Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Utilities Department

 

TO:

David L. Corliss – City Manager

Diane Stoddard - Assistant City Manager

Casey Toomay- Assistant City Manager

FROM:

Nicholas Hoyt – I/I Manager

CC:

Dave Wagner – Director of Utilities

Mike Lawless – Deputy Director of Utilities

Philip Ciesielski – Assistant Director of Utilities

Beth Krishtalka – Assistant to Director

DATE:

February 3, 2014

RE:

Authorize staff to execute a contract with Pre-Qualified Plumbing Contractors to Complete I/I Defect Removal on Private Property

 

Project Description

The Private I/I Abatement Program is a critical piece of the City’s Rapid I/I Reduction Program. The Abatement Program provides for private property repairs of identified inflow and infiltration sources, with the repairs to be completed by a prequalified plumber selected by the property owner.

 

The objective of the Rapid I/I Program is an overall 35% reduction of I/I within the project area. This will amount to removal of approximately 19 MGD of peak I/I occurring during the 10-year design storm. Reducing I/I by 35% eliminates the need to construct projects that address system capacity deficiencies in the Burroughs Creek interceptors and the need for wet weather treatment capacity expansion at the Kaw WWTP. The Abatement Program, in conjunction with public sewer improvements, is necessary to meet the program’s flow reduction goals.

 

Project Background

Department staff in conjunction with TREKK Design Group (TREKK) has completed approximately 1,400 private property evaluations during the summer and fall of 2014 as part of Phase 1 of the Private I/I Abatement Program. These evaluations identified defects that allow rainwater into the sanitary sewer system. Approximately 300 repairs have been completed or are scheduled to be completed in the near future by the six plumbing contractors currently under contract. The types of private property repairs to be completed are the following:

 

·         Defective cleanout cap repair.

·         Defective downspout disconnection.

·         Existing sump pump discharge reroute.

·         Area drain disconnection and reroute.

·         Driveway drain disconnection and reroute.

·         Foundation drain disconnection and reroute.

·         Sump pump dispersion.

·         Defective downspout disconnection with rain barrel.

 

Private property evaluations for Phase 2 of the program started in January 2015. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 Project Areas are shown in the attached map. Staff, in conjunction with TREKK, will complete approximately 1,500 private property evaluations to identify inflow and infiltration (I/I) sources and determine if they are cost effective to repair in the winter and spring of 2015. It is estimated that between 300 and 400 private property repairs will be completed during Phase 2.

 

After applicable repairs have been identified, the property owner has the opportunity to select a plumbing contractor to complete the work from a list of prequalified contractors under contract with the City. Staff is requesting to add three (3) additional plumbing contractors to the program. The six (6) plumbing contractors currently under contract will continue to be involved with the program.

 

Project History

In April 2014, staff advertised RFP - R1405 for services to complete I/I defect removal on private properties to all plumbing contractors licensed to complete work in the City of Lawrence. A total of seven (7) plumbing contractors were selected for the program from that RFP. The selected plumbing contractors submitted bid prices for standard repairs. Staff reviewed the bids and using other available information established a final fee schedule to pay the plumbers for repairs completed. All the plumbers agreed to the standard unit prices established in the final fee schedule and entered into contract with the City through August 2015. Since that time, one (1) plumbing contractor has declined to continue with the program. The following plumbing contractors are currently under contract and participating in the program:

 

A&H Air Conditioning & Heating

1717 College St. Baldwin City, KS 66006

Jayhawk Plumbing

3009 Four Wheel Dr. Lawrence, KS 66047

Jim Bost Plumbing

2113 Ousdahl Rd. Lawrence, KS 66046

Learned Plumbing

1127 Sunset Dr. Lawrence, KS 66044

Sure-Flow Plumbing

9501 Pflumm Rd. Lenexa, KS 66215

Vito’s Plumbing

430 N1 Rd. Overbrook, KS 66524

 

In January 2015, staff advertised RFQ – Q1500 for services to complete I/I defect removal on private properties to all plumbing contractors licensed to complete work in the City of Lawrence. On January 21, 2015, staff received proposals from five (5) plumbing contractors interested in the project.

 

A review committee consisting of staff from the Utilities Department and TREKK evaluated the proposals. The committee scored each proposal in quality of similar work, personnel, program approach, responsiveness and applicable resources. The committee determined that all submitters were qualified to be included in program. The committee also reviewed the probable workload related to the program and the capacity of the plumbing contractors currently under contract. Based on that review, the committee decided to add three (3) plumbing contractors with the highest overall scores to the list of pre-qualified program plumbers. Each selected pre-qualified plumber has agreed to complete the repairs to the City’s specifications based on the previously established final fee schedule. The three (3) contractors to be added to the list of pre-qualified plumbers are the following:

 

Action Plumbing

801 Comet Ln. Lawrence, KS 66049

Advanced Plumbing

545 Minnesota St. Lawrence, KS 66044

McElroy’s Plumbing, Heating and AC         

3209 SW Topeka Blvd. Topeka, KS 66611

 

Since the review committee determined that all RFQ submitters were well qualified to be included in the program, the two (2) remaining plumbing contractors will be put on a reserve list. If staff determines that additional plumbing contractors are required to quickly respond to program workload, the following contractors may be added to the pre-qualified list in the future:

 

Mission Plumbing, Heating and Cooling

5729 Nieman Rd. Shawnee, KS 66203

Plumbing By Fisher

9875 Kill Creek Rd. Desoto KS, 66018

 

Project Funding

The project is included in the Department of Utilities 2014 Rate Plan and Capital Improvement Program.

 

Action

Authorize staff to execute a contract with Pre-Qualified Plumbing Contractors to Complete I/I Defect Removal on Private Property.