Title
Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. to Complete a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan and SWMM Stormwater Model Migration, RFP No. 23-63 ($538,054.00)
Memorandum
Your approval is requested for a Professional Services Agreement with Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. in the amount of $538,054.00 for professional engineering services to complete a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan.
Ann Arbor’s municipal stormwater management program utilizes science, recognized standards and best practices, and system data to evaluate, analyze and inform planning for system operations, maintenance, improvements, rehabilitation and eventual replacement. This approach has resulted in achieving the level and methods of stormwater management that property owners and other stakeholders in the community have expressed as being desirable in prior studies conducted in 2008 and 2018. However, more recently, property owners, residents, and businesses are experiencing storm events that are more frequent and of significantly greater magnitude due to climate change. This trend is expected to continue in the future and potentially worsen. As a result, there is a need to plan for and create resiliency in the utility system infrastructure that manages stormwater for properties in the City that use the system. The City’s existing approach to managing stormwater is made up of several studies and various creekshed plans.
Staff will be creating the City’s first Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan, the first of its kind in the Great Lakes Region. This hallmark Plan will incorporate and align all existing plans and studies into a single plan that not only provides a cohesive philosophy to guide staff and inform decisions, but that also incorporates resiliency and climate adaptation strategies as key elements of decision-making and design.
This project will validate and document the City of Ann Arbor’s approach for how stormwater is managed in the City. Key elements of the project include:
• Alignment of multiple stormwater and creekshed plans and studies across the City.
• An update of the City’s Stormwater Management Model - an analytical tool to assist in improving the planning and subsequent mitigation design.
• Validation of the Level of Service Principles for the stormwater system, based on community engagement and input.
• Analysis of current and proposed capital improvement projects to review climate readiness and adaptation.
• Review and Update of City Design Standards to address updated rainfall projections.
• Collaboration and streamlined efforts to incorporate overarching principles from the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Through RFP No. 23-63, Public Services Staff solicited proposals for professional engineering services to complete a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan. Public Services staff evaluated proposals submitted by four professional engineering firms using a quality-based selection process that is used by many municipalities, including the City, for procurement of professional engineering services. Each of the proposals was evaluated based on the following selection criteria listed in RFP No. 23-63:
Professional Qualifications 20 Points
Past Involvement with Similar Projects 20 Points
Proposed Work Plan 40 Points
Fee Proposal 20 Points
Tetra Tech of Michigan’s experience with modeling, stormwater system analysis and their cost-effective work plan to perform the services described in RFP No. 23-63 were significant factors considered in their selection. Public Services staff reviewed Tetra Tech of Michigan’s detailed proposed scope of services, schedule and fees and determined that they are reasonable.
Upon selection of the desired consultant, city staff commenced conversations with the consultant regarding a finalized work plan and scope of services for contract documents. After much discussion, staff recognized that it would be appropriate to include migration of the City’s SWMM stormwater model to an updated software platform as a part of this project. As such, the selected consultant submitted a separate scope and fee proposal for the SWMM model migration work.
Both the original work plan and the additional model migration work plan are included in this resolution.
Public Services staff is requesting your approval of a contract with Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. in the amount of $538,054.00 and a contingency in the amount of $54,000.00 to fund additional necessary services as approved by the City Administrator.
Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. complies with the requirements of the City’s Non-Discrimination and Living Wage ordinances.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: Funds to finance the work to be performed under this contract are included in the approved FY24 Systems Planning Operation and Maintenance Budget for the Stormwater Fund Budget and will a be available in the FY25 Stormwater Budget if so, approved by Council.
Staff
Prepared by: Jennifer Lawson, Water Quality Manager
Reviewed by: Brian Steglitz, Public Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Through RFP No. 23-63, Public Services staff solicited proposals for professional engineering services to complete a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan and received proposals from four firms;
Whereas, Public Services staff determined that Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. is the best qualified firm to provide the requested professional engineering services and Tetra Tech of Michigan’s proposed fee of $538,054.00 is reasonable to perform this work;
Whereas, Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. complies with the requirements of the City’s Non-Discrimination and Living Wage ordinances; and
Whereas, Sufficient funds for the work are included in the Systems Planning Operation and Maintenance Budget for the Stormwater System and future funding is subject to budget approval by Council.
RESOLVED, That City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement with Tetra Tech of Michigan, P.C. in the amount of $538,054.00 to provide professional engineering services to complete a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan and SWMM Stormwater Model Migration (RFP 23-63);
RESOLVED, That City Council approve a contingency in the amount of $54,000.00 to fund additional necessary services as approved by the City Administrator in order to satisfactorily complete the project;
RESOLVED, That the funds be available for the life of the project without regard to fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to sign the 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 all necessary actions to implement this resolution.