TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 21, 2021
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. Brian A. Perkovich, Executive Director
Title
Issue purchase order and enter into an agreement for Contract 20-RFP-20 Online and/or On-site Training Services: Odor Recognition in Wastewater Treatment with RK & Associates, Inc. with an option to extend for an additional two (2) years, in an amount not to exceed $30,000.00, Account 101-25000-601100, Requisition 1544673
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue a purchase order and enter into an agreement with RK & Associates, Inc. to provide Odor Recognition training.
The purpose of this contract is to obtain a qualified vendor to provide training to further enhance skills of employees in identifying various odorous compounds throughout the wastewater treatment process by learning various methods of recognizing the sources of odor complaints based on the characteristics of the odors so that appropriate mitigation measures can be taken. This training is included in the Stickney Odor Mitigation Report, required by the draft Clean Act Permit Program (CAPP) Permit for the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. All services will be delivered by December 31, 2023. Authorization was given by the Board on July 16, 2020 for this training to occur in 2020, 2021, and 2022. This RFP was unable to be awarded in 2020. Authorization is requested to award this contract for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023.
On September 16, 2020, Request for Proposal 20-RFP-20 Online and/or On-site Training Services: Odor Recognition in Wastewater Treatment was advertised. Two hundred, eighty-eight (288) firms were notified, and seventeen (17) firms requested proposal documents. The District received two (2) proposals September 29, 2020 from the following vendors: RK & Associates, Inc., and Webster Environmental Associates, Inc.
Five District employees, two members of the Human Resources Department, one member from the Law Department, one member from the Monitoring and Research Department, and one member of the Procurement and Materials Management Department reviewed each proposal. Proposals were evaluated based on criteria such as: understanding of the project, approach to work, experience completing projects of similar scope, technical competence, and cost.
Based on the initial evaluation, two (2) Proposers were scheduled to give a presentation and respond to questions from the District’s evaluation team. The Proposers were then afforded the opportunity to submit an unqualified best and final offer to the Director of Procurement and Materials Management.
After the overall evaluation of the proposers, RK & Associates, Inc. was selected to provide Odor Recognition training. RK and Associates, Inc. has relevant experience and a Ahigh level of competency to provide the services for training District employees on odor recognition in wastewater treatment.
Affirmative Action, Appendix A and Appendix V will not be included in this contract because the estimate is less than the minimum threshold established by Section 4 of the Affirmative Action Ordinance.
Inasmuch as the firm of RK & Associates, Inc. possesses a high degree of professional skill, it is recommended that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue a purchase order and enter into an agreement per Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act, in an amount not to exceed $30,000.00.
Funds, for the 2021 expenditure, in the amount of $10,000.00, are available in Account 101-25000-601100. The estimated expenditure for 2022 and 2023 is $10,000.00 for each year. Funds for the 2022, and 2023 expenditures are contingent on the Board of Commissioners’ approval of the District’s budget for those years.
Requested, Beverly K. Sanders, Director of Human Resources
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 January 21, 2021