally Directed Spending Award and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award;
Whereas, Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. is the best source for these services due to its ongoing working relationship with the City and the time constraints of the projects underlying the need for these services;
Whereas, Funding from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award can be used to pay for environmental assessments related to electric vehicle charging-based work; and
Whereas, The Office of Sustainability and Innovations Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes funds that can be used to cover the costs of environmental assessments required as part of the Congressionally Directed Spending Award;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve a Best Source Professional Services Agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. in a not to exceed amount of $88,500.00 to conduct a series of environmental assessments necessary to advance work related to the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award and the Congressionally Directed Spending Award, both secured by the Office of Sustainability and Innovations;
RESOLVED, That City Council authorize a 10% contingency to be used at the discretion of the Administrator;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to execute said Professional Services Agreement after approval as to substance by the City Administrator and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take the necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.