To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2231
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services Agreements
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of the Public Infrastructure Department to execute thirteen (13) agreements, in form approved by County Counsel, for as-needed disaster debris removal and disposal services with the entities: Ancon Marine, AshBritt Environmental, Inc., Brunsing Associates, Inc., Ceres Environmental Services, Inc., CrowderGulf, LLC, DRC Environmental Services, LLC., ECC Constructors, LLC, J.W. Bamford, Inc., Recology Sonoma Marin, Sierra Mountain Construction Inc., Sonoma County Resource Recovery, LLC, Team Ghilotti, Inc., and The Professional Tree Care Company.
B) Authorize the Director of the Public Infrastructure Department to issue and execute Task Orders pursuant to the proposed agreements, up to total amounts not to exceed $500,000 per order, and contingent on availability of sufficient funding for each order.
end
Executive Summary:
In preparation for response to future emergency events, staff recommends the County enter into as-needed Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services agreements with qualified contractors. These agreements would provide for various services, such as debris removal and disposal, staging areas, removal of abandoned vehicles and vessels, hazardous trees and tree stumps, and household hazardous waste removal and disposal, that may be needed in the event of natural disasters or other debris-generating events.
Discussion:
The County has experienced several federally-declared disasters since 2017, necessitating immediate need for multiple services. To prepare for future disasters, in 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved three-year agreements with qualified contractors to handle large debris-generating events. In anticipation of the expiration of these agreements, Sonoma County Public Infrastructure (SPI) issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) on January 26, 2023 to solicit proposals from vendors who can provide disaster debris removal and disposal services on an as-needed basis for the County of Sonoma. The RFP requested proposals for a wide range of services that might be needed to respond to various possible disaster scenarios. When initially establishing this process, SPI consulted and collaborated with the Department of Emergency Management as well as County Counsel’s office to ensure that a comprehensive range of services could be available via pre-positioned contracts that comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations.
As part of the RFP process, the County solicited competitive proposals from qualified businesses and individuals qualified to provide disaster debris removal and disposal services on an as-needed, no guarantee basis. The RFP intended to promote a competitive selection process that would result in the establishment of multiple contracts to ensure the County’s capacity to respond efficiently to a broad range of possible needs.
The County took steps to assure that small and minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible, including soliciting proposals from these providers, dividing the work scopes into smaller tasks or quantities to encourage maximum participation in the RFP, and using the services and assistance, as appropriate, of the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce, including posting the County’s RFP on the County’s supplier portal at http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Supplier-Portal.
The RFP sought potential services in the following key areas:
• Debris Removal
• Staging / Processing Areas and Services
• Household Hazardous Waste Removal and Disposal
• Hazardous Tree and Stump Removal and Disposal
• Abandoned Vehicle and Vessel Removal and Disposal
• White Goods Removal and Disposal (e.g. appliances)
• Electronics Removal and Disposal
• Animal Carcass Removal and Disposal
• Landfill Disposal
Proposals were reviewed by separate panels, with like services evaluated by a common panel as follows:
Panel 1: Large Scale Service Providers deemed as having a State or Federal presence relative to scale and available services.
Panel 2: Small Scale Service Providers.
Panel 3: Facility Providers.
Panel 4: Tree Service Providers.
The County received 15 proposals in response to the RFP, and it is recommended that the County enter into agreements with 13 of the proposers. Two proposals were deemed to be non-responsive to the RFP requirements therefore, staff cannot recommend entering into agreements with these contractors.
Given the unknown type and scale of any future disaster, the appropriateness of awarding and using any of the proposers would depend on the type of work needed, their relative ability to perform the work, and their cost, especially given requirements for FEMA reimbursement. Price considerations and need demands will drive whether and how any of the pre-positioned contractors will be tasked with any actual work scopes or task orders. For example, in a large-scale disaster, a contractor with the lowest prices may provide no value to the County if it cannot provide services on the scale required.
When a disaster occurs, or is imminent, the following three-point process will be performed in order to have any contractor or facility perform or receive work:
1) Evaluate the initial scale and type(s) of the services needed to address the event;
2) Based upon the scale and diversity of needed services, evaluate only those contractors and facilities able to provide the work to the County in the most advantageous manner, based on pre-positioned price structures under the contracts, then-market circumstances, and other factors, and;
3) Contact the selected contractors holding Debris Removal and Disposal Services contracts, notifying them of the County’s intent to issue a task order(s) under their respective contract. Work will be authorized only pursuant to a mutually executed task order that establishes a specific scope of work and not-to-exceed budget estimate.
It should be noted that there are some services, such as disposal facilities or transfer stations that, due to the uniqueness of their location and services relative to the disaster, might narrow the field of selected contractors. For example, a proposed processing facility in the middle of a disaster zone may be preferable over a less expensive one further away, as it could affect the overall cost structure of a given project with all services involved.
Entities that are recommended for receiving a pre-positioned contract:
• Ancon Marine
• AshBritt Environmental, Inc.
• Brunsing Associates, Inc.
• Ceres Environmental Services, Inc.
• CrowderGulf, LLC
• DRC Environmental Services, LLC.
• ECC Constructors, LLC
• J.W. Bamford, Inc.
• Recology Sonoma Marin
• Sierra Mountain Construction Inc.
• Sonoma County Resource Recovery, LLC
• Team Ghilotti, Inc.
• The Professional Tree Care Company
Based on documentation and information submitted in their proposals and confirmed in the evaluation process, the above firms are all qualified to execute the work contemplated by the contracts they are proposed to receive.
The total estimated cost of these services will depend on the scope and nature of future disasters. Consequently, staff recommend that no monetary limit be placed on these master agreements. Costs will be managed through project-specific, written task orders that will be executed by the Director of the Public Infrastructure Department. No work will be authorized without a written Task Order that specifically describes the scope of services and the agreed-upon price or rates for those services.
During a major disaster, an initial internal funding source will be required in order to obtain the work under the proposed agreements. The Department will work with Auditor-Controller, Disaster Finance staff on an as needed basis, if these contracts are used in the event of a disaster. Each of the contracts have a 3-year term and fixed rates for the duration of the term, except as modest adjustments are allowed by established formulas. This action is consistent with the Board approved on December 11, 2018 Recovery and Resiliency Framework.
The Department is recommending the Board authorize the thirteen (13) agreements for as-needed disaster debris removal and disposal services.
The Board may elect not to award these contracts. However, doing so could create delays responding to emergencies, since contracting for the needed services would have to be undertaken during the events.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
07/14/2020: Board approved 16 Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services Agreements
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
At this time appropriations are not being requested as proposed agreements will be utilized only in the event of a disaster. As with past disasters, SPI will coordinate disaster funding and budget appropriations with the Auditor’s Disaster Finance Team and County Administrator’s Office.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Example Professional Services Agreement for As-Needed Disaster Debris Services
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.