Background
In 2017, as a part of the "Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction Program," the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded Yolo County $1.5 million for flood risk reduction studies for the communities of Clarksburg, Knights Landing, and Yolo. These funds were used to identify locally supported projects to improve flood facilities and reduce flood risk.
The Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction Program is a cost-share funding program that provides assistance to communities with 200 to 10,000 residents that are protected by the State Plan of Flood Control. The program was created as a result of the 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and is intended to reduce flood risk for small communities.
Communities that were selected to receive funding through Small Communities Program's first phase were awarded funds to complete a feasibility study of flood risk reduction projects. The completed studies for Clarksburg, Knights Landing, and Yolo can be found here. Funding for design and construction became available in February 2020. Eligible projects for Phase 2 must repair, rehabilitate, reconstruct, or replace State Plan of Flood Control facilities (e.g. levees, weirs, bypasses) and be consistent with the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan goals and objectives.
In February 2020, the County submitted a grant proposal to DWR for Phase 2 Implementation funding for the Knights Landing Flood Risk Reduction project (Project). The County requested $15,166,000 from DWR and proposed a local match of $1,685,111 (allocated in the adopted 2020/2021 County Budget) for a total project cost of $16,851,112. The County was awarded $15,166,000 in May 2020.
Current Request
As stated above, the County was successful in obtaining $15.166M in State funding for implementation of the Knights Landing Flood Risk Reduction project. The project proposes to:
- Construct Mid-Valley sites 9 & 10* (including final design, permitting, environmental compliance)
- Levee improvements along Sacramento River, adjacent to town of Knights Landing to prevent seepage
- Design, engineering, and permitting of new cross levee (key to 100-year flood protection, note that this award does NOT provide construction financing)
- Levee improvements along Knights Landing Ridge Cut
- Design, engineering, and permitting of recreational/habitat features to benefit the residents of Knights Landing and the region by increasing public access and improving wildlife conditions
*Note: All construction related activities will be subject to the County's public bid process and future consideration by the Board.
As described in the Competitive Bid Process section below, the County released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on June 2, 2020, seeking qualified contractors/vendors/consultants to provide design, engineering, permitting, environmental compliance, project management, and construction management services for the project. The most qualified proposer was MBK Engineers. At this time, Staff is requesting that the Board approve a three-year agreement with MBK Engineers in the amount of $13,178,593 to provide the aforementioned services (Attachment A). Of this amount $897,118 will be funded solely by the County and $12,281,475 will be reimbursed by the State.
Cost allocations associated with this proposed contract are described in detail below.
MBK Engineers was the sole respondent to the RFQ. The MBK proposal includes the use of eight (8) sub-contractors whom all have expertise and institutional knowledge of the levee basin, interior drainage, operations and maintenance responsibilities, water supply network, and relationships with project partners (RD 108, Knights Landing Ridge Cut Drainage District) and regional stakeholders. Those sub-contractors include:
- GEI Engineers
- HDR Engineers
- River Partners
- Kjeldsen, Sinnock, and Neudeck (KSN)
- MGE Engineering
- Wood Rodgers Engineering
- Douglas Environmental
- Monument, Inc.
In July 2020, the Department of Financial Services, Procurement Division, issued an "Pre-Award" letter (Attachment B) stating the County's intent to award the contract to MBK Engineers. No protests were received.
Allocation of Costs
The proposed contract (Att. A) comports with the funding award agreement between the County and DWR. Cost allocations are provided below and will occur over the grant performance period of 2021-2023.
| Task |
County Cost |
State Cost |
Total Cost |
| Geotechnical Investigation |
$ 190,884 |
$ 1,717,954 |
$ 1,908,838 |
| Design Plans, Specs, and Estimates |
$ 0 |
$ 7,984,359 |
$ 7,984,359 |
| Environmental Documentation |
$ 472,000 |
$ 472,500 |
$ 945,000 |
| Permitting/Cultural Resources Compliance |
$ 95,500 |
$ 859,500 |
$ 955,000 |
| Real Estate (ROW Acquisition, etc.) |
$ 5,500 |
$ 49,500 |
$ 55,000 |
| Project Management |
$ 133,234 |
$ 1,199,156 |
$ 1,332,396 |
| Total |
$ 897,118 |
$ 12,281,475 |
$ 13,178,593 |
Information provided by the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) substantiates that these costs are in line with that agencies recent flood control efforts. Generally speaking, design, environmental, permitting, mitigation, etc. can cost between 40 to 50% (“soft cost”) of the total project budget. When progressing a project to readiness, it takes 50% of the soft cost budget to get to 90% of project design and engineering completeness, and the remaining 50% soft cost budget to go from 90% to 100% project design and engineering.
In addition, rate sheets for MBK and each sub-consultant indicate that the hourly rate charges are within normal industry standards: $130-$300 per hour for engineering; $150-$250 per hour for surveying; $280-$420 per hour for geotechnical exploration; $125-$250 per hour for real estate acquisition; and $130-$210 per hour for environmental compliance/restoration ecologist. |