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CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM |
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Department: |
Utilities |
Commission Meeting Date: June 20, 2017 |
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Staff Contact: |
Nicholas Hoyt, I/I Manager |
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Recommendations/Options/Action Requested: |
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Authorize the City Manager to execute change orders for private property inflow and infiltration repairs associated with Project UT1305 Rapid Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Program (CIP #UT1795), increasing the existing purchase orders by a maximum of $120,000 per pre-qualified plumbing contractor, $450,000 total. |
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Executive Summary: |
The 2012 Wastewater Master Plan and Capital Improvements Program recommended a Rapid Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) Reduction Program within the area of the City that generally flows by gravity to the Kansas River WWTP (KRWWTP).
A voluntary program was established to identify and repair cost effective private property sources. The types of sources targeted include sump pumps, foundation drains, area/stairwell/driveway drains, and defective cleanouts that direct rain and groundwater directly into the sanitary sewer system. After program staff have identified a source and City staff approves it as cost effective, the property owner selects a pre-qualified plumbing contractor to complete the repair at the City’s cost. All repairs are invoiced on previously negotiated unit rates with detailed specifications for each type of repair. Besides providing program oversite, property owner consultations, and building permit inspections, Utilities Department staff complete minor repairs such as cleanout cap replacements.
A total of seven area plumbers are currently pre-qualified to complete major repairs under the program. The number of projects assigned to each pre-qualified plumbing contractor can fluctuate depending on the number of sources approved for repair and the individual property owner’s plumber selection.
At the beginning of 2017, a $45,000 purchase order was issued for each pre-qualified plumbing contractor. Due to the variation in work assignments resulting from the private property owners’ ability to select their preferred plumbing contractors, the available balance remaining on those purchase orders range between approximately $2,000 and $30,000. Efficient management of the variations in these contracts requires flexibility in processing change orders. The recommended action would increase the existing purchase orders by a maximum of $120,000 per pre-qualified plumbing contractor and $450,000 combined for all seven plumbers through the end of 2017. This would improve the efficiency with which change orders to these contracts are managed. The request is funded within the $2 million adopted budget for this project.
Program Background The area of focus for the I/I program is an older part of the City and has the largest influence on the peak wet weather flows at the KRWWTP due to its proximity to the plant and higher levels of I/I. The goal of the program is to reduce wet weather flows from this area by 35% in order to eliminate the need for large scale capacity expansion projects in the Burroughs Creek interceptors and the KRWWTP. Obtaining this reduction goal is not feasible by only addressing issues within the public sanitary sewer system.
The Private I/I Abatement Program was branded as the Ecoflow Program and private plumbing evaluations were started in June 2014. Department staff along with TREKK Design Group, have conducted private plumbing evaluations for three years. To date, over 4,600 private properties have been evaluated and over 1,300 repairs have been completed. The response from the public, including property owners, property managers, real estate agents, USD 497, and neighborhood associations, have been overwhelmingly positive. The program has achieved response rates between 75 percent and 90 percent in targeted areas with only 338 property owners declining to participate.
Recently, program staff has targeted the neighborhoods around Schwegler Elementary School and Lawrence High School for private plumbing evaluations. The number of identified qualifying defects per property has been lower in this area since the overall age of housing stock is much newer compared other sections of town previously targeted by the program. Starting in the summer of 2017, program staff will target Old West Lawrence, the Hillcrest Neighborhood and parts of the Oread Neighborhood. An increase in the number of qualifying repairs is anticipated in this area due to the advanced age of the neighborhoods.
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Strategic Goal Area: |
Innovative Infrastructure and Asset Management Commitment to Core Services Collaborative Solutions |
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Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source): |
The 2017 Rapid I/I Reduction Program (CIP #UT1795) is funded in the 2017 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) ($2 million). The recommended action would result in the encumbrance of an additional $450,000 of the funds budgeted for this project and authorization for the City Manager to approve change orders up to $120,000 per contract on an as needed basis. Approval does not guarantee that 100 percent of the encumbered funds will be spent on the plumbing contracts, but it improves the efficiency of the management of these contracts.
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Attachments: |
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Reviewed By: (for CMO use only) |
☐TM ☐DS ☐CT ☒BM |