I. RECOMMENDATION:
Council Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with SWCA Environmental Consultants to Provide Environmental Services Related to the Master Trails Project (ATP Cycle 4 Grant Program).
II. BACKGROUND:
The City received ATP Cycle 4 funding allocation for the design and implementation of segments 3 (portion), 4 (portion), and 9 (portion) of the Trails Master Plan. The funding included preparation of the necessary environmental documentation in accordance with State and Federal Law.
On August 6, 2020 the City Council approved a professional services agreement with SWCA to provide the necessary environmental consulting services to satisfy the NEPA and CEQA requirements as part of the ATP Cycle 4 grant funding.
SWCA, Incorporated, dba SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA), submitted a contract amendment to provide additional environmental services for the City of Coalinga Trails Master Plan Segments 3, 4, and 9 (project). SWCA has prepared a memorandum (attached) to summarize the differences between the original scope and budget submitted in May 2020 and the revised scope and budget which include additional tasks requested by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in their Preliminary Environmental Study form and letter dated October 23, 2020.
III. DISCUSSION:
SWCA, Incorporated, dba SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA), submitted a contract amendment to provide additional environmental services for the City of Coalinga Trails Master Plan Segments 3, 4, and 9 (project). SWCA has prepared a memorandum to summarize the differences between the original scope and budget submitted in May 2020 and the revised scope and budget which include additional tasks requested by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in their Preliminary Environmental Study form and letter dated October 23, 2020.
SWCA’s original proposal, dated May 29, 2020, included a budget totaling $74,810 which was approved by the City Council on August 6, 2020. Revisions to this original proposal had been made by SWCA to include preparation of a Jurisdictional Delineation and a Biological Assessment as required by Caltrans.
During the process of revising their cost estimate for the City to include the additional tasks requested by Caltrans, SWCA accounting staff were tasked with preparation of a revised 10-H form as required under the grant It was discovered that there was an error in their accounting which did not include costs for all of the labor categories that were listed. This error resulted in the total revised budget being reduced to $61,729.27.
SWCA has made the necessary corrections and prepared the updated 10-H form that has been submitted to Staff. Specific changes include the incorporation of 8 labor hours by the Environmental Specialist VII labor category and the incorporation of raw wages for all previously missing labor categories. These changes resulted in an increase of Subtotal Direct Labor Costs from $20,985.32 to $27,891.80. SWCA also included a correction to Other Direct Costs, which have been corrected to accurately match the specified costs in the proposed budget. Therefore, the revised budget reflects a total of $84,412.77. Staff has been in conversation with SWCA about these budgetary changes and increased costs related to the project and find that all are accurate and justified.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
- Do not authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment #1 with SWCA Consultants. - this is not recommended by staff.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
The contract amendment increases the contract amount to a not to exceed amount of $84,412.77. This contract is funded by the ATP Cycle 4 grant. The budgeted amount in the grant for environmental services was $100,000.00, so the increase in budget will still be within the grant amount for environmental. | | |