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Home My WebLink About04.a. (Amended) Review draft to authorize a professional services agreement with Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc. in amount not to exceed $250,000 for geotechnical assistance and find the agreement is exempt form CEQA Page 1 of 4 Item 4.a. CENTRAL SAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS . , , . POSITION PAPER . , DRAFT MEETING DATE: MARCH 16, 2022 SUBJECT: [AMENDED] REVIEW DRAFT POSITION PAPER TOAUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CAL ENGINEERING & GEOLOGY, INC. IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $250,000 TO PROVIDE GEOTECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE WET WEATHER BASIN IMPROVEMENTS, DISTRICT PROJECT 100022 AND OTHER AS-NEEDED SERVICES; AND FIND THE RECOMMENDED AGREEMENT IS EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYACT SUBMITTED BY: INITIATING DEPARTMENT: CHATHURAABEYRATHNA, ASSOCIATE ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES- ENGINEER CAPITAL PROJECTS REVIEWED BY: CRAIG MIZUTANI, SENIOR ENGINEER EDGAR J. LOPEZ, CAPITAL PROJECTS DIVISION MANAGER JEAN-MARC PETIT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES ISSUE The Board of Directors' (Board) authorization is required for the General Manager to execute a professional engineering services agreement in an amount greater than $200,000. BACKGROUND Central San is in the process of reducing its risk and protecting the wastewater treatment plant (plant)from sea level rise and flooding. The plant is bordered by the Walnut and Grayson creeks with levees that were built by the county Flood Control District (FCD) and US Army Corps of Engineers. The FCD maintains the levees and plans to raise the levees in a joint project with Central San to provide protection against at least a 200-year storm and to consider sea level rise and climate change. The FCD will be the joint project lead, with Central San participating in design review, coordination, and equal cost sharing for the construction work. The joint project is expected to start construction in 2023 and is titled the Walnut Creek/Grayson Creek Levee Rehab, District Project (DP) 7341. March 16, 2022 EOPS Regular Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 4 of 20 Amended Agenda Page 2 of 4 I n addition, staff has identified other earthen basin roadways that are required to be raised to provide flood protection matching the design criteria under DP 7341, specifically the Pacheco Slough (drainage and waterway to Walnut Creek). The Pacheco Slough runs along the border of Basins B and C on the plant property and the roadways will have to be rehabilitated at the full expense of Central San. The plant basins are essential and critical facilities for Operations, as they provide temporary storage for wet weather events that exceed the treatment process capacity or for bypass events that do not meet regulatory requirements for wastewater discharge. To accommodate and budget for the basin rehabilitation, staff initiated the Wet Weather Basin Improvements, DP 100022 (Basin Improvements), approved by the Board this fiscal year (FY). The scope of work for the Basin Improvements will include evaluating the basin capacity, operational improvements, raising the roadways, improving basin grading and drainage. A project map identifying the District Projects is shown in Attachment 1. This project is a continuation of the efforts to provide critical flood protection to Central San. To support the Basin Improvements, staff plans to oversee the design with the assistance of two professional engineering consultants. Staff will select a lead design consultant under one of the existing as-needed engineering contracts and Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc. (CE&G) is being recommended for geotechnical engineering support in design and construction. Staff is proposing to use CE&G to provide geotechnical field services for Basins B and C embankments and its roadways, analysis of imported or reused soils, and construction support. CE&G was selected through a formal Request for Proposal and selection process. On November 5, 2021, seven proposals were received and evaluated for as-needed geotechnical services, including the scope of the Basin I mprovements. Staff selected CE&G for the project as they were the best-fit firm based on their experience, qualifications, and past performance. Other consultants were selected for as-needed services only; while CE&G will work on the Basin Improvements and as-needed services that may be needed for the other related work like the Walnut Creek/Grayson Creek Levee Rehab project. