AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT GEOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT

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Elmer Greene
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1 pwn MEETING DATE: 06/18/ 12 1 t COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NO: i DATE: JUNE 7, 2012 TO: FROM: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER W" SUBJECT: PPW JOB NO. Al GEOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL PEER REVIEW CONSULTANT SERVICES AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT FOR GEOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL_ ENGINEERING _ CONSULTANT SERVICES WITH AMEC EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL INC. TO PERFORM GEOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT SERVICES IN THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS ON AN ON -CALL BASIS FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS AS NEEDED. RECOMMENDATION Authorize the Town Manager to execute an agreement for geology and geotechnical engineering consultant services with AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. to perform geology and geotechnical engineering consultant services in the on an on -call basis for private development projects and public works projects as needed. BACKGROUND The has been using consultants to assist the Town in reviewing environmental, architectural, geology, historical, noise, building plan check, and arborist issues related to private development projects. These consultant contracts are reviewed by the appropriate Town department and staff to ensure that we are satisfied with the services provided and that Town residents receive quality service. The consulting firm of AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. has been providing satisfactory geology and geotechnical peer review services since The current contract with this firm expires on June 30, PREPARED BY TODD CAPURSO Director of Parks and Public Works Reviewed by: J Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney Finance N:\ MANAGEMENT\COUNCIL PPW\ COUNCIL REPORTS\2012 ReportsUune 18\Al geology- geotechnical ṗeer.review. agr.docx

2 PAGE 2 JUNE 7, 2012 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: PPW JOB NO. Al GEOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL PEER REVIEW CONSULTANT SERVICES DISCUSSION: Town policy requires that ongoing consultant contracts cannot be extended for more than five years. This is to ensure that the Town evaluates such contracts and is receiving the best service from our consultants. Staff prepared a new Request for Proposal for geology and geotechnical peer review services and it was advertised in newspapers per Town requirements. In response to this Request for Proposal, the Town received one proposal, from AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. Parks and Public Works Department staff met with AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. to review the peer review work, process, and the service provided by this firm. Town staff is very satisfied with the service and the responsiveness this firm provides. AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. is very familiar with the geology and its unique conditions. This knowledge has been invaluable in the past years performing very complex peer reviews on private development projects. Additionally, situations may arise when supplemental outside resources are required to analyze or review Town projects. This consultant may also be used to provide those services on a project by project basis. CONCLUSION It is recommended that the Town Council authorize the Town Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement for a two ȳear period with AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc., to perform geology and geotechnical peer review for private development projects and design for public works projects as needed. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to Sections 15301(c), 15303(e) and 15304(b) of the State CEQA guidelines. FISCAL IMPACT The funding for the agreements for the geology and geotechnical peer review is fully provided by the deposit that the Town collects from private development applicants, for any public works project design work will be performed after appropriate funding is allocated. Attachments 1. Proposal from AMEC Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc. dated.

3 amevpa & Attachment 1 Mr. Kevin Rohani, PE, Town Engineer Parks and Public Works 41 Miles Avenue Los Gatos, CA 9503 Subject: Statement of Qualifications PPW JOB NO. Al2-003 Geology and Geotechnical Peer Review Services, California Dear Mr. Rohani: AMEC Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc. (AMEC) is pleased to submit our Statement of Qualifications SOQ) to provide geology and geotechnical peer review services to the (Town). This SOQ is provided in response to the Town's Request for Qualifications for PPW Job No. Al2-003, Geology and Geotechnical Peer Review Services (RFQ), dated January 30, If selected, these services will be a continuation of geology and geotechnical peer review services to the Town provided by AMEC (form6rly Geomatrix Consultants, Inc. and AMEC Geomatrix Consultants, Inc.) since In this letter, we describe our understanding of the scope of services, present our firm and staff qualifications, discuss our peer review philosophy and approach, provide a list the key professionals and their qualifications that will provide the required peer review services to the Town. The remainder of our submittal consists of the following Attachments: A. AMEC Firm Overview and Registrations; B. Resumes of Key Professionals; C. Client References; D. Example of a Recent Engineering Geologic /Geotechnical Peer Review; E. Current Schedule of Charges; and F. Geohazards and Geotechnical Services Statement of Qualifications Brochure. Understanding of Scope of Services Based on our previous experience with the Town, the scope of services is anticipated to predominantly be peer review of geologic /geotechnical (soils) reports, plans, design calculations, and other data submitted to the Town in support of new private, single - family residential development and rare subdivision projects in the hillside areas of the Town. Development in the hillside areas of Town is constrained by steep slopes, landslides, potentially weak surficial deposits, potential expansive soils and bedrock, potential fault ground rupture and potential seismic ground shaking. Adequate characterization of site conditions in a geologic /geotechnical investigation is critical to the formulation of appropriate design recommendations. In addition to new hillside development projects, peer review may include new single - family residential development and additions to existing single - family residences, a few subdivision projects, and rare commercial projects in the flatland areas of Town. The latter are often conversion of commercial use to high - density residential use. In the flatland areas of Town, the significant constraints include potential fault ground rupture and ground deformation, potential seismic - induced liquefaction, potential ground settlement, potential expansive soils, high groundwater conditions, and potential seismic shaking. Again, adequate AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, Inc Webster Street, 12th Floor Oakland, California USA Tel ( 510) Fax ( 510) com

