Approve Resolution 2022-076, authorizing the City Administrator to execute a Professional Services Agreement with the Carmel Area Wastewater District, for a not-to-exceed fee of $71,646, to provide stormwater Program Vactor truck services through Fiscal Year 2024-2025.

The State Water Resources Control Board has designated 34 regions along the coast of California as “Areas of Special Biological Significance” (ASBS), including Carmel Bay. Special Protections of species and habitats in the ASBS area require that the City, as a discharger of stormwater runoff into the ASBS, meet stringent water quality requirements.  

In order to meet these ASBS requirements, the City installed four hydrodynamic separators at the end of the drainage systems at Fourth Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Eighth Avenue, and Tenth Avenue at the entrance of the Mission Trail Nature Preserve. Hydrodynamic separators screen, separate, and trap debris, sediment, oil and grease from stormwater runoff before they are released into the ocean. In order to remain effective, hydrodynamic separators must be regularly maintained by removing accumulated material inside each unit. Due to the large size of these units, a Vactor truck is needed to remove debris and sediment from hydrodynamic separators. The material removed must also be properly disposed.

The City does not have a Vactor truck nor an adequate location to dispose of material removed from the hydrodynamic separators. Thus, we have been contracting with CAWD since January 2019 to conduct this debris removal work. The City also previously contracted with CAWD to conduct restaurant inspections; however, in order to streamline commercial environmental inspections and reduce contracting costs, the new Administrative Technician in the Environmental Division has taken over these inspections.  

Based on the successful results of the City’s partnership with CAWD on hydrodynamic separator cleaning, staff is recommending a 3-year contract with CAWD to continue this work though Fiscal Year 2024-2025 (Attachment 2).  

CAWD was selected on a sole source basis. Carmel Municipal Code Section 3.12.140 D allows for dispensing of the bid procedures when “a professional service, such as that of an attorney, accountant, architect, or specialized consultant, involves a specialized knowledge or personal skill.” CAWD has specialized equipment, including the Vactor truck and wastewater treatment facility, that allow effective cleaning of the City’s hydrodynamic separator and disposal of the removed material. Previous inquiries to other agencies, including Pacific Grove, Seaside, and Pebble Beach, indicated constraints with availability of their Vactor equipment, or issues with appropriately disposing of the collected material.

The total authorization for this Agreement will not exceed $71,647. Work performed under this Agreement will be charged to the Public Works Environmental Compliance Division operating budget under contract services Account No. 101-119-43-42001. This year’s hydrodynamic separator cleaning ($23,183) has already been budgeted in this account. Future years’ hydrodynamic separator cleaning ($23,910 and $24,554, respectively) will need to be included in the FY 2023/24 and FY 2024/25 operating budgets.  

In February 2020, the City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with CAWD to provide Stormwater Program Vactor truck and commercial inspection services through June 30, 2022.