TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
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Professional Services Agreement for the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Project to Strand Assoc Inc. in the amount of $6,175,114.00
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BACKGROUND:
The Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant, which provides wastewater treatment for portions of Joliet, Channahon, and Shorewood, was constructed in 1972 and had its last major upgrade in 2002. Many of the facilities and equipment at the plant have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced to meet current design and code standards. In addition, regulatory changes have resulted in the need to upgrade certain processes to meet lower limits. Furthermore, additional development in the service area is expected to occur which necessitates the need for expansion of the Plant’s treatment capacity.
In 2019, the City retained Strand Assoc Inc. to complete a capacity evaluation at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant is currently permitted to treat a design average flow of 14 million gallons per day and a design maximum flow of 28 million gallons per day. Current average day flows are approximately 12 million gallons. With anticipated growth to occur in the Westside service area, it is critical that the City expand treatment capacity.
In 2021, Strand Assoc Inc. prepared a Project Plan for the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion which was the first step in obtaining approval from IEPA to expand the wastewater treatment plant. The Project Plan identified the following improvements necessary to expand the treatment capacity to 18.16 million gallons per day, upgrade aging facilities and meet new regulatory requirements:
— Add 4th influent pump
— Replace wet weather screens
— New grit and primary scum removal systems
— Rehabilitate existing and add primary and final clarifiers
— Add aeration tanks and implement biological nutrient removal
— Anaerobic digestion upgrades and expansion
— New sludge thickening facilities
— SCADA upgrades
The estimated construction cost for the project is $97 million in 2024 dollars. Anticipated funding sources include state and federal low interest loan programs. The City will also be seeking energy efficiency grant funding from ComEd.
In 2023 the City issued a Public Utilities Municipal Services RFQ and Strand Associates, Inc. was shortlisted for wastewater treatment design. Given Strand Associates Inc. current involvement in the project, their status on the City’s short list for wastewater treatment design engineering, and the requirement from the IEPA state revolving fund loan program that engineering services be selected using a qualifications-based selection process it was requested that they submit a proposal for professional engineering services to complete design engineering for the project. The Public Service Committee will review this matter.
CONCLUSION:
Strand Assoc Inc. has provided a proposal to complete design engineering and prepare bid documents for the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion project. The Professional Services Agreement, for an amount not to exceed $6,175,114.00, represents the cost of designing the new and modified facilities, preparing bid documents, attending progress meetings, preparing opinions of probable construction cost, preparing and submitting permit applications, preparing and submitting grant applications, and preparing and submitting funding applications and documents. This fee is 6.37% of the estimated construction cost and within industry standards for this type of work.
Section 2-438 of the City of Joliet Code of Ordinance states that purchases over $25,000.00 may be awarded without written specifications under certain circumstances. Two (2) of these circumstances apply:
(f) Purchases when authorized by a concurring vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Mayor and City Council;
(g) Purchases of professional services.
Funds will be charged to the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Fund / Professional Services (Org. 53980000, Object 557200, $6,175,114.00).
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Based on the above, the Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Council award the Professional Services Agreement for the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Project, in the amount of $6,175,114.00, on behalf of Strand Assoc Inc.
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