TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. Brian A. Perkovich, Executive Director
Title
Issue purchase order and enter into a joint funding agreement with the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey for the maintenance and operation of seven streamflow gaging stations and two rain gages within Cook County, Illinois in an amount not to exceed $98,300.00 Account 501-50000-612490, Requisition 1546932
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue a purchase order and enter into a joint funding agreement with the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the maintenance and operation of seven streamflow gaging stations and two rain gages within Cook County.
The seven streamflow gaging stations are located as follows:
• Salt Creek at Rolling Meadows
• Salt Creek at Elk Grove Village
• Salt Creek at Western Springs
• Des Plaines River at Lyons
• North Branch of the Chicago River at Deerfield
• Deer Creek near Chicago Heights
• Calumet Union Drainage Canal near Markham
In addition to the streamflow gages, this agreement also provides for maintenance and operation of one rain gage on Salt Creek at Rolling Meadows and one rain gage on Calumet Union Drainage Canal near Markham.
The work to be performed by the USGS includes services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part. Therefore, the services obtained are not adaptive to award by competitive bidding pursuant to Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act.
The total cost of operating and maintaining these seven gaging stations and two rain gages is $98,300.00. The estimated 2020 expenditure is expected to be $24,575.00 and the estimated 2021 expenditure is expected to be $73,725.00. Services under this agreement will commence October 1, 2020 and extend through September 30, 2021.
The data collected at these sites by the USGS will be used in conjunction with the USGS data from other sites funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the USGS under joint funding agreements. The USGS is the recognized expert in the measurement and reporting of streamflow data. The District’s participation in the USGS program will protect the integrity of data and will help in the development of valuable historical records at the gage locations.
The District first provided funding for eight gages in 2006. Since then, the total number of gages supported by the District varied due to policy and management changes by the USGS. The District has historically supported up to nine streamflow gages. In 2019, due to the ongoing construction of the District’s Flood Control Project on Natalie Creek, the streamflow and rain gages on Natalie Creek at Midlothian were relocated to Calumet Union Drainage Canal at Markham. The District is currently joint-funding seven streamflow gages and two rain gages. All the gaging stations provide data that the District has used in the development of the Detailed Watershed Plans and will continue to use in future planning and design of capital improvement projects. Further, ensuring the long-term continuity of the data collected by the USGS at the aforementioned gages is an important element of the service that the District provides under its Stormwater Management Program.
The USGS is a non-profit governmental agency and is therefore not required to register as a corporation with the State of Illinois.
In view of the foregoing, it is recommended that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue a purchase order and enter into an agreement with the USGS, without advertising, per Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act, in an amount not to exceed $98,300.00.
Funds for the 2020 expenditure, in the amount of $24,575.00, are available in Account 501-50000-612490. The estimated expenditure for 2021 is $73,725.00. Funds for the 2021 expenditure are contingent on the Board of Commissioners’ approval of the District’s budget for that year.
Requested, Catherine A. O’Connor, Director of Engineering, WSS:JK
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management
Respectfully Submitted, Barbara J. McGowan, Chairman Committee on Procurement
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners September 3, 2020