AIM., Mr. Rohani Page 2 characterization of site conditions in a geologic /geotechnical investigation is critical to the formulation of appropriate geotechnical engineering design recommendations.

4 AIM., Mr. Rohani Page 2 characterization of site conditions in a geologic /geotechnical investigation is critical to the formulation of appropriate geotechnical engineering design recommendations. Since 2002, we have also provided services to the Town related to illegal grading, distressed public property, new public buildings (library), the development of a new hillside - grading ordinance, and development of the updated General Plan; we anticipate that similar services will be required in the future. Also, AMEC has extensive experience in the evaluation and mitigation of hazardous materials should those services be required. About AMEC and Our Staff AMEC Environment &Infrastructure, Inc. (AMEC) has offices located throughout North America and affiliates throughout the western hemisphere. Our team consists of scientific, technical and support professionals who work on projects across the globe. When supported by our parent company, AMEC pic, we have access to 27,000 employees in 40 countries. Our west coast expertise includes geotechnical, geologic, seismologic, and environmental consulting services. Our technical capabilities include geotechnical and foundation engineering, earthquake engineering, engineering geology, seismic geology, seismology and geophysics, hydrogeology, and environmental engineering. AMEC also provides an extensive range of specialized services including computer modeling, and geographic information systems. Senior professionals in the firm have 10 to 40+ years of experience in their respective fields and have directed projects ranging from individual consulting assignments to multidisciplinary team efforts required for major facilities. Peer Review Philosophy and Goals and AMEC Approach As stated in the RFQ; The Town's peer review philosophy and goal is to protect public health and safety by administering State and local laws, regulations, and policies in a clear and consistent manner in order to help 1) protect the Town from damage to public property); 2) protect the owner /applicant (private property - adequate performance of their improvements, and in some cases from themselves); and (3) protect the private consultants from a number of things, including inexperience, mistakes and omissions due to poor communication between them and their clients, and schedule and budget constraints, among others. In this context the Town considers the review process as an important and necessary way to elevate the geologic and geotechnical work to a reasonable level consistent with the types of hillside projects we have in the Town which are generally single - family residential structures. In general, we do not see that it is our role to require levels of work from property owners and their consultants significantly above a reasonable level, nor do we see that it is our role to impose the peer reviewer's interpretations on property owners and their consultants so long as their interpretations are reasonable and supported. Peer reviews should be done in a clear consistent manner based on the Town Seismic Safety Element of the General Plan and applicable Ordinances of the Town Municipal Code, administering state and local laws, regulations, and policies, including review criteria of Santa Clara County. Independent peer review is the appropriate process to implement the Town's peer review philosophy and goals. AMEC does not believe that the role of peer review is to require levels of work significantly above minimum requirements, nor is it the role of the peer review to impose the reviewer's own interpretations on a consultant as long as their interpretations are reasonable and supported in their reports by appropriate methodology and sufficient data. In the end, the project engineering geologist and geotechnical engineer sign the report(s) and are responsible for the project, not the or AMEC. A peer review should be sensitive to the line between doer and reviewer. It is not the role of peer review to do the project for the owner /applicant, although in some cases strong guidance may be appropriate and necessary. Other realities of the process include the constraints of time and money. Irrespective of State- mandated review of faults and (more recently) seismic landslide and liquefaction hazards, and regulations and policies, the peer review process needs the cooperation and support of the owner /applicants and the

S Mr. Rohani Page 3 private consultants to be most effective and successful. Peer reviews that seem arbitrary, endless, and /or excessively costly can undermine the overall process.

