HomeMy WebLinkAbout#10 Construction Inspection Services AGENDA ITEM #10
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MEETING DATE: February 7, 2024
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Neil Kaufman, System Engineer
SUBJECT: Consideration of Approval to Award a Contract to Perform
Construction Inspection Services
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--- Cf-!^-APPROVED �-
BY:
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Award a contract to Construction Materials Engineers (CME) to perform construction
inspection services during calendar 2024 for an amount not to exceed $300,000, plus a
ten percent change order allowance for a total authorization not to exceed $330,000.
BACKGROUND:
Since 2015, the Water Department has utilized an outside consultant to perform
construction inspection of both District-funded and developer-funded construction
projects. The consultants have been selected through a Request For Proposals (RFP)
process. Per District policy, the selection of a consultant to provide construction
inspection services can be renewed for up to two additional years beyond the base
year. Previous RFPs for construction inspection were issued in 2015, 2018 and
2021. In each case, the base contract was renewed for an additional two years.
ANALYSIS AND BODY:
A new RFP was issued in December 2023 to cover construction activities during the
summer of 2024. The submittal deadline for proposals was January 12, 2024. Three
proposals were received in response to the RFP.
• Alpha CM — Folsom, CA
• Construction Materials Engineers (CME) — Reno, NV
• MCK — Sacramento, CA
A staff committee of three employees reviewed the proposals based on the following
criteria:
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• Experience of the firm with similar water system construction inspection
assignments
• Past experience of proposed inspectors with similar water system construction
inspection assignments
• Procedures methodology and quality assurance/quality control
• Cost
On a technical level, CME was rated well above the other two firms.
Technical Scoring
Firm Overall
Rank
CME 1
MCK 2
Alpha CM 3
The proposed costs were then evaluated. A typical workday was assumed for
evaluating costs. This typically assumes there will be a single inspector who will
perform inspection work on both District-funded and developer projects on a given
day. This typical workday involves
• Five hours of inspection of District-funded projects
• Three hours of inspection of developer-funded projects
• 40 miles of travel within the Truckee area
• Travel time and mileage from the corporate office to Truckee
It should be noted that the actual inspection activities on any given day will vary. Some
examples could be, insufficient developer-funded inspections or multiple inspectors
could be required due to critical items such as tie-ins or pressure testing. The cost
scoring based on this typical day is summarized below:
Cost Scoring
Firm Rank
MCK 1
Alpha 2
CME 3
The cost proposals from Alpha and MCK were very similar. CME was slightly more
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expensive. The hourly rates for on-site inspection were essentially the same for all
three firms, with a range from $160 to $190 per hour, depending upon the individual
inspector and whether the project is subject to the payment of prevailing wages. The
main differences in cost were related to how travel time and mileage would be handled.
The overall ranking (technical capability & cost) of the proposers is:
Overall Scoring
Firm Rank
CME 1
MCK 2
Alpha CM 3
Therefore, it is recommended that the contract be awarded to CME.
About $388,000 was spent on construction inspection during the summer of 2023,
which was associated with a very busy construction seasons for the TDPUD, with a
very short period of time to complete the projects. To accommodate the number of
projects, there were effectively two inspectors on a full-time basis for the period from
June to October 2023. The amount of developer-funded construction during 2023 was
minimal.
For the summer of 2024, the major District-funded projects to be constructed are:
• Completion of the remaining work on both of the District's Pipeline Replacement
— 2023 contracts
• District Pipeline Replacement — 2024
• Hirschdale Pipeline
• Interior and exterior coating of Bridge Street 6170 Tank #2
• Ski Run Tank replacement
It is expected that the amount of developer-funded work will be higher during 2024.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
District Code 1 .05.020 Objectives:
1. Responsibly serve the public.
3. Provide reliable and high quality water supply and distribution system to meet
current and future needs.
6. Manage the District in an effective, efficient and fiscally responsible manner.
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District Code 1.05.030 Goals:
1. Manage for Financial Stability and Resiliency
2. Environmental Stewardship: Create a sustainable resilient environment for all our
communities.
3. Engage with our customers and communities in a welcoming and transparent way to
identify opportunities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
A separate work order is created for each developer project. Inspection of developer
constructed facilities is billed against the appropriate work order, and the costs are paid
by the developer. The Water Department generates an estimate of the level of
inspection effort required for a given project, and collects a deposit for those costs at
the time the development agreement is signed. If the total inspection costs exceed the
initial deposit, the developer is billed for these additional costs. If the initial deposit is
not exceeded, the remaining funds are returned to the developer. When an outside firm
is used to perform the construction inspection, those costs are billed against the deposit
collected from the developer. The District incurs minimal financial costs associated with
accounting and contract management.
The process for District-funded projects in similar, separate internal work orders are
established for each project, and the inspection time spent on that project is allocated to
the appropriate internal work order.
About $388,000 was spent with CME on outside inspection of water system
construction projects in 2023. Total construction inspection costs covering both District-
funded and developer-funded projects are estimated at $300,000 for the 2024
construction season. There is some uncertainty associated with this estimate, and a 10
percent change order allowance is recommended.
There are sufficient funds within the board's approved water utility capital budget to
fund the requested cost of inspection services for District-funded projects.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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