Action Summary:
title
Award unit-price contracts for on call stormwater system repairs for vendors with expertise in trenchless repairs (RFP 24-003) and in conventional repairs (RFP 24-004).
MIT
MIT Supported - Mark All Applicable
☐ Critical Staffing Needs (staffing shortages, retention)
☐ Financial Stability/Sustainability (diverse tax base)
☒ Safety & Protecting Community (code enforcement, stormwater)
☐ Commercial Development
☐ Downtown Development
☐ Tourism (increase share; museum should equitably represent community; events)
☐ Downtown Parking (address parking needs)
☐ Youth Program/Council (community center for youth and seniors; learning gap)
☒ Prepare for Growth and Development (infrastructure in place; annexation; curb cuts; recycling, signage)
staffnotes
Staff Notes
Date: June 7, 2024
Project: On call contracts for stormwater system repairs
Recommendation: Staff recommends awarding unit-price on call contracts for stormwater system repairs to the following firms:
For trenchless repairs: Inliner Solutions, LLC
Federal EC LLC
Vortex Services, LLC
For conventional repairs: Site Engineering, Inc.
S.H. Creel Contracting, LLC
HD Excavations & Utilities LLC
Background: The Mayor and Council chose to direct a portion of the funds from the City’s ARPA grant to address stormwater infrastructure needs and also budgets for maintenance and repairs in the City’s Stormwater Fund. These appropriations will be used to make high priority repairs identified in the systemwide assessment recently completed by Lowe Engineers. The Lowe assessment identified $3.9M in critical repairs needed over the next five years.
In its report to the City, Lowe Engineers recommended entering into on call contracts with multiple firms that are qualified to do the needed work. To accomplish this, staff issued two Requests for Proposals. RFP 24-003 solicited proposals from contractors with expertise in performing trenchless stormwater repairs. Trenchless repairs involve using a variety of techniques to install lining within existing pipes to extend the functional lifespan of the pipes without digging them up. RFP 24-004 solicited proposals from contractors who are experienced in conventional techniques for repairing stormwater infrastructure, typically by digging up and removing old pipelines and installing new pipes.
By having several contractors “on call” the City can move quickly to get needed repairs done. On call contracts are not bid on the basis of specified projects but instead each vendor quoted individual unit prices for a comprehensive list of items that may be needed for various potential repair projects. When we want to assign a specific project to an on call contractor, staff will use the contractor’s quoted unit prices to calculate the fee for the project. Projects will be assigned to vendors through work orders based on lowest calculated cost and contractor availability.
Selection process: The City received nine responses to RFP 24-003 (trenchless repairs) and six responses to RFP 24-004 (conventional repairs). For both RFPs the responding firms were rated on qualifications and experience (55 points) and on price (45 points). The Selection Committee consisted of Dwayne Eberhart, Tina Garver, Brian Allen, Wayne Wright, and Chuck Youmans from Cobb County Water System’s Stormwater Division. The Committee rated each vendor’s experience and qualifications for the needed work. Staff then calculated a pricing comparison using unit prices from actual stormwater system repairs recently done in the City. The Committee selected the three highest scoring firms from each RFP to recommend for contract award.
Recommended firms: For trenchless repairs (RFP 24-003) the Selection Committee recommends the following contractors:
Inliner Solutions, LLC - Inliner Solutions has installed pipe liners for 25 years. Local clients include the cities of Norcross, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, and Gwinnett County. They are a subsidiary of Puris Corp, which is headquartered in Texas. Inliner Solutions has a local office in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Federal EC LLC - This is a Woodstock-based firm in business for nine years. Clients include Cobb County DOT and the cities of Marietta, Smyrna, Dunwoody, and Johns Creek.
Vortex Services, LLC - Vortex was founded in 2015, is headquartered in Texas, and has a local office in Winder, Georgia and a regional office in Greenville, SC. Locally, they have performed work for Smyrna, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Peachtree City, and Gwinnett County.
For conventional repairs (RFP 24-004) the Selection Committee recommends awarding contracts to the following:
Site Engineering, Inc. - Site Engineering is an Atlanta-based contracting firm doing business for 41 years. Local clients include the Marietta Board of Lights and Water, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, and DeKalb County.
S.H. Creel Contracting, LLC - SH Creel is based in Powder Springs and has been in business since 2020. The firm has handled contracts for the City of Powder Springs as well as Smyrna, Kennesaw, and Rome.
HD Excavations & Utilities LLC - This firm has been in existence since 2020 and is based in Villa Rica, Georgia. Their local government references include work with Cobb County Water System and Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority.