AGENDA ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CARLO TOMAINO
CITY MANAGER
BY: GABINO LUNA
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
title
PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR ON-CALL WATER SYSTEM INSPECTION SERVICES
summary
Summary:
The Public Works Department - Water Division operates and maintains the City’s water distribution system and delivers safe, reliable potable water service to more than 3,000 customer accounts throughout the community. The Water Division oversees the design, construction, operation, maintenance, replacement, and improvement of the City’s water infrastructure to support regulatory compliance, system reliability, and public health standards. To support these responsibilities, the Public Works Department utilizes on-call consultants to provide professional design, inspection and related technical support services for Water Capital Improvement Program projects, water system related improvements and Right-of-Way (ROW) work.
Following a comprehensive and competitive request for proposal process, staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute Professional Consultant Services Agreements with AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated; Gradford Incorporated; and TKE Engineering, Incorporated, to provide on-call water system inspection services and related support for Department projects and operations, including, but not limited to, water infrastructure improvements, water system construction, utility coordination, operational support, and public infrastructure inspection services as directed by the Director of Public Works.
The on-call water system inspection service agreements would provide the City with qualified inspection support on an as-needed basis to supplement staff resources, support timely project delivery, and provide flexibility to respond to fluctuating project demands and ongoing water infrastructure improvements identified in the City’s Water Master Plan and Rate Study. Staff would monitor the contract limits to ensure expenditures remain within the City Council’s approved budget allocation. Upon City Council approval, the agreements would commence July 1, 2026, with a three-year term through June 30, 2029, and a not-to-exceed amount of $350,000 for each agreement.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
Goal No. 1 Financial Stability: Ensure the City’s long-term financial stability and resilience.
Goal No. 4 Infrastructure: Maintain and improve the City’s physical infrastructure, water system, and recreational spaces.
Goal No. 5 High-Functioning Government: Strengthen internal communication, recruitment, retention, systems, and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
recommendation
Recommendation:
1. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Professional Consultant Services Agreement with AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated, to provide on-call Water System Inspection Services for a total not-to-exceed amount of $350,000, through June 30, 2029, in a form approved by the City Attorney;
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Professional Consultant Services Agreement with Gradford Incorporated, to provide on-call Water System Inspection Services for a total not-to-exceed amount of $350,000, through June 30, 2029, in a form approved by the City Attorney; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Professional Consultant Services Agreement with TKE Engineering, Incorporated, to provide on-call Water System Inspection Services for a total not-to-exceed amount of $350,000, through June 30, 2029, in a form approved by the City Attorneybody
body
Fiscal Impact:
Funding for tasks under the on-call water inspection agreements would be provided through the Water Enterprise Fund and would utilize the Water Capital Improvement Program Budget or Water Maintenance and Operations - Engineering Services Account No. 500-40-5423, depending on the nature of the work performed. Services associated with Water Capital Improvement Program projects would utilize the respective project budget, while routine operational inspection and maintenance-related services would utilize available funding in the Water Enterprise Fund.
The City’s adopted Water Master Plan and Rate Study incorporated inspection and professional support service costs into the financial planning assumptions and project budgets associated with the identified water infrastructure improvements. As individual water capital improvement projects advance into design and construction, the City would utilize these agreements to provide the necessary inspection and technical support services required for project implementation.
In addition to City-led water improvement projects, these agreements would also be utilized for ROW and encroachment permit-related work involving water infrastructure improvements or activities requiring specialized water system inspection expertise. In these instances, inspection costs associated with private development or permitted work would be recovered through applicant-paid inspection and permit fees in accordance with the City’s established procedures. The adopted annual fiscal year budget for the term of each agreement would regulate the total amount expended under these contracts.
Each agreement proposes a not-to-exceed contract amount of $350,000 for the three-year term. When the City requires specific services, staff would solicit proposals from the firm with appropriate expertise for the task. Each approved task would include a defined scope of services, schedule, and not-to-exceed cost.
Background and Analysis:
The Public Works Department is responsible for ensuring that City-owned infrastructure, facilities, water systems, and capital improvement projects are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained in a safe, reliable, and professional manner. To support these efforts, the Department maintains several on-call professional services agreements with qualified consultants that provide supplemental technical support and specialized expertise in areas such as civil engineering, architectural services, traffic engineering, structural engineering, project management, construction management, and related professional services. These on-call agreements provide the City with flexibility to efficiently respond to project demands, operational needs, and scheduling requirements while maximizing cost efficiencies and maintaining timely project delivery.
In July 2025, the City Council adopted the City’s updated Water Master Plan (WMP) and Water Rate Study (RS), which identified several critical short-term and long-term Water Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects that will help maintain and improve the reliability, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability of the City’s water system. The WMP established a comprehensive capital improvement strategy that requires specialized experience for various water infrastructure improvement projects involving water system construction, inspection, utility coordination, regulatory compliance, and public infrastructure improvements.
Given the complexity and technical nature of these upcoming water infrastructure projects, staff identified the need to expand the City’s existing pool of qualified consultants to include firms with specialized expertise in water-related inspection and support services tailored specifically to municipal water infrastructure projects. In addition to supporting City-led capital improvement projects, the City also periodically requires specialized water inspection support associated with ROW permits, utility improvements, emergency repairs, and encroachment-related work involving the City’s water infrastructure system. To strengthen the City’s available consultant resources and ensure qualified firms are readily available as projects identified in the WMP advance into design and construction phases, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for On-Call Water System Inspection Services. The RFP aimed to establish a broader and more specialized pool of consultants with direct experience in municipal water infrastructure projects, including water mains, pressure reducing stations, valves, hydrants, trenching and backfill operations, hydrostatic and bacteriological testing, utility coordination, and construction inspection services.
