SUBJECT: Professional Engineering Services Contract between the City of Houston and Watearth, Inc. for Water Resource Management and Water Rights Support Services.
RECOMMENDATION: (Summary) It is recommended that City Council pass an Ordinance authorizing a Professional Engineering Services Contract between with the City of Houston and Watearth, Inc. and allocate funds.
DESCRIPTION/SCOPE: This contract is to perform requested expert engineering services to Support the City’s water operations and planning, including acquisition, retention, and optimization of surface and groundwater rights. Professional Engineering Services will provide analysis where other entities’ actions would have an impact on the City’s water supply. This may include but are not limited to such actions as permit application(s) or proposed legislation, state or regional water planning, technical assistance on the use of surface water, surface water reliability, future water planning and impacts of basin and bay or environmental studies.
LOCATION: The project location and limits will be established by the work order.
SCOPE OF CONTRACT AND FEE: Under the scope of the contract, the Consultant will provide Professional Engineering Services for Water Resource Management and Water Rights Support Services as defined by the work order. This Professional Engineering Services contract term is for an initial two years with two additional one-year options. The total contract amount for the initial two year term is $300,000.00, with a contingency of $75,000.00. Additional allocations will be requested if the option terms are exercised.
PAY OR PLAY PROGRAM: The proposed contract requires compliance with the City’s “Pay or Play” ordinance regarding health benefits for employees of City contractors. In this case, the contractor provides benefits for some employees but will pay into the Contractor Responsibility Fund for others, in compliance with City policy.
M/WBE INFORMATION: The M/WBE goal for the project is set at 24.00%. Due to the highly specialized nature of the work, only one firm is proposed to achieve M/WBE goals.
Name of Firm Work Description Amount % of Contract
1. Blackline Engineering, Inc. Engineering Support $72,000.00 24.0%
TOTAL $72,000.00 24.0%