USEPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Project Consultant Selection RecommendationCopyrighted
J uly 29, 2024
City of Dubuque
Special Meeting - No Broadcast
Info
Action Items # 01.
IT E M T I T L E:US E PA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant P roject Consultant Selection
Recommendation
S UM M ARY:City Manager recommending City Council approval to hire a consultant to
provide engineering services related to managing the Brownfields
Multipurpose Grant from the United S tates E nvironmental Protection
Agency (E PA).
S UG G E S T E D
D I S P O S I T I O N:
Suggested Disposition: Receive and F ile; A pprove
AT TAC H ME N TS:
Description Type
MV M Memo City Manager Memo
Staff Staff Memo
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: USEPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Project
Consultant Selection Recommendation
DATE: July 25, 2024
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos is recommending City Council approval to hire a consultant
to provide engineering services related to managing the Brownfields Multipurpose Grant
from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
_____________________________________
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:as
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jenny Larson, Chief Financial Officer
Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Tracy Schadle, Confidential Account Clerk
Page 1 of 3
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen - City Manager
FROM: Gus Psihoyos – City Engineer
SUBJECT: USEPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Project
Consultant Selection Recommendation
DATE: July 25, 2024
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum provides the consultant selection committee’s recommendation for
hiring a consultant to provide engineering services related to managing the Brownfields
Multipurpose Grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
BACKGROUND
Over the past 19 years, city supported redevelopment efforts have made significant
headway in mitigating site specific contamination risks which has led to many sites
having their economic viability restored. These locations include the North Port, the
Historic Millwork District, and the Bee Branch Greenway. However more work remains
to be done. This grant is intended to focus on the South Port, the Washington and
North End neighborhood areas. This grant provides funding for community outreach
and involvement, environmental assessments, reuse planning, and site remediation and
clean-up. Three specific sites were selected to be cleaned up as part of this grant. The
sites are the eastern half block expansion of Comiskey Park, and the former Sinclair Oil
and Dodd’s Terminal sites in the South Port. Due to impacts of COVID-19, the grant
was awarded in 2019. However, the work plan was not approved by the EPA until April
of 2021. On June 21, 2021 the City Council approved the release of the Request for
Proposals for the USEPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Project and authorized the
City Manager to negotiate an agreement with the recommended consultant.
DISCUSSION
In late spring of 2024, the city ended the original contract with the selected consultant
due to extensive project team turn over and the consultant’s closest office to Iowa is
located in St. Louis, thus resulting in more costs and inability to provide timely
responses. On June 28, 2024, the RFP was reposted to the City’s website and
proposals were due July 16, 2024. Three proposals were received by the deadline. In
late July the selection committee reviewed and evaluated all three proposals.
Page 2 of 3
Based on the quality of the submitted proposals the selection committee decided to
interview two consultant – Impact 7G and Terracon.
The following City staff served on the RFQ Review Committee:
• Jill Connors - Economic Development Director
• Shena Moon – Associate Planner
• Dawn March – Finance and Safety Coordinator
• Temwa Phiri – Community Engagement Coordinator
• Marie Ware – Leisure Services Manager
• Tracy Schadle – Conf. Account Clerk
Following the second round interview the committee recommends that Impact 7G be
selected for the following reasons:
• Demonstrated the highest level of professional competence and a proven track
record in the design of brownfield remediation projects, experience of the project
team working with federal and state regulatory agencies, and overall success of
past projects completed for the City of Dubuque.
• Grasp of the project requirements, understanding of the City’s overall objectives
for redevelopment of the three clean-up sites.
• The project team’s proposal and demonstrated an ability to maintain a high level
of responsiveness and compatibility with city staff.
Since this project is federally funded by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency, cost proposals cannot be part of the evaluation/selection process. Instead,
after the committee recommends a consultant for the project, a final scope and will be
negotiated directly with them.
For the EPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Project an environmental engineer
consultant is required to perform the following work:
Task 1- Cooperative Agreement Oversight and Grant Management
Task 2- Community Outreach and Involvement Process = Completed
Task 3- Environmental Assessments of Five Locations
Task 4- Cleanup/Reuse Area Planning
Task 5- Clean-up and remediation of the Comiskey Park, Sinclair Oil and Dodd’s
Terminal sites
Based on review of the proposals and consultant interviews, the consultant selection
committee recommends that the City negotiate an agreement and execute a contract
with Impact 7G for engineering services related to managing the USEPA Brownfields
Multipurpose Grant. The selected consultant will complete the contracted scope of work
within the specified grant deadline under the general direction and coordination of the
City’s Engineering and Economic Development Departments as authorized by the City
Council.
Page 3 of 3
BUDGET IMPACT
Even though this grant was awarded in 2019, due to the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic the grant work plan was not approved by the EPA until April 2021. Given
substantial employee turnover with the previous consultant, the City requested to select
a new Qualified Environmental Professional for this Grant. The cost for consulting
services associated with the Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Project is estimated to be
between $150,000-$225,000. The total remaining amount of the federal grant is
$430,591.67. The city’s required cost share is $40,000 which has a remaining balance
of $6,067.38.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
I respectfully request that you award the USEPA Multi-Purpose Grant Project to Impact
7G. Additionally, permission is requested for the Engineering Department to negotiate a
final agreement with Impact 7G so that it may be presented to you for signature.
cc: Tracy Schadle – Confidential Account Clerk
Jenny Larson – Director of Finance and Budget
Jill Connors – Economic Development Director