Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

TO:	Charles Soules, Public Works Director
FROM:	Matt Bond, Stormwater Engineer/Farmland Project Manager
CC:	David Cronin, City Engineer Mark Thiel, Assistant Public Works Director
Date:	May 29, 2013
RE:	Project No. PW1330 Regional Detention Design at former Farmland Industries Plant Site

Please include the following item on the City Commission agenda for consideration at the June 4, 2013 meeting:

Background & Details: With the acquisition of the former Farmland Industries Nitrogen Plant, the City is bound by consent order (Case No. 10-E-94 BER) to follow the environmental remediation procedures outlined in the Corrective Action Decision authored by the Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE) signed March 3, 2010.  The Corrective Action Decision outlines the plan to reconfigure three of the existing ponds on the northeast corner of the site into a regional detention area with an approximate size of 14 acres (see attached map).  By providing regional detention, parcels developed in the future will not have to detain stormwater runoff within each individual parcel. Regional detention provides a more efficient mechanism to handle not only the volume of stormwater runoff but will also aid in improving its water quality. 

Project Funding. Bartlett & West was selected to design the detention basin based on their knowledge of the site with their previous work developing the master plan and infrastructure plans.  The scope and fee was negotiated to $49,912.80 (see attached spreadsheet). The funding source for the engineering design will be the remediation funds obtained with the acquisition of the former Farmland property.  The use of these funds as well as the cost for the engineering design was approved by KDHE in an approval letter dated February 4, 2013.  The total cost to desludge the existing process ponds and to construct the detention basin was estimated to be $1,546,612.00 in the original Remedial Action Plan.

Action Request. Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Bartlett & West for engineering services in the amount of $49,912.80 to design the regional detention basin for stormwater runoff at the former Farmland Industries Plant site (Project No. PW1330).