Title
Stream and Wetland Mitigation Monitoring Services
Action
Action:
Approve unit price contracts for up to $150,000 each with the following firms for mitigation monitoring services:
- Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., and
- S&ME, Inc.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Mike Davis, Engineering and Property Management
Kruti Desai, Engineering and Property Management
Marc Recktenwald, Engineering and Property Management
Explanation
§ The City operates a federally approved stream and wetland mitigation bank to supply mitigation credits for City and Mecklenburg County infrastructure projects.
§ Stream and wetland mitigation projects must be monitored for up to seven years to ensure project success and the release of credits from the State and Federal agencies to the bank.
§ These services will provide mitigation monitoring services for mitigation bank projects.
§ Approximately four and a half miles of stream and three acres of wetlands are monitored per year.
§ The work includes preparation of comprehensive annual reports to detail a project’s existing conditions and evaluate project success.
§ On September 11, 2017, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP); five proposals were received from interested professional service providers.
§ Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and S&ME, Inc. best meet the City’s needs on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualification of professional services in response to the RFP requirements.
§ Each of the two contracts will have a term of two years and a budget of $150,000 (total budget for both contracts is $300,000).
Background
§ Stream and wetland restoration improves water quality by restoring damaged streams, wetlands and streamside buffer areas.
§ Federal regulations protect streams and wetlands and require that impacts to these features be offset (mitigated) by restoring other streams and wetlands.
§ Stream and wetland restoration projects provide mitigation credits that can be used to offset stream or wetland impacts for City and County infrastructure projects, including airport expansions, transportation improvements, stormwater improvements and neighborhood improvement projects.
§ Mitigation credit is awarded by federal and state agencies incrementally over a seven-year period based on project success, which is documented in monitoring reports.
Charlotte Business INClusion
The City negotiates subcontracting participation after the proposal selection process (Part C: Section 2.1 (h) of the Charlotte Business INClusion Policy). On these contracts, the Prime Consultants have each committed 10% ($15,000) of the total contract amount to the following certified firms:
Kimley-Horn & Associates
§ James Mauney & Associates (SBE) ($15,000) (surveying)
S&ME Inc.
§ Habitat Assessment & Restoration Professionals (SBE) (vegetation monitoring)
§ LDSI, Inc. (SBE) (surveying)
Fiscal Note
Funding: Storm Water Community Investment Plan