R2009-162 AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT WITH SHIVE-HATTERY, INC.

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In the early 1980's the City completed the Riverview Flood Protection Project which installed a levee south of Sunset Avenue that prevents the Sangamon River from flooding into the neighborhood. Prior to the levee, the area was routinely flooded during periods of high flow in the Sangamon River. As part of the project design, culverts that drain water through the levee were fitted with gate valves that are to be closed when the river rises, preventing the river from backing into the neighborhood through the culverts. Conversely, when the valves are closed, storm water drainage must follow a different route to be pumped from the neighborhood. To remove the neighborhood storm drainage when the valves are closed, the City installed a pump station on the levee about 500 feet west of Westlawn Avenue near the west end of Sunset Avenue. Ditches were installed to collect storm water from the western part of the neighborhood. The ditches also serve as a temporary storm water detention area. The flood protection project plan included the construction of a swale (or ditch) to conduct storm water from the east and central area through the backyards of two blocks of Sunset Avenue to the pump station. This portion of the work was deleted from the project when area residents objected to the planned construction of the backyard ditch and refused to grant permanent drainage easements and construction easements. The City could not use eminent domain authority to obtain the drainage easements because the backyards of the property along the south side of Sunset Avenue are not annexed into the City. As it stands, without the swale, storm drainage overtops Sunset and meanders through backyards for two blocks, causing flooding problems until it eventually reaches the pumps. The swale would have provided a controlled and efficient path for the storm water to flow to the pump station. The Sunset Avenue area drainage improvement is the 25th highest priority project out of 46 recommended in the Stormwater Master Plan presented to Council on July 20, 2009. Staffadvertised Requests for Proposals for the Sunset Avenue Preliminary Drainage Design Project on July 1, 2009. Ten engineering consulting firms submitted qualifications on July 20, 2009. After reviewing all submittals, staff selected the top three engineering firms; 1. Shive-Hattery, Inc. of Bloomington, IL 2. Bainbridge, Gee, Milanski &Associates, Inc. of Decatur, IL 3. Hanson Professional Services, Inc of Springfield, IL Staff believes that Shive-Hattery, Inc. understands the requirements of this project and is the best qualified to perform this preliminary design. They recognize that this project has various stakeholders along Sunset Avenue and are prepared to develop resourceful solutions to the problem that will build consensus among those stakeholders. Shive-Hattery, Inc. also has the resources available to complete this project by the end of 2009. Bainbridge, Gee, Milanski and Associates is a well qualified Decatur area firm. Were this firm not fully engaged in the preparation of the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan, the K-Mart pump station reconstruction project and two major drinking water projects, they would have been the recommended firm for the project. Scope of Services Staffhas negotiated a scope of services and contract amount with Shive-Hattery. The project objective is to provide preliminary designs and drawings for drainage improvements south of Sunset Avenue from Summit Avenue to Westlawn Avenue. The deliverables for this project will be Page � 2