Council expresses timeline concerns, receives DBOF RFQs for WWTP

September 07, 2007
Santa Paula City Council

The Council expressed concerns about being under the gun of tight deadlines during the discussion of those who submitted qualifications to design, build, operate and finance the city’s new wastewater treatment plant.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe Council expressed concerns about being under the gun of tight deadlines during the discussion of those who submitted qualifications to design, build, operate and finance the city’s new wastewater treatment plant. The Council discussed the issue at the September 4 meeting.City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz and Public Works Director/City Engineer Cliff Finley presented the list of five teams that responded to the Request for Qualifications, and outlined the schedule of study and selection of teams to submit Requests for Proposal.The actual contract for the plant would be finalized in March, noted Bobkiewicz, a schedule that has already been greatly shortened. “It will be myself and staff” overseeing the project, after the Council rejected the projected cost for a consultant to handle the chore.Mayor Ray Luna asked if the project sub-committee - Vice Mayor John Procter and Councilman Ralph Fernandez - could meet earlier to study the RFPs as, with the projected contract award in March, “it’s going to take six months” for the final selection.Negotiations would take three months, and a like timeline for RFP preparation, said Bobkiewicz. Balancing the task with other city projects must also be considered. “I think we’re being very aggressive, considering the very limited resources” of city staff, and the timeframe has been trimmed considerably “at the backend,” he noted.“We have five qualified companies,” said Luna.
“We do not know that... we have five companies” that submitted RFQs, and up to three of the five will be recommended to take part in the RFP process, noted Bobkiewicz.“My concern is that only five submitted... I say they’re qualified,” and Luna asked “Why don’t we just right off the bat determine which three” should be selected to submit RFPs, to avoid looming multi-million dollar fines if the plant is not completed per state schedule.After more discussion Fernandez asked, if the contract is awarded in March, “why delay to July” the start of construction. “If they’re ready to roll, why not be able to start in April or May?”The city can set an earlier start date and then it would be up to selected team to meet it, said Bobkiewicz.July 15 is the latest day that “construction must begin, it’s the drop dead date in the decree” reached between the city and the state Regional Water Quality Control Board, said City Attorney Karl Berger.Bobkiewicz noted that a consultant noted that “four of the five” groups that submitted RFQs are “world class teams.”



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