Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF CONSULTANT RETAINER AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE STAFF AUGMENTATION FOR AN INTERIM TRAFFIC ENGINEER (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
The recent resignation of the long tenure Traffic Engineer has left a huge void in the traffic division of Public Works Department. There are numerous active items that are currently unattended due to the recently vacated position. There is an urgent need to have a well versed qualified person fill the vacancy immediately on an interim basis to handle these various active items. The required Meet & Confer with the Bargaining Union took place on 12/27/18 and 1/3/19.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE a Consultant Retainer Agreement with O2EPCM, Inc., to provide staff augmentation for the term of January 9, 2019 through June 30, 2019, in the amount of $135,000.00.
2. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the Consultant Retainer Agreement following approval as to form by the City Attorney.
1.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. DO NOT APPROVE the consultant retainer agreements.
2. TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate consistent with the requirements of the law.
IV. BACKGROUND
The recent resignation of the long tenure Traffic Engineer has left a huge void in the traffic division of Public Works Department. The TRAFFIC ENGINEER has a vast spectrum of traffic related duties ranging from, design reviews, public requests for traffic enhancing features and parking restrictions, as well as grants for roadway/traffic improvements and much more. There are numerous active items and projects that are currently unattended due to the recently vacated position.
Department Directors of Public Works and Human Resources have begun the recruitment to fill the vacancy for the full-time staff Traffic Engineer. There is currently no qualified internal staff available to address the Department needs. Given that it will take a significant amount of time to complete the hiring process for a staff Traffic Engineer, as well as the multiple items and requests submitted to the Traffic Division which require immediate action, the need for an Interim Traffic Engineer is critical. It is of utmost important that a well versed qualified person be retained immediately to address the various active needs, initiate and manage Capital Improvement Projects and most importantly, immediately follow up on various grant requirements that the City recently obtained which are at risk of becoming de-obligated by the granting agency.
Due to time constraints and the urgent need for Traffic Engineer services, staff requested proposals for an interim Traffic Engineer from a several consultants (Hill International, Parsons, CSG Consultants and Michael Baker International) - which are all currently servicing the City. None of the aforementioned firms have an available resource to service the interim needs. Per our Finance Purchasing Guidelines, the Purchase of Professional Services requiring a high degree of technical or individual skill may be based on demonstrated competence, professional qualifications, and a fair price after notice to enough proposers to permit reasonable competition (CMC 2611(c)). Staff recently requested a proposal from O2EPCM, Inc., the proposal was reviewed and it was determined that the firm is qualified based on the information provided. Staff negotiated the hourly rate and an agreement for a short term contract ending June 30, 2019 is prepared.
Staff is recommending that the City Council approve the Consultant Retainer Agreement (Exhibit No. 1) to accommodate the staff augmentation to provide the City with a professional staffing extension until the staff role is back-filled, as well as design services through June 2019, for a negotiated fee not-to-exceed $135,000.00 to handle the essential duties and responsibilities, as indicated on the job specifications of the Traffic Engineer (Exhibit No. 2).
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this service will be from the vacancies of the staff Traffic Engineer and Public Works Inspector and will not have a net impact on the General Fund.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Consultant Retainer Agreement. (pgs. 3 - 28).
2. Traffic Engineer Job Specifications. (pgs. 29-34)
Prepared by: Raymond Velasco, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer