Title
Resolution to Authorize a Professional Services Agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM) for the Lower Town Area Mobility Study (RFP No. 18-21) ($579,478.00)
Memorandum
Attached for your review and consideration for approval is a resolution authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM), for $579,478.00 for the Lower Town Area Mobility Study. The total estimated project cost is $649,478.00.
Development in the northern areas of the City can reasonably be expected to add demand to the City’s mobility network. The confluence of Pontiac Trail, Broadway, Plymouth Road, Moore Street, Wall Street, and Maiden Lane (also known as Lower Town) has the potential to become a mobility chokepoint.
City Council desires to mitigate the potential impacts of development on the City’s quality of life. In December 2017, City Council passed a resolution (R-17-472) directing the City Administrator to review and update previous studies of vehicular, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian movements leading to, and traveling through, the Lower Town area. Staff prepared a draft scope and cost estimate for Lower Town Area Mobility study. In January 2018, the City’s Transportation Commission reviewed and provided comments on the scope of this study. The scope of work, cost estimate and comments from the Transportation Commission were submitted to City Council in February 2018.
On April 23, 2018, a request for proposal (RFP No. 18-21) was issued for the Lower Town Area Mobility Study. Proposals were received from three consultant teams on June 1, 2018. A team of staff members reviewed the proposals and selected two consultant teams for interview. After the interviews, staff selected the team led by Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM) based on their professional qualifications, past involvement with similar projects, proposed work plan, and fee quotations.
City Council was concerned with the cost of the project and directed staff on October 18, 2018 to renegotiate the contract. In November 2018, staff completed renegotiation with the team led by OHM and reduced the contract amount by adjusting the number of public meetings and relocating project coordination meetings. The reduced contract was presented to Council on January 22, 2019.
Council, citing concerns with the project budget and delivery schedule, deferred consideration of the final agreement until February 19, 2019 at which time Council did not approve to amend the FY19 budget by the required 8 votes, although a majority of Council did vote to approve the agreement.
On March 4, 2019, City Council passed a resolution (R-19-086) directing the City Administrator to include funding in the amount of $649,478.00 in FY20 Operations and Maintenance budget of the Major Street Fund to accomplish the objectives of the Lower Town Area Mobility Study. The resolution also directs the City Administrator to reopen negotiations with the qualified firms who initially submitted with a revised scope of work that addresses Council’s concerns about cost and delivery schedule, and to bring the revised contract back to Council for consideration not later than the second meeting in September 2019.
Staff renegotiated with the selected team in July 2019. The consultant team confirmed that the cost proposal from November 2018 is still valid, but that this is the best price for their work to assist the City achieve the objectives of the study. Because of the impacts to the study, staff does not recommend any scope reductions. However, staff requested the consultant to provide reduced costs under three assumed scenarios:
• If all tasks under ‘public engagement’ are removed from the scope of work, the study will cost $466,318.*
• If all tasks under ‘road safety audit’ are removed from the scope of work, the study will cost $519,478.*
• If both ‘public engagement’ and ‘road safety audit’ tasks are removed from the scope of work, the study will cost $406,318.*
Budget/Fiscal Impact: As directed by #R-19-086, funding for this project was included in the approved FY 20 Major Street Fund Operations and Maintenance Budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Raymond Hess, Transportation Manager
Reviewed by: Craig Hupy, P.E., Public Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Howard Lazarus P.E., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Increased commuter traffic and development in the northern areas of the City and neighboring townships and increased enrollment at the University of Michigan and expansion of Michigan Medicine and University research facilities can reasonably be expected to add demand to the City’s mobility network;
Whereas, Council Resolution R-17-472 directed the City to conduct the Lower Town Area Mobility Study, to review and update previous studies of vehicular, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian movement leading to and traveling through the Lower Town Area;
Whereas, The City’s Transportation Commission reviewed and provided comments on the scope of the study;
Whereas, In response to RFP No. 18-21, the City received three proposals and selected the best qualified consultant team led by Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM) and presented the team’s proposal and the need for a budget amendment to Council for its consideration;
Whereas, Council (Resolution R-19-086) directed the City Administrator to included funding in the amount of $649,478.00 in the FY20 Operations and Maintenance budget of the Major Street Fund to accomplish the objectives of the mobility study;
Whereas, The mobility study was added to the Capital Improvement Plan and was included in the approved FY20 budget;
Whereas, Council also directed the City Administrator to reopen negotiations with the qualified firms who initially submitted with a revised scope of work that addresses Council’s concerns about cost and delivery schedule, and to bring the revised contract back to Council for consideration not later than the second meeting in September 2019;
Whereas, City renegotiated with the consultant team led by OHM, and cannot obtain a lower consultant cost without reducing the scope of work; and
Whereas, Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM) is in compliance with the requirements of the City’s Non-Discrimination and Living Wage Ordinances;
RESOLVED, That the City Council approves the Professional Services Agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM) in the amount of $579,478.00 for the Lower Town Area Mobility Study ;
RESOLVED, That a contract contingency amount of $70,000.00 be established and that the City Administrator be authorized to approve change orders to the professional services agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc., not to exceed $70,000.00 in order to satisfactorily complete the project;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to execute said agreements after approval as to form by the City Attorney and approval as to substance by the City Administrator; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take the necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.