Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with Roux Associates, Inc. in the Amount of up to $273,866 in Fiscal Year 2017-2018, Renewable Annually by the City Manager for up to Four Additional Years for a Total Compensation of $1,369,330 for Environmental/Hazardous Materials Consulting Services at Alameda Point and Various Transportation Projects. (Base Reuse 819099 and Transportation 91611)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with Roux Associates, Inc. in the Amount of up to $273,866 in Fiscal Year 2017-2018, Renewable Annually by the City Manager for up to Four Additional Years for a Total Compensation of $1,369,330 for Environmental/Hazardous Materials Consulting Services at Alameda Point and Various Transportation Projects
BACKGROUND
Alameda Point was an active United States Navy (Navy) base from 1940 to 1997. While active, as many as 18,000 personnel worked at the Naval Air Station (NAS Alameda). It was selected for closure as part of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Operational closure occurred in April 1997.
Alameda Point is a federal “Superfund” site due to contamination in the soil and groundwater associated with the Navy’s past use of the property. It is comprised of 300 petroleum sites and 34 federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) installation restoration sites, many of which have been remediated and closed. The Navy is responsible for the clean-up of contamination associated with its former activities at Alameda Point, and has been actively investigating and remediating the property for the last 15+ years, during which time it has spent over $500 million on these efforts.
The City has worked with one independent environmental consultant and advisor at Alameda Point, Peter Russell of Russell Resources, for the last 18 years, since before the Base was decommissioned. Dr. Russell is retiring this year, and the City is appreciative for all his years of service and expertise to ensure Alameda Point is transformed from a brownfield site to a sustainable and productive development.
DISCUSSION
To facilitate a smooth transition to a new environmental consultant and advisor, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on March 27, 2017. Staff posted the RFP on the City’s website, the Alameda Point website and advertised the RFP in the local newspaper. Staff received seven proposals on April 20, 2017, conducted four interviews on May 4, 2017, and recommended Roux Associates, Inc. as the firm that best meets the City’s needs. The selection was based on the company’s relevant past experience, qualifications and experience of key staff, understanding of work scope, cost competitiveness, and ability to meet contract requirements.
Founded over 35 years ago, Roux Associates, Inc. is widely recognized for being highly effective in providing client-focused solutions. They are an employee-owned company featuring environmental professionals in a variety of science and engineering disciplines. Roux Associates, Inc. has eight major offices in Oakland, Long Beach, New York, Boston, Southern & Northern New Jersey, Texas and Illinois, and approximately 285 technical staff, including hydrogeologists, engineers, toxicologists, and other environmental scientists. Roux Associates’ Oakland office has deep technical and local knowledge to support Alameda Point. Principal geologist David Dixon will serve as the project manager and strategic advisor for the City. Mr. Dixon has worked for 28 years as an environmental consultant managing assessment, monitoring and remediation work at other former Bay Area military bases. He has managed waterfront and large, complex redevelopment projects for both private developers and cities, and helped clients redevelop contaminated properties.
Mr. Dixon has extensive experience working on remediation activities for former military facilities, including working as the project manager for a multi-year ground-water monitoring program at the Presidio of San Francisco and remediation and closure of sites at the former Mare Island Navy base in Vallejo. Mr. Dixon also serves as an expert panelist on conducting environmental due diligence for real estate transactions that will be especially beneficial for upcoming transportation projects involving railroad rights-of-way. Additionally, Mr. Dixon has a General Contractor’s license, which provides a valuable perspective of construction issues that must be considered during the environmental phase.
Mr. Dixon will be working in conjunction with Russell Resources for a period of time to ensure that he is brought up to speed on the Navy’s remediation efforts at Alameda Point, conveyance of land and new planned development. Mr. Dixon will serve as the strategic advisor, project manager and primary point of contact for all hazardous materials issues related to Alameda Point, as well as the primary environmental consultant for transportation planning related projects that provide access to/from Alameda Point.
The scope of services that Mr. Dixon will perform include:
• Attendance at Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Base Cleanup Team meetings;
• Attendance at Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meetings as an observer;
• Attendance at meetings in furtherance of conveyance between the City of Alameda, the Navy and others;
• Attendance at meetings with Environmental Regulators and technical supplemental meetings;
• Review of technical documents, reports, work plans, regulator comments, and preparation of draft City comments;
• Participation in meeting in support of negotiations among City, developers, other parties related to environmental matters;
• Prepare Final Site Management Plan for Phase 3B transfer of property;
• Environmental site assessments and soil investigations for Transportation projects (Appezzato Parkway Bus Lanes, Clement Avenue Complete Streets, Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Complete Street, Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project); and
• Additional consultation as requested by City.
It is recommended that the City Council approve this professional services contract with Roux Associates, Inc. in the amount of $273,866 for the work described above. This contract also permits an annual extension on a year- to-year basis, for up to four (4) additional years and up to $1,369,330 total compensation for the contract, at the sole discretion of the City Manager, based, at a minimum, upon satisfactory performance of all aspects of this contract and subject to budgetary approval. If extended, the contract would be for the same terms and compensation as the existing contract.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This contract will begin on July 1, 2017, so there is no financial impact to the Base Reuse Department budget for the FY 2016-2017 Fiscal Year. The estimated contract expenses for Alameda Point have been included in the Base Reuse FY 2017-2018 budget. The funding for the transportation-related environmental site assessments is covered under the specific capital project budgets in the City’s 2017-2019 Capital Budget and will begin after July 1, 2017. This contract will not have a financial impact on the General Fund.
POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action will facilitate clean-up and conveyance of land required in the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure and the General Plan. The project is consistent with the Transportation Element of the City's General Plan, which states: “It is important that with the upcoming build-out of Alameda Point and other large scale projects, the City work to reduce the impact of automobile trips on the quality of life for residents and on the easy, safe use of non-automotive transportation modes.”
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project that has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonable foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with Roux Associates, Inc. in the Amount of up to $273,866 in Fiscal Year 2017-2018, renewable by the City Manager for up to four additional years for a total of $1,369,330 for Environmental/Hazardous Materials Consulting Services at Alameda Point and Various Transportation Projects
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ott, Base Reuse and Transportation Planning Department Director
By,
Michelle Giles, Redevelopment Project Manager, Base Reuse
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Roux Associates, Inc. Contract for Environmental and Hazardous Materials Consulting Services