The County has inked several contracts with large engineering firms for on-call consulting services totaling $3.75 million.
The contracts were for five years each and for amounts “not to exceed” $750,000 apiece. Contracts were given to Carollo Engineers, Inc.; GHD, Inc.; MKN & Associates, Inc.; MNS Engineers, Inc.; and Wallace Group.
According to Project Manager, Cori Burnett, the County sent out a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking to build a list of pre-qualified companies they could call on to help Public Works with specific engineering tasks.
The categories they wanted help with are for wastewater collection, treatment, disposal, and recycled water distribution systems “operated by the County, including the service areas of Los Osos, County Service Area 18 Country Club, CSA 7A Oak Shores, CSA 1/1A/1F Nipomo, and County Operations Center.”
“The purpose of the on-call list,” Burnett said, “is to allow as-needed services to be provided over the five-year period for each contract so that Public Works can efficiently and effectively develop and implement projects that align with County policies and priorities.”
Burnett added, “selected firms will provide as-needed services on a task order basis, including but not limited to services related to planning, studies, reports, design, construction, permitting, assessments, and loan and grant funding planning services for state and federal support.
“When federal funds are used, applicable federal clauses will be incorporated into the task order(s) to ensure compliance with reimbursement and procurement requirements.”
Money for each of these “professional consultant” contracts, Burnett said, would come out of the budgets for whatever project they are brought in on. So simply approving these on call contracts isn’t costing the County anything, until they get the call.
“Approval,” Burnett said, “will allow Public Works to administer, operate, maintain, and improve County wastewater systems.”
Carollo is one of the biggest engineering firms in the world and headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif. Carollo has a local office in Atascadero. They specialize in water and wastewater systems.
GHD, Inc., is an employee-owned international firm with dozens of offices in the U.S. and Canada, as well as several other foreign countries. They also have an office in SLO.
MKN & Associates, Inc., is headquartered in SLO and has offices up and down California. They work in environmental sciences and civil engineering, specializing in water, wastewater and reuse.
MNS Engineers, Inc., is a multi-service consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering, construction management and land surveying. They have offices throughout California including one in SLO.
The Wallace Group is a home-grown firm headquartered in SLO and has offices in Bakersfield and Salinas, as well.
According to the firm’s website, John Wallace formed John L. Wallace & Associates as a one-person, home-based business in 1984 in a small house in San Luis Obispo. John L. Wallace & Associates has grown into “a multi-disciplinary engineering, design, surveying, and planning firm now known as Wallace Group.”
