DEPARTMENT: Public Works
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Razi Hosseini, P.E., R.P.L.S.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Professional Services Agreement: Community Rating System (CRS)
SUMMARY:
An ordinance approving the execution of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000.00 to provide on-call civil engineering services for the Community Rating System (CRS). Funding is available from FY 2021 Storm Water Regional Facilities Funds.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the Community Rating System (CRS) through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). CRS is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities exceeding the National Flood Insurance Program requirements. San Antonio is currently the only major city in Texas not participating in the CRS program.
Under the CRS, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reward community actions meeting the following goals:
• Reduce flood damage to insurable properties
• Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of NFIP
• Encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management
The benefits for the City to be a part of the CRS include:
• The reduction of flood insurance rates for property owners currently in a floodplain or those who will be in a floodplain in the future
• Increased opportunities for property owners to assess risk, evaluate vulnerabilities and take action to protect their homes and businesses
• Enhanced public safety through CRS floodplain management activities, reduction of damage to property & public infrastructure and avoidance of economic disruption and loss
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of flood programs against a nationally recognized benchmark
• Technical assistance in designing and implementing some activities to community officials at no charge
Procurement of Services
A Request for Qualification (RFQ) was released on April 29, 2020, in the San Antonio Hart Beat, the City’s website, the Texas Electronic State Business Daily, on TVSA, and through the online bidding website CivCast. Responses were due on June 15, 2020, and four (4) submittals were received. A selection committee made up of City staff from the Public Works Department evaluated and ranked the submissions and scored the submittals. Scoring was based on the published evaluation criteria, which included experience; background; qualifications of the firm, key personnel, and key sub-consultants; the understanding of the project and Proposed Management Plan; experience with Issues in the San Antonio region; past experience with City of San Antonio contracts; and overall evaluation of the firm/team and its ability to provide the required services.
-The professional services agreement will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts to be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee (GSC) to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract to maximize the amount of small, minority, and woman-owned business participation under the contract. The GSC set a 32% Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) subcontracting goal.
This contract was solicited utilizing a formal Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process; therefore, as required by the Ethics Ordinance, a Contracts Disclosure Form has been attached for each of these firms.
ISSUE:
This ordinance approves the execution of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000.00 to provide on-call civil engineering services for the Community Rating System (CRS).
The agreement with Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. will provide the City on-call civil engineering services to complete the application process for the City’s entry into the Community Rating System (CRS) program. The consultant will be responsible for providing the necessary documentation and overseeing the preparation, submission, and processing of the application including the formulation of a plan outlining the resources needed to sustain a successful program. Once the program is approved and implemented, the City Public Works Department anticipates a reduction in flood insurance premiums for San Antonio property owners.
ALTERNATIVES:
As an alternative, City Council could require staff to complete a new solicitation process for the work; however, considering the additional time required for another solicitation process, this would adversely affect the City’s entry into the Community Rating System program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance approves the execution of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000.00 to facilitate on-call civil engineering services for the Community Rating System (CRS). Funding is available from FY 2021 Storm Water Regional Facilities Funds for these services.
Requirements for each service task shall be detailed in individual task orders assigned. The City makes no minimum guarantee pertaining to the volume of work that may be expected from the consultant. If funding for any work activities was not previously appropriated, funding will be identified and appropriated through subsequent City Council action.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance approving the execution of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000.00 to provide on-call civil engineering services for the Community Rating System.