To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of Consultant Services Agreement with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. and Supplemental Budget for Public Works Brownfield Remediation Budget, 1100165, in the amount of $210,000 in Fiscal Year 2024-25 (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve, and authorize the Public Works Director to execute, the attached sole-source consultant services agreement with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.; and
2. Approve the attached Supplemental Budget for fiscal year 2024-25 for the new Public Works Brownfield Remediation budget, 1100165, in the amount of $210,000 (4/5 vote required).
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1009 - Expand county infrastructure resilience
DISCUSSION:
A portion of the property currently occupied by the Humboldt County courthouse and jail was formerly used as a dry-cleaning business, Eureka Dry Cleaners, prior to the county’s acquisition of the parcels. Discharges of solvents from historical dry cleaner operations at the site created a source of soil and groundwater contamination and impacted groundwater has migrated off-site. In 2023, the county reached a settlement with insurance carriers and the estate of the former property owner. Based on previous sampling data, contamination from the Eureka Dry Cleaners site may be co-mingling with contamination from one or more other off-site sources. Additional site investigation is needed to develop an effective and comprehensive remediation strategy and design that can be approved by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
The professional consulting firm Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. (Geosyntec) previously provided technical assistance to the County of Humboldt during the settlement negotiations with the insurance carriers and estate of the former property owner. Geosyntec has specific expertise in the investigation and remediation of the chemicals historically used by dry cleaners. In addition, their knowledge and understanding of the Eureka Dry Cleaner contamination site through their previous work will help accelerate progress toward completing the site investigation and transitioning to remediation activities. Furthermore, retaining Geosyntec will avoid delays in continuing the site investigation and beginning remediation, and will reduce the amount of staff time required to initiate this work.
The Department of Public Works recommends that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approve, and authorize the Public Works Director to execute, the attached sole-source consultant services agreement with Geosyntec for site investigation and remediation technical assistance.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Brownfield Remediation 1100165
Risk Management Liability
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (Fund, Budget Unit) |
FY24-25 |
FY25-26 Projected* |
|
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$210,000 |
$290,000 |
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$210,000 |
$290,000 |
|
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
|
Funding Sources (Fund, Budget Unit) |
FY24-25 |
FY25-26 Projected* |
|
|
General Fund |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal Funds |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$210,000 |
$290,000 |
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Funding Sources |
$210,000 |
$290,000 |
|
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
The attached supplemental budget is a transfer from settlement funds received in a prior year and contained in the Risk Management Liability Fund, 3524354. The newly established Public Works Brownfield Remediation budget, 1100165, will contain the costs of contracted services, county labor, and other expenses related to Brownfield Remediation efforts. Funding for this budget will transfer from the Risk Management Liability Fund, 3524354, as settlement funds remain available.
The attached consultant services agreement with Geosyntec has a maximum payable amount of $450,000 which extends through fiscal year 2025-26. For fiscal year 2025-26, Public Works plans to incorporate the expected expenditures for this project in the proposed budget using the settlement funds contained in the Risk Liability Fund, 3524354. Sufficient funds exist in the Risk Liability Fund to effectuate this agreement and the attached supplemental budget.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
Public Works staff will administer the attached consultant services agreement with Geosyntec, direct the provision of professional services, review work products, and lead communications with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and other stakeholders. This project will be added to the existing workload of the Environmental Services and General Services divisions of the Department of Public Works. The staffing level in the Environmental Services division has been impacted by three employees leaving the division in 2024. One of those positions has been filled and two positions remain unfilled. Public Works believes that the proposed sole-source agreement with Geosyntec will minimize the additional workload on current staff, help avoid delays in initiating the work, and help avoid impacts to other projects.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could direct the Department of Public Works to prepare and circulate a Request for Proposals to solicit multiple proposals for implementing the work. This alternative is not recommended for the following reasons. First, it would delay initiating time-sensitive work by several months. Second, the work requires specialized technical abilities and experience for which there is a limited group of potentially qualified consulting firms; therefore, circulating a Request for Proposals is unlikely to result in a large number of proposals. Third, Public Works does not expect that circulating a Request for Proposals would significantly reduce the cost of the work because selections for professional consulting services are based on qualifications, not price.
ATTACHMENTS:
1 Consultant Services Agreement by and between County of Humboldt and Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
2 Supplemental Budget 1100165
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A