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APPROVE FINDINGS AND AWARD AN ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT TO CAROLLO ENGINEERS, INC. FOR THE WESTSIDE SEWER INTERCEPTOR CONDITION ASSESSMENT (UW20018)
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Approve findings pursuant to Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070, which support and justify an exception to the competitive bidding process.
2. Authorize a Professional Engineering Services Contract in the amount of $183,124 with Carollo Engineers, Inc. of Sacramento, CA, to perform a condition assessment of the Westside Sewer Interceptor. (Exhibit 1 to the Resolution).
It is also recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
The Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) is comprised of three enterprise funds including Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Utilities. The Wastewater Utility includes a sanitary sewer collection system of approximately 900 miles of gravity sewer main, 554 miles of lower lateral pipe, 27 pump stations, and 30 miles of pressurized force main that route sewage to the Regional Wastewater Control Facility (RWCF) for treatment. The system collects sewage from properties within the City, special districts outside the City, and certain areas within San Joaquin County. The RWCF is an advanced tertiary treatment facility with a 55 million-gallon per day (MGD) capacity and is located adjacent to the San Joaquin River.
The 2022 Wastewater Master Plan Update recommended that all sanitary sewer force mains be assessed for deficiencies to improve reliability and reduce operating costs.
On December 6, 2024, the MUD advertised a Request for Proposals (RFP) for condition assessment services for the Westside Sewer Interceptor. Two firms submitted proposals for this project. A selection committee evaluated the proposals and found Carollo Engineers, Inc. to be the most qualified to provide the requested services.
If approved by the City Council, this action will award a Professional Engineering Services Contract in the amount of $183,124 to Carollo Engineers, Inc. for the Westside Sewer Interceptor Condition Assessment Project (UW20018).
DISCUSSION
Background
The Westside Sewer Interceptor (WSI) transports wastewater from North Stockton to the Regional Wastewater Control Facility (RWCF) located at 2500 Navy Drive. The WSI is approximately 6½ miles long with steel pipe diameters of 30-inch, 33-inch, 36-inch, and 42-inch.
The WSI force main pipeline starts at the Fourteen Mile Slough Pump Station and continues south along the western edge of the City of Stockton Fourteen Mile Slough, toward the Brookside Estates Pump Station, where the wastewater flows are combined. The pipeline continues under the Stockton Deep Water Channel, crosses Rough & Ready Island, and the San Joaquin River to a junction box where the wastewater is conveyed to the RWCF by gravity sewer pipe. The City has no other conveyance system available to transport wastewater from north Stockton to the RWCF.
The approved 2022 Wastewater Master Plan Update recommends that the City complete an assessment of the condition of sanitary sewer force mains citywide to identify deficiencies, improve reliability, and reduce operating costs. It further recommends that the City construct a parallel WSI to address the lack of redundancy in Northwest Stockton, Collection System No. 10 Service Area.
Present Situation
On December 6, 2024, MUD staff advertised the project in the Stockton Record and published it on the Stockton Bid Flash webpage. In addition, email notifications were sent to subscribers of the Ask Stockton topic “Bids/Contracts/Proposals.”
On January 8, 2025, two prospective design teams attended a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting, Carollo Engineers Inc. and GHD Inc.
On February 6, 2025, the City Clerk received and publicly opened two sealed proposals. A selection committee evaluated the proposals and selected Carollo Engineers Inc. of Sacramento, CA. Staff negotiated a fee of $183,124 with Carollo Engineers Inc. This fee is reasonable for a project of this size and complexity.
Staff recommend that the City Council approve a resolution to award a Professional Engineering Services Contract in the amount of $183,124 to Carollo Engineers, Inc. of Sacramento, CA, for the condition assessment of the Westside Sewer Interceptor.
It is anticipated that the condition assessment will be completed by spring 2026. Once the recommendation memo and preparation of plans and specifications are completed, staff will return to the Council to award a construction contract.
Findings
Pursuant to the Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) section 3.68.070, the City Council may approve findings which support and justify an exception to the competitive bidding process. The following findings support and justify an exception:
1. Use of the RFP process is appropriate for this Professional Services Contract because it relies on the evaluation of professional qualifications and performance as the basis for selection of a vendor. Use of the criteria helps ensure selection of a vendor that will provide the highest quality professional service, which is in the public interest.
2. The scope of services requires an engineering firm experienced in performing condition assessments of closed sanitary sewer force mains.
3. The City does not have the technical expertise to perform a condition assessment of the Westside Sewer Interceptor in a timely and cost-effective manner.
4. It is in the public interest to assess the condition of the sanitary sewer force mains citywide to identify deficiencies, improve reliability, and reduce operating costs.
LOCAL BUSINESS PREFERENCE
This contract for professional engineering design services is not subject to Local Employment requirements or CEQA requirements. CEQA documentation will be completed prior to the award of a construction contract.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There are sufficient funds available in the Wastewater CIP Project UW20018, account 6518-000-800007-610-612-00-65-000-000, to award the professional engineering services contract for $183,124 to Carollo Engineers, Inc. of Sacramento, CA, for the Westside Sewer Interceptor Condition Assessment.
This action has no impact on the General Fund or any other unrestricted funds.