Utilizing on-call consultants provides the City with the flexibility to efficiently respond to fluctuating workloads, construction schedules, emergency response needs, and operational demands while maintaining project oversight, quality assurance, and timely project delivery. These agreements will also allow the Public Works Department to assign work based on consultant availability, project-specific expertise, and the unique technical requirements associated with individual water infrastructure projects identified in the City’s CIP.
RFP Circulation Process
On April 23, 2026, the City issued an RFP for On-Call Water System Inspection Services. The RFP was posted through PlanetBids, the City website, and public notice locations in accordance with Signal Hill Municipal Code Section 1.08.010.
The RFP solicited qualified consultants capable of providing inspection services and related support for Public Works Department - Water Division projects, including water infrastructure improvements, operational support, utility coordination, trenching and backfill inspections, oversight of hydrostatic and bacteriological testing, and related public infrastructure inspection services.
A total of 22 prospective proposers were notified of the solicitation via PlanetBids, and 17 downloaded the contract documents. Proposals were due on May 13, 2026.
Proposal Opening
The City received a total of seven complete proposals before the deadline, and all met City and submittal requirements. The following firms submitted complete and responsive proposals by the May 13, 2026, proposal deadline:
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AKM Consulting Engineers |
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Gradford, Inc. |
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MCM Management |
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Onward Engineering |
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SA Associates |
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TKE Engineering, Inc. |
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Z&K Consultants, Inc. |
Evaluation Process
The City’s Selection Committee, consisting of the Public Works Director, Associate Engineer, and Contracts Manager, evaluated the proposals using the following criteria:
• Qualifications and Experience of the Firm: Relevant experience in similar work and a record of successful results. Also considered was the firm’s ability to take on additional work, demonstrated understanding of the City’s goals and project needs, management approach, organizational structure, available resources, and ability to provide the breadth and quality of services required for the project. Criteria weight: 20 percent.
• Qualifications and Experience of the Personnel Assigned to the Project Team: Evaluation of the qualifications, experience, certifications, and technical expertise of the proposed project team members and key personnel assigned to the work. Criteria weight: 30 percent.
• Project Approach: Evaluation of the consultant’s responsiveness to the City’s needs as outlined in the RFP, including the ability to efficiently complete assignments, provide responsive service, and respond to City requests within five business days. Criteria weight: 25 percent.
• Project Management: Evaluation of the proposer’s communication approach, responsiveness, coordination procedures, and quality control measures to determine the firm’s ability to successfully support the City’s water infrastructure inspection and operational needs. Criteria weight: 25 percent.
The evaluation process also included a review of each consultant’s experience with municipal water infrastructure projects, staffing availability, responsiveness, familiarity with public agency standards and regulatory requirements, and ability to support multiple concurrent assignments.
Consultant Selection
Following the evaluation process, the Selection Committee determined that AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated, Gradford Incorporated, and TKE Engineering, Incorporated were the most qualified firms to provide the requested on-call water system inspection services based on their experience, qualifications, staffing capabilities, responsiveness, project understanding, and demonstrated ability to support municipal water infrastructure projects.
AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated demonstrated extensive experience providing on-call construction management and inspection services for municipalities and water districts throughout Southern California and currently maintains active contracts with multiple public agencies and water utilities. AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated’s proposal highlighted extensive experience with water infrastructure inspections, utility coordination, testing oversight, and public works inspection services.
Gradford Incorporated demonstrated experience providing inspection and construction management support services for public works infrastructure, wet utility systems, and municipal capital improvement projects. Gradford’s proposal emphasized responsiveness, familiarity with Greenbook and American Water Works Association standards, emergency response capabilities, and experience supporting active utility infrastructure projects.
TKE Engineering, Incorporated, demonstrated significant experience providing water infrastructure inspection, construction management, and municipal engineering support services throughout Southern California. TKE’s proposal identified extensive experience with water improvement projects, utility coordination, and inspection services for public agencies and water districts.
Staff conducted reference reviews and confirmed that all three firms possess the qualifications, staffing resources, and experience necessary to perform the services required under the proposed agreements. The selected consultants demonstrated strong technical qualifications, availability to support on-call assignments, familiarity with municipal water infrastructure standards, and the ability to provide responsive inspection services necessary to support the City’s CIP and Water Division operations.
If approved by the City Council, these on-call agreements would allow the Public Works Department to efficiently secure professional inspection services as needed, supplement City staff resources, and provide flexibility to address fluctuating project demands and emergency operational needs throughout the term of the agreements. The City would determine the amount of work assigned to each consultant based on project priorities, service needs, consultant availability, and funding availability. For each assignment, City staff would direct the appropriate consultant to perform services in accordance with the scope of work and rate schedules approved by the City and included in each agreement.
If approved by the City Council, each agreement would become effective July 1, 2026, with a three-year term through June 30, 2029, with a total not-to-exceed amount of $350,000 for each agreement. Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute Professional Consultant Services Agreements with AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated, Gradford Incorporated, and TKE Engineering, Incorporated for On-Call Water System Inspection Services.
Reviewed for Fiscal Impact:
_________________________
Siamlu Cox
Attachments:
A. Professional Consultant Agreement with AKM Consulting Engineers, Incorporated
B. Professional Consultant Agreement Gradford Incorporated
C. Professional Consultant Agreement TKE Engineering, Incorporated