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Commissioner Philbeck - Public Works - To Authorize the County Manager, or Her Designee, to Execute a Professional Services Contract with LKC Engineering for the Design of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) High Shoals, Hardin, Dallas Water Interconnect Project and to Approve Fund Balance Appropriation ($894,000)
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STAFF CONTACT
Dan Ziehm, PE - Public Works - 704-862-6795
BUDGET IMPACT
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100% ARPA Funds.
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BUDGET ORDINANCE IMPACT
N/A
BACKGROUND
Gaston County has received American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund established in S.L. 2021-18. Projects funded from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund must meet applicable federal law and guidance for the ARP funds.
Purchase and Service Contracts containing federal funds of any source, type, or amount, must follow Uniform Guidance (UG) as codified in 2 eCFR Part 200. Per 2 eCFR § 200.320(b), Service Contracts of $250,000 or more (threshold based on total cost of award if multiple awards) can be procured per the Competitive Proposal process when the sealed bid procedure is not appropriate for the particular type of service being sought.
When federal funds are involved, waiver of Qualification Based Selection (QBS) can only be considered when total cost is below $10,000 per Uniform Guidance. However, the design fees for this ARPA water interconnect project will exceed the $10,000 cap for exemption, thereby requiring the engineer to be selected through the qualifications-based process. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was publicized on the County’s website, Charlotte Observer, Greater Diversity News, and on the NC DOA Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) site to meet the UG’s affirmative steps to solicit from minority firms.
Public Works staff developed an RFQ packet for the waterline extension infrastructure projects in accordance with the statutory requirements and publicly announced this project beginning on May 18, 2022. Statements of Qualification (SOQ) submittals were received on June 10, 2022, from three (3) firms:
• Armstrong Glen, Charlotte, NC
• LaBella Associates, Charlotte, NC
• LKC Engineering, Aberdeen, NC
After reviewing the SOQs submitted by the three firms, LKC Engineering was deemed to be the best qualified for the High Shoals, Hardin, Dallas Water Interconnect Project.
Approval of this Board Action by the Gaston County Board of Commissioners officially selects LKC Engineering as the designer of record for the project listed above. Further, approval of this Board Action authorizes the County Attorney to draft the necessary contract documents for the work and authorizes the County Manager, or her designee, to negotiate and execute said contract.
This project will be partially funded through ARPA grant funds received from NCDEQ (Division of Water Infrastructure Grant). A request for gap funding will be reviewed by the ARPA grant committee and it will be brought to the BOC in July/August to accept and appropriate County ARPA funding should the project be approved as eligible by the committee. Approval of this Board Action authorizes the temporary appropriation of Fund Balance in order to proceed with the design contract.
POLICY IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
Budget Change Request (BCR)