To: Boards of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, and South Park County Sanitation District
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, and South Park County Sanitation District
Staff Name and Phone Number: Grant Davis 707-547-1900, Steve Koldis 707-547-1914
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
As-Needed Sanitation Engineering
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager, acting on behalf of Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, and South Park County Sanitation District to execute an agreement with Schaaf & Wheeler, Consulting Civil Engineers, in substantially the form presented to this Board, for as-needed sanitation engineering services through December 31, 2031, in the not-to-exceed amount of $1,000,000.
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, and South Park County Sanitation District (collectively known as “Sonoma Water”) are requesting as-needed engineering services for their sanitation systems to provide timely engineering support and design services for wastewater collection, conveyance, and treatment systems across Sonoma County.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
Sonoma County Water Agency operates and manages Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, and South Park County Sanitation District (Districts) under contract with Districts.
Sonoma County Water Agency also operates and manages several Sanitation Zones including Geyserville Sanitation Zone, Penngrove Sanitation Zone, Sea Ranch Central Sanitation Zone and Sea Ranch North Sanitation Zone (Zones). Assets within the Districts and Zones include, but are not limited to, collection system gravity piping, manholes, siphons, lift stations, force mains, vaults, meters, valves, wastewater treatment facilities, and recycled water storage, pumping, and distribution facilities. Sonoma County Water Agency owns Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup Sanitation Zone. Town of Windsor operates and manages Airport/Larkfield/ Wikiup Sanitation Zone under contract with Sonoma County Water Agency.
Sonoma Water seeks to have a consulting engineer under contract to provide engineering services when needed to more effectively respond to issues that arise regarding the assets in the Zones and Districts listed above. This as-needed agreement will provide Sonoma Water with flexibility and an efficient means to respond to highly technical and/or time sensitive projects needing engineering services as they arise to ensure an efficient, safe, and properly functioning collection system.
SELECTION PROCESS
Schaaf & Wheeler, Consulting Civil Engineers (Consultant) was selected from a list of qualified consultants developed from a competitive selection process. Attached is a memo that explains the competitive selection process.
Consultant was selected for the subject work because of their familiarity with this type of work, demonstrated success analyzing and designing sanitation systems in California, their familiarity with the sewer models used in these Zones and Districts, their ability to quickly access sites as a local firm, and their expertise with lift station design, evaluation and retrofitting.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under the proposed agreement, Consultant will provide as-needed sanitation engineering services that may include the following tasks:
• Perform engineering design for collection systems, lift stations, gravity mains, siphons, and force mains. This work may also include survey work, geotechnical services, and potholing for utility locating.
• Troubleshoot sources of inflow and infiltration in the gravity portion of the sewer system and perform computational modeling of sanitation systems to inform and generate design solutions.
• Analyze lift station performance and design retrofit solutions.
• Collection system rehabilitation and relining design.
• Verify power and space requirements associated with any pump improvements to lift stations.
• Perform field inspections to verify contract or code compliance for lift stations and mains.
• Provide bidding and construction support.
The cost of services will not exceed $1,000,000; the term end date is December 31, 2031.
Through the proposed agreement, the General Manager will be delegated the authority to approve a written amendment to extend the term of the agreement for up to two additional years by providing written notice to the other party thirty days in advance of the term end date and by executing an agreement amendment.
California Environmental Quality Act
The General Manager has determined that the agreement is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15306, Information Collection, because activities, such as survey work, geotechnical investigations and potholing, would not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource or result in a substantial adverse change to a historic resource. Sonoma Water staff has prepared a Notice of Exemption for the project in accordance with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, and Sonoma Water’s Procedures for the Implementation of CEQA.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
Goal: Planning & Infrastructure
Strategy: Develop processes for addressing emergency or urgent infrastructure repairs.
Action: Establish contractor, consultant, and vendor contracts to be used for urgent projects.
Approval of this agreement would allow Sonoma Water to more quickly and efficiently address urgent engineering challenges or needs related to its wastewater collection system.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY26-27 Adopted |
FY27-28 Projected |
FY28-29 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$16,000 |
$500,000 |
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$484,000 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
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State/Federal |
|
|
|
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Fees/Other |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
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General Fund Contingencies |
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|
|
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Total Sources |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Additional FY 2026/2027 appropriations of $484,000 are required from the Penngrove Sanitation Zone Construction Fund to process this expense. With Board approval, unused appropriations budgeted in FY 2025/2026 will be rolled forward to FY 2026/2027 in Sonoma Water’s Q1 Consolidated Budget Adjustments. Budgeted amount of $16,000 is available from FY 2026/2027 appropriations for the Occidental, Russian River, South Park, and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Districts’ Funds, and for the Geyserville, Penngrove, Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup, and Sea Ranch Sanitation Zones’ Funds. The revenue source for the Districts and Zones is rate-payer annual sewer service charges. FY 2027/2028 appropriations will be budgeted in that fiscal year.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Draft Agreement with Schaaf & Wheeler, Consulting Civil Engineers
Attachment 2: Competitive Selection Process Memo
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.