5 S Mr. Rohani Page 3 private consultants to be most effective and successful. Peer reviews that seem arbitrary, endless, and /or excessively costly can undermine the overall process. Our peer review philosophy is best illustrated by the over 110 peer reviews performed for the Town since 2002, and by the thousands of peer reviews completed between 1999 and 2012 for the Town of Woodside by Dr. Wright as the Woodside Town Geologist. These projects have been characterized by: 1) an understanding of local geologic, geotechnical, and seismic conditions; 2) familiarity with geologic and seismic resources available to consultants in preparing their reports, including Town ordinances and maps; 3) familiarity with the State Earthquake Fault Hazards and Seismic Hazards Act requirements and supporting documents; 4) understanding of the standards of practice in preparing geologic and geotechnical investigation reports; 5) familiarity with the applicable California Building Code (CBC) requirements; and 6) personal knowledge of many of the consultants preparing reports. This has facilitated our peer review process so that our reviews have become more efficient (timely) and less costly. While each review is unique and site - specific, the process generally consists of: 1) initial consultation with the Town staff on the proposed project and a determination whether or not the proposed project requires review; 2) initial consultation with the project geologist/geotechnical engineer to review the proposed project, site conditions, constraints to site exploration, and consultant's planned approach; 3) review of the geology and /or geotechnical investigation report(s); and 4) preparation of our peer review letter with comments and recommendations. Because of the nature of developments in the hillside areas of the Town have tended to be large and complex, with basements, significant grading, retaining walls, etc., the learning curve for consultants adapting to the requirements of the Seismic Hazards Act, and other reasons discussed above, some peer reviews result in comments /questions for the project team. In many cases, these comments /questions are directed to the project geologic or geotechnical consultant(s) and can be adequately addressed within the project design process, and do not require supplemental review. The number of peer reviews requiring supplemental review has been reduced since 2002, and our goal is to work with the Town staff and consultants to minimize these. In general, initial peer reviews are completed within two (2) weeks of authorization and receipt of the report(s) and plans. Step 2 above has become an important step in the peer review process. Initial consultation with the project geologic /geotechnical to review the proposed project and geologic and geotechnical issues helps the consultant to focus their scope of work to adequately address the issues in their report; this in turn helps to significantly reduce peer review comments and costs, and, ultimately, to expedite the overall process. AMEC's role in the peer review process on most projects generally ends when the consultant has addressed significant review comments, if any. However, several subsequent steps are important in assuring that a projected is completed satisfactorily. These include: 1) review of the plans by the geotechnical consultant and submittal of a geotechnical plan review letter to the Town as a condition of issuance of the permit(s); and 2) construction observation by the geotechnical consultant and submittal of an "as- built" letter to the Town as a condition of finaling the project. Review of the plans and construction observation services are usually conditions in the project geotechnical consultant's report. The purpose of plan review is to allow the geotechnical consultant to review the plans to assure that they are consistent with the recommendations in the geotechnical report. The purpose of the as- built" construction observation letter is to document that the project has been constructed as shown on the plans, or if changes are made during construction, document how the project was built. A recent peer review letter for a proposed project in the Town is included in Attachment D. This example illustrates a review that had comments to be considered and address by the geotechnical consultant, but it did not require a formal response be submitted for further review.

