DATE: April 8, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Water Utilities Department
TITLE: AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR AS NEEDED GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommend that the City Council approve Amendment 1 to the Professional Services Agreement with Geocon Incorporated, in a not-to-exceed amount of $150,000, for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $250,000 for on-call geotechnical engineering services for Water and Sewer Capital Improvement Projects; appropriate $350,000 from the Sewer Fixed Asset Replacement fund unrestricted reserves, and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the amendment.
body
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Water Utilities Department’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has an adopted budget of approximately $80 million in planned projects for Fiscal Year 2025-26, including the Buccaneer Lift Station (LS). Geotechnical engineering services are needed to better understand subsurface conditions and reduce uncertainty, helping contractors provide more competitive pricing under the fixed-price delivery method. These services will be provided through an existing as-needed Professional Services Agreement.
On July 31, 2024, the Water Utilities Department solicited requests for qualifications (RFQs) for various on-call water and sewer specialty engineering consulting types. The solicitation was posted on BidNet Direct, the City’s electronic bidding platform. On September 4, 2024, nine proposals for on-call geotechnical engineering services were received.
Following review of the proposals, staff selected Geocon Incorporated and Twining, Inc. for geotechnical engineering services contracts. Each firm was administratively approved for a three-year agreement in the total amount of $100,000 under the City Manager’s purchasing authority.
The Buccaneer LS is part of a larger effort to redirect wastewater flows from the La Salina Wastewater Treatment Plant 6.7 miles northeast to the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility and centralize treatment operations. The City is advertising a Fixed-Price Design-Build package to complete the design and construction of the Buccaneer LS, and geotechnical investigation work must be completed and included in the advertisement.
Staff requested proposals from three qualified geotechnical firms: Atlas, ENGEO, and Geocon. Geocon was the lowest responsive firm meeting the full scope requirements, with a fee of $136,240. Staff is requesting that additional funds be added to Geocon’s existing three-year Professional Services Agreement to support the Buccaneer LS project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total contract amount for Amendment 1 is $150,000 and will be funded from the Buccaneer LS Account, 909137500722.5305.10400, which has a current deficit of $158,945. To ensure adequate funding for this project, staff request an appropriation of $350,000 from the Sewer Fixed Asset Replacement fund unrestricted fund balance account 722.3100.0002, which has $134.5 million available; with this appropriation, sufficient funds will be available. Table 1 below outlines the requested funding.
Table 1
|
Description |
Amount |
Account number |
Available balance |
Appropriate |
Funding Source |
|
Amd 1 |
$150,000 |
909137500722.5305.10400 |
($158,945) |
$350,000 |
722.3100.0002 |
Sewer flow and service charges from the Sewer Fixed Asset Replacement fund are the funding source for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with the amendment of the existing as needed services agreement.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The Utilities Commission approved staff’s recommendation at its regularly scheduled meeting on March 17, 2026.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
end
Prepared by: Robin Huber, Associate Civil Engineer
Approved by: Frederick Mayo, Water Utilities Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Amendment 1
3. Geocon Quote
4. Atlas Quote
5. ENGEO Quote