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APPROVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH TRANSMAP CORPORATION FOR THE TRAFFIC SIGN INVENTORY, PROJECT NO. 14-44
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a motion approving findings which support and justify an exception to the competitive bid process, and authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Transmap Corporation of Upper Arlington, Ohio, in the amount of $99,652.99, to complete the Traffic Sign Inventory, Project No. 14-44.
It is further recommended that the motion authorize the City Manager to take appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
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Summary
Public Works is preparing to implement the next phase of its asset management system, Cityworks. A critical component of the asset database required for this next phase is a comprehensive traffic sign inventory. Public Works issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit a qualified firm capable of creating a Geographical Information System (GIS) inventory of the City’s regulatory and warning roadway traffic signs, and received submission from nine firms.
Staff recommends awarding a Professional Services Agreement to the highest ranked firm, Transmap Corporation, for the Traffic Sign Inventory project. Staff concluded that Transmap Corporation offered a solution that could be completed in a timely and cost effective manner with the highest quality and most likely guarantee of success. The project will be funded from the Public Works Operating Budget and the IT Efficiency Fund.
DISCUSSION
Background
This summer, Public Works will implement the next phase of its asset management system, Cityworks. Cityworks is a software program that utilizes GIS technology to map the City’s inventory of Public Works’ infrastructure and associated assets. This graphically oriented asset database is then used to manage service requests, work orders, and associated aspects of infrastructure maintenance. A critical component to implementation of this next phase is a reliable and comprehensive traffic sign inventory. On February 19, 2015, Public Works issued a RFP to solicit a qualified firm capable of creating a GIS-based inventory of the City’s regulatory and warning roadway traffic signs.
Present Situation
The process for awarding contracts for professional services is different from the process used for awarding construction, and goods and services contracts which are typically awarded on the basis of lowest competitive price. This process requires a detailed plan and/or specification which contractors utilize to develop their bids.
Professional services for studies, testing, engineering, or specialized fields are awarded on the basis of technical merit or qualifications, rather than the lowest price. A RFP process is used to solicit detailed proposals for specific projects based on a general scope of work. These proposals are then evaluated and ranked by staff.
The City received proposals from the following nine firms, listed in alphabetical order, for the Traffic Sign Inventory project:
• 3M Company (St. Paul, MN)
• AMS Consulting (Pleasanton, CA)
• CityScan Incorporated (Chicago, IL)
• Data Transfer Solutions (Orlando, FL)
• DBI Services (Hazelton, PA)
• Mark Thomas & Company (Sacramento, CA)
• Mid-West GIS, Incorporated (Quincy, IL)
• Safety Network, Incorporated (Fresno, CA)
• Transmap Corporation (Upper Arlington, OH)
Public Works’ staff reviewed and ranked the proposals based on each firm’s qualifications, experience, designated staff, and the ability to provide services on time, within budget, and in accordance with City objectives. The two highest-ranked firms, Transmap Corporation and 3M Company, scored more than 10 percent higher than any of the other seven firms. Transmap Corporation and 3M Company were invited for interviews held on April 8, 2015, with Public Works’ staff. At the conclusion of this process, Transmap Corporation was selected as the firm best able to meet the needs of the project. Their proposal and follow-up interview demonstrated that they had extensive experience operating a highly automated data collection vehicle. This vehicle has been designed specifically for sign inventory data collection, and is considered to provide an overall superior system for this task. In addition, Transmap Corporation had extensive experience formatting and downloading the data to the Cityworks system. Staff concluded that Transmap Corporation offered a solution that could be completed in a timely and cost effective manner with the highest quality and guarantee of success.
Staff recommends awarding a Professional Services Agreement to Transmap Corporation for the Traffic Sign Inventory, Project No. 14-44 (Attachment A). With issuance of the RFP, staff approximated the cost of services to be $100,000. The negotiated fee of $99,652.99 with Transmap Corporation is reasonable.
It is anticipated that the Traffic Sign Inventory project will be completed by September 2015.
Findings
In accordance with Stockton Municipal Code Section 3.68.070, the following findings were provided in support of using a RFP process for the hiring of a firm to provide GIS-based inventory services:
1. The project involves specialized field data collection followed by data conversion for application to the Cityworks system, and requires an experienced professional who has successfully implemented and performed such projects.
2. The City does not have the specialized personnel or equipment to perform the work required for this project.
3. Use of the RFP process is appropriate for this project, because it relies on the evaluation of professional qualifications and performance as the basis for selection of a consultant. Use of these criteria helps ensure selection of a firm that will provide a high quality product.
4. Pursuant to Stockton Municipal Code 3.68.070(A)(3), there is a negotiated contract following solicitation of competitive proposals.
Based on these findings, an exception to the competitive bidding process was justified for use of a RFP process to obtain these services as necessary.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Sufficient funds are available in the following accounts to cover the cost of $99,653 for this professional services agreement with Transmap Corporation of Upper Arlington, Ohio:
$75,000 - 502-5101-670 (IT, Computer ISF, CMMS Project No. MUD02)
$24,653 - 030-3064-540 (Gas Tax Fund, Traffic Devices)
There is no impact to the City’s General Fund or to any other unrestricted fund as a result of taking the recommended action.
Attachment A - Professional Services Agreement with Transmap Corporation