FROM: Robert Thompson, General Manager
Originator: Mike Dorman, Director of Engineering
SUBJECT:
title
UTILITY TUNNEL RELIABILITY STUDY AT PLANT NO. 1 AND NO. 2, PROJECT NO. PS24-03
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: Recommend to the Board of Directors to:
A. Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Kleinfelder, Inc., to provide engineering services for the Utility Tunnel Reliability Study at Plant No. 1 and No. 2, Project No. PS24-03, for an amount not to exceed $961,548; and
B. Approve a contingency of $96,155 (10%).
body
BACKGROUND
The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) has been seismically evaluating existing structures starting with the Seismic Evaluation of Structures at Plant Nos. 1 and 2, Project No. PS15-06, in 2019. Project No. PS15-06 prioritized the evaluation of critical, occupied structures and led to various current and future improvements to improve operational resilience and safety. OC San has continued with similar evaluations of other structures and process facilities through other studies to facilitate planning efforts. Utility tunnels located throughout both plants have not yet been seismically evaluated. These tunnels are critical to proper process operations as they serve as corridors for process piping, utilities, and electrical cables.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
• Ensure the public’s money is wisely spent
• Commitment to safety & reducing risk in all operations
• Protect OC San assets
PROBLEM
The utility tunnels were constructed over time as the treatment facilities expanded with some tunnels now more than 50 years old. The tunnels were built based on the building code at the time of construction. Seismic standards have changed significantly over time and generally did not provide the same level of seismic resilience as modern requirements. In addition, some tunnels show signs of deterioration due to their age and have potential operational risks such as flooding. A failure of the utility tunnel system could compromise the ability to effectively treat wastewater.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Conduct a Planning Study to identify utility tunnel structural deficiencies and reliability risks throughout Plant No. 1 and No. 2 and develop recommendations for appropriate improvements.
TIMING CONCERNS
Delaying the study will delay any future projects to improve tunnel reliability.
RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION
If reliability improvements are not planned, the tunnels will continue to age and be at greater risk for condition and seismic related failures.
PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS
N/A
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Consultant Selection:
OC San requested and advertised for proposals for the Utility Tunnel Reliability Study for Plant Nos. 1 and 2, Project No. PS24-03 on April 29, 2025. The following evaluation criteria were described in the Request for Proposals (RFP) and used to determine the most qualified Consultant.
|
CRITERION |
WEIGHT |
|
Project Understanding and Approach |
40% |
|
Related Project Experience |
25% |
|
Project Team and Staff Qualifications |
35% |
Three proposals were received on June 23, 2025, and evaluated in accordance with the evaluation process set forth in OC San’s Purchasing Ordinance OC SAN-61 by a pre-selected Evaluation Team consisting of the following OC San staff: Senior Engineer, Associate Engineer, and Maintenance Manager.
The Evaluation Team also included one non-voting representative from the Contracts Administration Division and one non-voting technical advisor.
The Evaluation Team scored the proposal on the established criteria as summarized in the table below:
|
|
Firm |
Approach (Max 40) |
Related Experience (Max 25) |
Team (Max 35) |
Total Score (Max 200) |
|
1 |
Kleinfelder, Inc. |
32 |
20 |
28 |
80 |
|
2 |
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger |
29 |
18 |
23 |
70 |
|
3 |
Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc. |
27 |
15 |
21 |
63 |
Based on the evaluation results, there was a clear natural break in the scores between the highest scoring proposer and the other proposers. Therefore, the Evaluation Team did not deem it necessary to conduct interviews.
The selected team (Kleinfelder, Inc.) presented a clear description of the approach and demonstrated understanding of the scope of work, with exhibits identifying their approach for both plants. Their proposal also included a project schedule that meets OC San’s timeline. In addition, their technical proposal was well written and showed a good understanding of OC San’s expectations and the effort required to prepare a successful planning study. Furthermore, the experience of the proposed team aligns with the needs of the project, was well organized, and included all disciplines.
Review of Fee Proposal and Negotiations:
Proposals were accompanied by sealed fee proposals. In accordance with the Purchasing Ordinance, the fee proposal of only the highest-ranked firm was opened after the Director of Engineering approved the Evaluation Committee’s recommendation.
Staff conducted negotiations with Kleinfelder, Inc., to clarify the requirements of the scope of work, the assumptions used for the estimated level of effort, and the proposed approach to meet the goals and objectives for the project. These discussions occurred over three negotiation meetings with the main outcome listed below:
• The level of effort was reduced by combining concrete testing cores for concrete strength and rebar corrosion, which reduced the number of cores originally estimated:
|
|
Original Fee Proposal |
Negotiated Fee |
|
Total Hours |
4,804 |
4,032 |
|
Total Fee |
$1,186,565 |
$961,548 |
The Consultant’s fringe and overhead costs, which factor into the billing rate, have been substantiated. The contract profit is 9.07%, which is based on OC San’s established formula for standard design agreements.
Based on the above, staff has determined that the final negotiated fee is fair and reasonable for the level of effort required for this project and recommends award of the Professional Services Agreement to Kleinfelder, Inc.
CEQA
The Project Study is exempt from CEQA under California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 15306 Information Collection and Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
This request complies with the authority levels of OC San’s Purchasing Ordinance. This item has been budgeted (Budget FY 2024-25 and 2025-26, Section 8, Page 53, Planning Studies Program (M-Studies) and the budget is sufficient for the recommended action.
ATTACHMENT
The following attachment(s) may be viewed on-line at the OC San website (www.ocsan.gov) with the complete agenda package:
• Professional Services Agreement
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