TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. John P. Murray, Acting 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 eight streamflow gaging stations and two rain gages within Cook County, Illinois, in an amount not to exceed $132,700.00 Account 501-50000-612490, Requisition 1642943
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 eight streamflow gaging stations and two rain gages within Cook County at the following locations:
• 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
• Natalie Creek at Midlothian
In addition to the streamflow gages, this agreement also provides for the 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 this work is $132,700.00. The estimated 2025 expenditure is expected to be $33,175.00, and the estimated 2026 expenditure is expected to be $99,525.00. Services under this agreement will commence on October 1, 2025, and extend through September 30, 2026.
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. The District is currently joint-funding eight 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 $132,700.00.
Funds for the 2025 expenditure, in the amount of $33,175.00, are available in Account 501-50000-612490. The estimated expenditure for 2026 is $99,525.00. Funds for the 2026 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, KMF:JK
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management
Respectfully Submitted, Precious Brady-Davis, Chairperson Committee on Procurement
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners September 4, 2025
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