CITY OF LAWRENCE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

 

 

Anticipated Scope:  The City of Lawrence is seeking professional services from qualified firms to provide alternatives for City water and sewer services at Lawrence Municipal Airport.

 

As part of the project, the successful respondent will identify solutions and associated cost estimates for the provision of sewer service appropriate for light manufacturing use on the airport. The selected solution will then be designed.  Additionally, a waterline extension and looping project will be designed that will enhance water capacity at the airport to allow for fire protection on the airport property. 

 

Background:  The City has operated the Municipal Airport since 1977, when it was sold to the City from the University of Kansas.  The airport is located north of US Route 24/40 about one-half mile east of Third Street.  It is a valuable asset to the City, currently accommodating over 32,000 operations annually and generating over $9 million dollars in local revenue for the economy.  The airport is approximately 500 acres, has two runways, a terminal, 36 t-hangars, and several small on-site aviation services and hangars used by local businesses and individuals.  The airport is an “island’ of city property, located about a mile north of the City border. 

 

While the airport provides a valuable service to the community, it is currently underutilized due in part to inadequate City infrastructure.  The airport is served by an 8 inch waterline for basic office use, but is insufficient for fire suppression.  Wells have to be drilled for fire safety, and there may be a limit to the number of wells that can be drilled.  Airport facilities have no sewer services, using septic instead.  County regulations prohibit more than one septic and lateral field every three acres.  This requires land that could otherwise be used for development to remain as open space for septic.

 

A study was conducted in 2000 that evaluated different sewer options for the airport, including not only extending City sewer to the airport but package treatment facilities and a contained lagoon.  The latter two were not pursued due to discharge concerns.  Sewer service was not pursued due in part because of the small current flow at the airport- currently estimated to be approximately 1,000 gallons per day. 

 

There is an immediate need for additional sewer facilities at the airport.  At least one septic system is failing, and some recent firm inquiries would require greater service capacity by late spring of 2010.  Also, a number of business inquiries have occurred over the last year for locations at the airport that suggest that the airport has more demand for business space than can be accommodated by existing Water and Sewer service.

 

Anticipated Services to Be Requested: 

  1. Demonstrate the capacity to undertake design work that can do the following:
    1. A review of previous studies of extending sewer and water services to the airport,
    2. Provide a service delivery concept for water and sewer to the airport, including short term alternatives for sewer until demand is sufficient to utilize a City sewer system,
    3. Evaluate existing service at airport and estimate costs and time to link all airport businesses to a new sewer system,
    4. Estimate the demand necessary to make sewer service a viable option for the airport, and
  2. Provide a cost estimate of extending water services to the airport.  Current City estimates are $610,000 to create a loop system that runs to the airport boundary.  Design this waterline and looping system.
  3. Firm should also demonstrate capacity to design the sewer improvements to the airport.

 

Contacts:

Philip Ciesielski, P.E., Assistant Director of Technical Services

e-mail: pciesielski@ci.lawrence.ks.us

Phone: (785) 832-7831

 

Charles Soules, P.E., Director of Public Works

e-mail: csoules@ci.lawrence.ks.us

Phone: (785) 832-3124

 

Pre-Submittal Meeting:

Interested parties may meet with City staff on Wednesday, March 25th, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the City Manager’s Conference Room, located on the 4th Floor of City Hall.

 

Submittal Requirements:

Should your firm be interested in being considered for this project, please submit your firm’s qualifications addressing the following items:

  1. Unique qualifications and work methodology.
  2. Project team/personnel including:
    1. Identification of person who will be responsible and in charge of the work,
    2. Previous experience/projects completed by the project engineer and others who will be assigned this project.
    3. Current and projected office workload and experienced staff availability.
  3. Work commitments on other projects.
  4. Demonstrable track record of producing projects on time and within budget.
  5. Experience in:
    1. Developing and working within an interactive project process.
    2. Developing consensus.
    3. Working with the general public and commissions.
  6. Any proposed sub-consultants.
  7. Quality control.
  8. References (preferably more than 2 but fewer than 5).

 

Submit five (5) copies of qualifications plus one electronic copy of PDF format by April 3rd, 2009 to:

 

Charles Soules, P.E.

City of Lawrence, KS 6 East 6th St.

PO Box 708

Lawrence, KS  66044

 

Selection Process:

Qualifications received will be reviewed and evaluated on the items described above.  The most responsive/qualified firm will be selected no later than April 15, 2009.  A final scope of services and fee will be negotiated with the selected firm.

 

 A copy of the City of Lawrence standard Engineering Services Agreement is available for review upon request.