6 Ask Mr. Rohani Page 4 Key Professionals Robert H. Wright, PhD, CEG, Senior Associate Engineering Geologist with AMEC, will be the Project Manager and primary contact with the, and will be the key engineering geology reviewer. Dr. Wright has been providing these services to the since Dr. Wright previously served as the City Geologist for the cities of San Carlos and Healdsburg. He also has provided peer review services for the cities of Oakland, Hayward, Fairfield, and Woodside, and for various local, state and federal agencies. Dr. Wright is thoroughly familiar with the geology and seismic conditions of the Los Gatos area and the Peninsula. He spent the first half of his career working for the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park and the consulting firm of Earth Sciences Associates in Palo Alto, Dr. Wright has conducted research on the Peninsula segment of the San Andreas fault zone under grants from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. Jim French, PE, GE, Principal Engineer with AMEC, will be the key geotechnical engineering reviewer, Mr. French has assisted Dr. Wright on previous peer reviews for the Town and is familiar with the process. Mr. French has extensive experience in slope stability issues, foundation design, and liquefaction analysis, Pnd has performed numerous peer reviews for the County of Alameda. He has over 30 years of experience in geotechnical, environmental, and construction engineering, and has served as project manager or design engineer on a wide range of projects, including landslides, office buildings, single family residences, and subdivisions. He has been responsible for preparing and reviewing geotechnical reports, complex calculations, plans, and specifications. He is experienced with field construction control for landslide repairs, other large grading projects, and subdivisions. In addition, he is experienced with foundation excavation and shoring for numerous buildings, from large offices to single- family homes. Mr. French has directed geotechnical laboratory testing for many of the above projects and has performed laboratory testing for numerous others. He has performed computer analyses for slope stability, liquefaction, seismic deformation, bearing capacity, and consolidation. Mr. French has coordinated many studies with geologists to consider faulting, rock structure, and history of deposition and sliding. Michael Traubenik, PE, GE, Principal with AMEC, will support the review of project- specific geotechnical design considerations and recommendations and slope stabilityevaluations, as needed'. He is a geotechnical engineer with more than 35 years of experience, specializing in foundation and earthquake engineering. He has conducted geotechnical and earthquake engineering studies for various types of structures, including conventional multi -story structure's and single story light industrial structures. He has lead geologic /geotechnical studies for heavy civil and important infrastructure projects, such as water treatment and storage facilities, dams, reservoirs, pipelines, water and transportation tunnels and transportation structures. John A. Egan, PE, GE, Principal with AMEC, will provide review of seismic and slope stability analysis aspects of projects /reports, as needed, Mr. Egan is an internationally recognized authority on earthquake engineering, and has provided peer review and expert consultation to numerous local, state, and federal agencies. He currently serves on the California Hospital Building Safety Board and the California State University Seismic Review Board.

7 Mr. Rohani Page 5 Organization Chart Principal Project Manager Engineering Geology Peer Review Robert H. Wright; PhD, CEG Geotechnical Engineering Support Geotechnical Engineering PeerReview Geotechnical Engineering Support MichaelL.Traubenik, PE, GE James B. French, PE, GE John A, Egan, PE, GE Key Personnel resumes are provided in Attachment B, AMEC has a large staff of professionals available to provide expert consultation review / on hydrology and environmental issues should any arise on a project in the Town. AMEC also has state -of- the - practice GIS, CAD, and graphic design capabilities to support any mapping /graphic needs of the Town. AMEC appreciates the opportunity to submit our Statement of Qualifications to provide peer review services to the, and looks forward to continuing to work with you and the Town residents, Sincerely yours, AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. Susan Gallardo, PE Vice President and Principal Engineer Tel.: Fax: Robert H. Wright, PhD, CEG Senior Associate Engineering Geologist Tel.: , 4187 / Fax: Enclosures 12PR mlpmp os galas KgO-1 suomillalvrzll`las gaws soq_1 r20'2_ d.(.

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Roy Pyle March 24, 2017 Chief Facilities Planner Contra Costa Community College District 500 North Court Street Martinez, CA 94533

Roy Pyle March 24, 2017 Chief Facilities Planner Contra Costa Community College District 500 North Court Street Martinez, CA 94533 State of California Natural Resources Agency Edmund G. Brown Jr., Governor Department of Conservation John G. Parrish, Ph.D., State Geologist California Geological Survey 801 K Street MS 12-31 Sacramento,