Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Utilities Department

TO:	David L. Corliss – City Manager Cynthia Wagner - Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard - Assistant City Manager
FROM:	Melinda Harger – Project Engineer
CC:	Dave Wagner – Director of Utilities Mike Lawless – Deputy Director of Utilities Philip Ciesielski – Assistant Director of Utilities Beth Krishtalka – Assistant to Director Mark Hegeman – Utilities Operations Superintendent Dave King – Utilities Maintenance Superintendent
Date:	July 18 , 2013
RE:	Agenda Item – Execute an Engineering Services Agreement for Project UT1304 Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor Facilities

Please include the following item on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the July 23, 2013 meeting:

Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Engineering Services Agreement, in the amount of $299,000, with Black & Veatch Corporation for Project UT1304 Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor Facilities.

Project Description 

The 2012 Wastewater Utilities Master Plan and Capital Improvements Program recommend the construction of the Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and Conveyance Corridor facilities to be online in 2018. These improvements are required to mitigate wet weather surcharging of sanitary sewers along the 31^st Street Corridor, provide for relief of wet weather overloading at the existing WWTP, and provide additional organic treatment capacity to provide for future growth of the community.

The recommended Wakarusa WWTP improvements include 2 MGD of organic treatment and 6 MGD of wet weather treatment. The Conveyance Corridor improvements include an 11 MGD pump station facility in the area of 31^st and Louisiana and required forcemains and gravity sewers to convey sewerage to from this point to the Wakarusa WWTP.

Project Status

On March 12, 2013, the City Commission authorized staff to advertise a Request for Proposals for Engineering Services for the Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor Facilities. 

On April 19, 2013, in response to the Request for Proposals, staff received proposals from three (3) firms interested in both projects and three (3) firms interested in only the pump station and corridor facilities. The proposals received for both projects were from the team of Black & Veatch, PEC, Bartlett & West, and Treanor Architects, the team of Burns & McDonnell and BG Consultants, and HDR Engineering. The proposals received for the pump station project were from Wilson & Company, Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers, and George Butler Associates, Inc. (GBA).   

On June 18, 2013, the City Commission authorized staff to negotiate an engineering services agreement with Black & Veatch Corporation.

Project Status

Staff has negotiated an appropriate scope and fee for the initial project design services, Phase 100/150, which includes data acquisition and concept review as well as annexation, rezoning, and platting. The fee for Phase 100/150 is $299,000. The scope for Phase 100/150 includes

• Preliminary hydraulic concepts for the conveyance corridor
• Topographical survey of the area surrounding the pump station facility
• Geotechnical investigation of the area surrounding the pump station facility which includes field borings, sampling, testing, and soils report
• Evaluation of fill material on the Wakarusa WWTP site
• Coordination with the SLT project which includes reviews of the SLT construction documents and meetings with KDOT to discuss construction schedule, sharing fill materials, work boundaries and access, and other potential construction issues
• Evaluation of alternate force main routing, which includes probable design criteria and constructability
• Alternate force main route cost analysis
• Discussions with KDHE on permitting and plant design requirements
• Review of historical plant data and existing wastewater flow data
• Sampling Plan for characterization of the raw influent wastewater to be conveyed to the Wakarusa WWTP
• Development of annexation, zoning, and platting exhibits for the pump station site and platting exhibits for the Wakarusa WWTP site

Project Schedule

As shown on the project workflow diagram, future amendments to the contract will be presented for Commission approval for the following phased services:

Phase 200                         Preliminary Design

Phases 300/350                 Detailed Design & Bidding Services

Phases 400/500/600/700     Construction, Resident, Operations, and Warranty Services 

Phase 150 will allow the design team to get started on key project components, such as data collection and SLT coordination, prior to developing a detailed scope of services for the future phases.  Most Phase 150 tasks will be complete within the first few months; therefore, we recommend having an agreement for Phase 200 prior to the completion of Phase 150.  It is anticipated that the Phase 200 agreement will be ready for City Commission review by November 2013.  In order to expedite site fill placement for consolidation, an agreement to develop Site Fill Construction Documents will likely overlap the Phase 200 services so this work can be bid by March 2014. 

Project Funding

The project is included in the Department of Utilities 2013 Rate Plan and Capital Improvement Program.

Action Request

Authorize the City Manager to execute an Engineering Services Agreement, in the amount of $299,000, with Black & Veatch Corporation for Project UT1304 Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor Facilities.

Thank you for your assistance. Please advise if you have any questions.