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Staff has concluded that the proposed project is exempt from CEQA under Central San's CEQA Guidelines Section 15262 since it allows for further planning and feasibility studies for possible future actions which Central San has not approved, adopted, or funded, and the outcome of these tasks will not have a legally binding effect on later activities. Approval of this action will establish the Board of Directors' independent finding that this agreement is exempt from CEQA. Central San will conduct an environmental evaluation of any environmental-altering, physical project that is proposed in the future as a result of these studies to determine the need for any additional CEQA documentation. ALTERNATIVES/CONSIDERATIONS Staff has considered several paths or projects to effectively provide flood protection for the plant at reasonable costs. The Walnut Creek/Grayson Creek Levee Rehab project has shared project costs since the improvements benefit Central San and the FCD. Staff also negotiated and is stockpiling approved soils for the joint project to reduce the overall project costs. A majority of the embankment and roadway for Basin C has already been raised by reusing the soils from the demolition of the East Clearwell under the Filter Plant and Clearwell Improvements, Phase 1A project. The cost to reuse soils onsite had significant savings overall compared to paying for hauling and landfill fees. Staff will continue to explore and attempt to find cost saving measures for soils to raise the levees or embankments. Finding soil disposal sites has been and continues to be difficult and expensive in the San Francisco Bay Area. Staff will pursue opportunities with local quarries, contractors, or nearby projects to possibly acquire free soils or develop cost sharing solutions that can benefit Central San. March 16, 2022 EOPS Regular Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 5 of 20 Amended Agenda Page 3 of 4 An alternative would be not to authorize the CE&G agreement, which is not recommended because the projects will reduce the risk of flood damage to the plant and the wet weather basin work will improve operations. FINANCIAL IMPACTS The cost of the agreement is estimated to reach up to $250,000, if fully utilized. The Wet Weather Basin I mprovements project is in the FY 2021-22 District Budget on page 260 with a total estimated budget of $700,000. The total estimated budget will be re-evaluated and updated once the final scope, design, and soil opportunities have been identified. Approximately$100,000 of the $250,000 is set aside for as-needed services for geotechnical assistance associated with the levee or similar projects and for soils analysis. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Engineering and Operations Committee reviewed this subject at its meeting on March 16, 2022 and recommended RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION Staff recommends the following Board action: 1. Find that this agreement is exempt from CEQA: 2. Authorize the General Manager to execute a professional engineering services agreement with Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000 to provide geotechnical assistance for the Wet Weather Basin Improvements, District Project 100022 and other as-needed services. Strategic Plan Tie-In GOAL ONE: Customer and Community Strategy 2—Maintain a positive reputation GOAL TWO:Environmental Stewardship Strategy 1—Achieve 100%compliance in all regulations GOAL FIVE:Infrastructure Reliability Strategy 3—Protect personnel and assets from threats and emergencies ATTACHMENTS: 1. Location Map March 16, 2022 EOPS Regular Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 6 of 20 Amended Agenda Page 4 of 4 BASIN B NORTH LEVEE RAISE III II h iIP II !I / II 0 250 500 / III II FEET III II VIII UPCOMING CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL II DISTRICT PROJECT II li II II II II I II BASIN C LEVEE 1 11 (RECENTLY COMPLETED I Il THROUGH DP 7361) \ I 11 Basin B 1 1 \1 Basin C 1 1 �i 11 11 ! 11 ! ! 1 11! 1 11 Il 11 ! Il II 111 II 11 11 11 BASIN D EAST LEVEE RAISE 11 Il II 11 Il 11 I Il Alum II j Basin D Sludge II Ponds 111 11 o II 11 � 11 �I II J 11 11 o \ i 11 11 Clearwe!! 11 II / Basin 11 II Q CD 11 11 11 i ter an D Basin A % 11 North 11 ubssttation82 V. jj 11 ii CENTML SANWET WEATHER BASIN IMPROVEMENTS Attachment ' DISTRICT PROJECT 100022 1 LOCATION MAP March 16, 2022 EOPS Regular Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 7 of 20 Amended Agenda