Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Utilities Department

TO:	David Corliss
FROM:	Mike Lawless
CC:	Cynthia Boecker Dave Wagner Jonathan Douglas
Date:	October 31, 2007
RE:	November 6, 2007 City Commission Agenda

Please include the following items on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the November 6, 2007 meeting:

Enter into contracts with the following design/build teams for preliminary

design/build services:

1) CAS Construction/Professional Engineering Consultants, in the amount of $935,000.00 for the preliminary design and development of the Guaranteed Maximum Price to construct the conveyance system to the new 7.0 MGD BNR Wakarusa Water Reclamation Facility (WWRF)

2) Black & Veatch/Garney Joint Venture, in the amount of $2,465,000.00 for the preliminary design and development of the Guaranteed Maximum Price to construct the new 7.0 MGD BNR Wakarusa Water Reclamation Facility (WWRF) and improvements to the Four Seasons Pump Station and Excess Flow Storage Facility.

These are capital improvement projects from the 2003 Waste Water Master Plan that are scheduled for completion in 2010. 

Summary.  Staff believed it was in the best interest of the City to have the annexation of the WWRF property approved by the Board of County Commissioners prior to the City Commission approval of preliminary design/build contracts for the project.  On September 19, 2007 the Board of County Commissioners found that annexation of the WWRF property would not hinder or prevent proper growth of the area.  On October 9, 2007 the City Commission approved the annexation of the WWRF property.  With the annexation findings of the County and City Commission and contract negotiations completed with the design/build teams, preliminary design/build agreements are ready for consideration by the City Commission.

Project History. The 2003 Waste Water Master Plan identified the need for the completion of a 7.0 million gallon per day (mgd) wastewater facility discharging to the Wakarusa River by the end of year 2010.  Adding this facility and the associated infrastructure to the sanitary sewer system will allow service to a population of 150,000. 

Additional major efforts underway or completed include:

• Facility site acquisition is completed.
• The Basis of Design Report, Design Memo and Corridor Study are complete and have been delivered to staff.
• Site planning, annexation and zoning of the Wakarusa WRF site are complete.
• In December 2006, staff applied to KDHE for a NPDES discharge permit. The permit was posted for public notification and comment on May 17, 2007. The permit became effective July 1, 2007 with the requested discharge limits of 8.0 mg/l Total Nitrogen and 1.5 mg/l Total Phosphorous.
• Public outreach, input, and dissemination of information about the project will continue, using public meetings and involvement with the project by the three members of the Public Advisory Committee (PAC) sub-group.

Project Status.  While annexation issues were being addressed, the design/build teams were working on preliminary roadway design, site fill evaluations including hydraulic analysis, permit applications, geotechnical investigations and site selection issues for the pump station and conveyance corridor.  As the project moves into the preliminary Design/Build phase, staff and the design/build teams will be working to ensure opportunities for participation in the project are provided to local contractors.  The teams will also be looking at economic and development trends to determine the appropriate sizing of the project to be constructed.

Project Funding.  The engineering and construction work will be funded with bond proceeds.  The current estimated cost for design, construction and conveyance corridor land acquisition is $87,700,000.00.  On August 14^th, the City Commission adopted the water and sewer rates for 2008 that will continue a multi-year rate plan designed to provide the financial support for the completion of this and other capital improvement projects for the water and sewer systems.  

Action Request.  Utility Department staff requests the following approvals from the City Commission:

1) Authorization for the City Manager to enter into a contract with the design/build team of CAS Construction/Professional Engineering Consultants, in the amount of $935,000.00 for the preliminary design and development of the Guaranteed Maximum Price to construct the conveyance system to the new 7.0 MGD BNR Wakarusa Water Reclamation Facility (WWRF).

2) Authorization for the City Manager to enter into a contract with the design/build team of Black & Veatch/Garney Joint Venture, in the amount of $2,465,000.00 for the preliminary design and development of the Guaranteed Maximum Price to construct the new 7.0 MGD BNR Wakarusa Water Reclamation Facility (WWRF) and improvements to the Four Seasons Pump Station and Excess Flow Storage Facility.