DEPARTMENT: Transportation and Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT: Contract Award: On-Call Construction Inspection Services
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the negotiation and execution of five (5) On-Call Construction Inspection Services Agreements with Foster CM Group, Inc., Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc., Jasmine Engineering, Inc., AG/CM, Inc., and Straight Line Management, Inc., each in the amount not-to-exceed $500,000.00 per year, to provide as-needed On-Call Construction Inspection Services for City Capital Improvement projects. Each agreement is for a term of one year with two additional one-year extension options, at $500,000.00 per annual extension.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Currently, Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI) contracts with four (4) consultants that provide On-Call Construction Inspection for the City. The current On-Call Construction Inspection consultants are Foster CM Group, Inc., Freese and Nichols, Inc., Jasmine Engineering, Inc., Sunland Group, Inc. These consultants are used on as-needed basis, in connection with City Capital Improvement Projects. The contracts with the four current firms will expire in April 2014.
On-Call Inspection Services have standardized construction inspections for the City. These on-call contracts will be available to all City departments and will address all aspects of construction, to include building and street projects and other special projects. On-Call standardized services not only will be easier to access for all parties, but also save the City money due to the rates negotiated, based on a larger volume of work.
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for On-Call Construction Inspection Services was released in December 2013, This RFQ was advertised in the San Antonio Hart Beat, on the City's website and the Texas Electronic State Business Daily. A Pre-Submittal conference was held on December 13, 2013 and responses were due on January 7, 2014. Five (5) firms responded and submitted their Statement of Qualifications (SOQs). A selection committee, made up of City staff from the Transportation and Capital Improvements Department, evaluated and scored the SOQs, based on the published evaluation criteria, which included experience, qualifications and project approach. Commitment to the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) policy also was taken into consideration and scored. The selection committee recommends that contracts be awarded to Foster CM Group, Inc., Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc., Jasmine Engineering, Inc., AG/CM, Inc., and Straight Line Management, Inc.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small, minority, and women-owned business participation on the contract. The Goal Setting Committee applied the Small and Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program, with ten (10) evaluation points awarded to Civil Engineering Consultants as a certified SBE and twenty (20) evaluation preference points awarded to Foster CM Group, Jasmine Engineering, AG|CM, Inc., and Straight Line Management, as they are certified SBE and M/WBE firms located within the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
ISSUE:
An ordinance authorizing the negotiation and execution of five On-Call Construction Inspection Services Agreements with Foster CM Group, Inc., Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc., Jasmine Engineering, Inc., AG/CM, Inc., and Straight Line Management, Inc., each in an amount not-to-exceed $500,000.00 per one-year contract. Services provided by these agreements include inspection services related to construction projects. COSA staff utilizes these on-call inspection services contracts on an as-needed basis to assist with horizontal and/or vertical, construction and capital improvement projects.
Specifically, work performed through these agreements may include:
1. Providing site observation services on behalf of City of San Antonio staff;
2. Coordinating with COSA facilities and operations when utility outages, noise control, traffic control or security is required by the work;
3. Conducting daily observation of construction and submit reports outlining activity and potential issues with adherence to contract documents and required regulations;
4. Coordinating and monitoring construction material and/or equipment testing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) air test, balancing and commissioning and other systems or functional performance testing; and
5. Interfacing with and providing support to Owners Representatives, Users operations, design professionals, contractors, utilities, and regulatory agencies, to assist with resolution of construction phase conflicts.
Consultants will be paid based on the tasks performed for each specific project. The City will make no minimum guarantee pertaining to the volume of work that may be expected from each consultant.
The purpose of these contracts will be to enhance monitoring of construction on a daily basis for conformance to documents, specifications and regulations.
ALTERNATIVES:
As an alternative option, the City could release a new RFQ for these services on a per project basis; however, this action will result in delaying construction inspection services on current and future projects. Also, significant time and effort are required to prepare, advertise, evaluate solicitations, negotiate and develop separate contracts and make separate recommendations to City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This action authorizes the negotiation and execution of five On-Call Construction Inspection Services Agreements with Foster CM Group, Inc., Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc., Jasmine Engineering, Inc., AG/CM, Inc. and Straight Line Management, Inc., each in an amount not to exceed $500,000.00.
No funds are appropriated by this action. Funds for this contract shall be allocated from specific capital or other project funds at the time the work is required. Amounts will be transferred from available funding sources identified within the scope and source. The City will make no minimum guarantee pertaining to the volume of work that each may be expected from each consultant.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance authorizing the execution of five On-Call Construction Inspection Services Agreements.