SR 07-18-2023 5D
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: July 18, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.D
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources
Subject: Award RFP to Geoscience Support Services, Inc. for On-Call Hydrogeological
Services
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) guidelines.
2. Award RFP# 345 to Geoscience Support Services, Inc., for on-call
hydrogeological services for the Public Works Department.
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
Geoscience Support Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,402,000 over
a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget
approval.
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Summary
The City of Santa Monica’s Water Resources Division within the Department of Public
Works operates and maintains 10 groundwater wells that provide the majority of the
City’s locally-sourced water supply. The groundwater wells require routine maintenance,
condition assessment, and from time to time may need to be rehabilitated or replaced to
preserve the City’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality, and affordable potable water.
Access to local groundwater also helps the City reduce its reliance on imported water
supplies that have been severely impacted by on -going climate change effects across
the southwest United States. Staff solicited proposals for on-call hydrogeological
services to assess the condition of the City’s groundwater wells and to oversee the
design, replacement, and rehabilitation of wells, if needed.
Staff recommends awarding Request for Proposal (RFP) #345 to Geoscience Support
Services, Inc., to provide these services and executing an agreement with Geoscience
Support Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,402,000 over a five -year period,
with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Discussion
The City’s local groundwater supply comes from three groundwater well fields: Arcadia,
Charnock, and Olympic. Two of the wells in the Charnock Well Field, the City’s largest
groundwater aquifer, are over thirty years old and will need to be rehabilitated or
replaced within the next five years. Combined, these two wells account for
approximately 25 percent of the City’s local water supply. In addition, production from
one well in the Arcadia Well Field has decreased by more than half its original capacity,
signaling that it has passed its normal useful life, and thus requires evaluation for
potential major rehabilitation or replacement.
Hydrogeological consulting services are needed to assess the condition of the City's
wells and to provide recommendations on whether to rehabilitate or replace them.
Services are also needed to analyze the City’s overall groundwater production portfolio,
including recommending best practices for on-going operation and maintenance,
evaluating locations that may be suitable for replacement groundwater wells in the
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future, and reviewing groundwater quality. Proactively managing the City’s groundwater
wells is a key element in helping the City maintain a reliable and sustainable local
groundwater supply, reducing the City’s reliance on imported water, and helping
maintain overall affordability of the City’s drinking water supply as local groundwater has
historically been 30% cheaper than imported water supplies.
Consultant Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified
Person/Firm
Geoscience Support Services, Inc.
Evaluation
Criteria
Training/credentials/experience, competence/skill, capacity/ability to
perform services promptly, character/reputation, ability to provide
future services as needed and price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
Submittals Received
Geoscience Support Services, Inc. INTERA
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
2/21/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 27 4/4/2023
Justification to Award
Proposals were reviewed by a selection panel consisting of staff from the
Water Resources Division. The evaluations were based on the firms experience with
projects of comparable complexity, scale, and nature; training and proven expertise in
the area of work required; ability to complete work within a desired time frame;
consultant’s ability to provide insight and information; cost effective work and services;
and references from clients with similar projects. Based on the evaluation criteria and
criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, staff recommends Geoscience Support Services, Inc., as the
best qualified firm to provide on-call hydrogeological services based on their extensive
and prior experience in developing similar projects for other California municipalities and
water production agencies including the City of Oceanside, City of Lakewood, and
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.
Environmental Review
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The on-call hydrogeological consulting services is categorically exempt from CEQA
pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. The award agreement is
covered by the commonsense exemption which states that CEQA does not apply,
“where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in
question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The award agreement is
administrative in nature and would not result in physical effects. A complete CEQA
review will be conducted for any construction projects that are identified through the on-
call hydrogeologic services.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
11/27/2018 (Attachment A) Sustainable Water Master Plan Update
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Water Fund to award an
agreement with Geoscience Support Services, Inc., for on-call hydrogeological services.
Agreement Request
FY 2023-24 Budget
Request Amount
Future Years
Amount
Department / CIP
Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$640,000 - C5006050.689410 $640,000
- $762,000 50500001.552010 $762,000
$640,00 $762,000 $1,402,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Sunny Wang, Water Resources Manager
Approved
Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. November 27, 2018 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. Oaks Initiative Form - Geo Science
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CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
Terry Watkins,PG, CHG Client Manager/Sr. Geohydrologist
April 4, 2023
email@geoscience-water.com (909) 451-6650
Geoscience Support Services, Inc.
Dennis Williams, PhD, PG, CHG - Owner and President; Virginia Williams - Owner;
Mark Williams, PhD, PE - CEO, CFO, and Secretary
Dennis Williams, Virginia Williams
5.D.b
Packet Pg. 134 Attachment: Oaks Initiative Form - Geo Science (5753 : Award On-Call Hydrogeological Services RFP)