TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF AUGUST 12, 2010
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Title
Authority to increase purchase order and amend the agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. for developing the North Branch of the Chicago River Detailed Watershed Plan-Phase B, in an amount of $123,088.20, from an amount of $1,367,215.57, to an amount not to exceed $1,490,303.77, Account 501-50000-601410, Purchase Order 3052790
Body
Dear Sir:
On August 14, 2008, the Board of Commissioners authorized the Director of Procurement and Materials Management to issue a purchase order and enter into an agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) for the development of the North Branch of the Chicago River Detailed Watershed Plan (DWP)-Phase B in an amount not to exceed $1,367,215.57. The scheduled contract completion date was March 11, 2010.
There have been no prior change orders.
The original scope of the agreement included identification of existing regional stormwater management concerns, development of alternatives to address those concerns, and evaluation of the alternatives to determine those most effective in addressing the needs of the North Branch of the Chicago River watershed in Cook County. Extensive Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) modeling was developed to estimate the extent of overbank flooding that could be expected to occur during a 100-year recurrence interval storm event. Comprehensive H&H modeling is used for the identification of regional stormwater management concerns and to ensure potential solutions do not cause adverse impacts elsewhere in the watershed.
The H&H models also reflect the current state of the watershed, and as such, should be considered as the best available data for regulatory purposes. The H&H model output was used to produce maps delineating a 100-year recurrence interval flood inundation area, which is analogous to the 100-year floodplain of Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). In some areas, discrepancies were found between the inundation map boundaries and the FIRM floodplain limits. While the accuracy of the DWP modeling was considered sufficient for watershed planning purposes, the Engineering Department felt that further scrutiny of the models was warranted to ensure their accuracy should they be used for regulatory purposes. On November 6, 2008, the Board of Commissioners authorized an independent consulting engineering firm, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL), to perform a technical review of the H&H models being developed for five of the Cook County watersheds, including North Branch of the Chicago River. The CBBEL technical review was not included in HDR’s original scope of work since the authorization for CBBEL’s technical review was subsequent to the execution of the agreement with HDR. There are not sufficient funds or time available under the current terms of the agreement to incorporate CBBEL’s recommendations, which included additional model calibration runs and extending the hydraulic models to include defined regional waterways that serve a minimum of 0.5 square mile.
Concurrent to our efforts under the DWP, and unknown to us at the time the purchase order was issued for this contract, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) updated the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) model. To ensure the controlled waterway portion of the North Branch of the Chicago River watershed was modeled accurately, it was determined the updated CAWS model should be incorporated into the DWP H&H models. The Corps originally planned to release the CAWS model in October 2009, but it was not released until April 2010. This unforeseeable delay prevented HDR from completing the H&H modeling and DWP by the original agreement date. As a result, HDR requires additional time and funds to complete the DWP.
In order to complete the DWP, HDR will require a time extension of 253 days to complete the work. The new completion date is proposed to be November 19, 2010.
The Engineering Department has negotiated with HDR an increase in the amount of $123,088.20 for the change in scope.
This change order is in compliance with the Illinois Criminal Code since the change is due to circumstances not reasonably foreseeable at the time the agreement was signed, and is in the best interest of the District.
It is hereby recommended that the Board of Commissioners authorize the Director of Procurement and Materials Management to execute a change order to increase the purchase order and amend the agreement in an amount of $123,088.20 (9.00% of the current contract value), from an amount of $1,367,215.57, to an amount not to exceed $1,490,303.77, and to approve a time extension of 253 days.
Funds are available in Account 501-50000-601410.
Requested, Kenneth A. Kits, Director of Engineering, WSS:JPM
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 for August 12, 2010