2009-08-26 Handouts @ Mtg. - Laserfiche WebLink

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2. On August 27,1998, the City ofCenterville entered into an agreement with Bonestroo for professional engineering services, as well as for professional services in the planning, design, and construction of public works and special projects. Pursuant to the agreement, the City may also direct the engineer to provide services not related to a construction project, such as: traffic studies, transportation studies, feasibility investigations, studies and reports; sanitary sewer, water, and stormwater system master plans; environmental assessments, worksheets or impact statements; and rate studies; as well as various other services. The agreement provides for rates to be adjusted annually by Bonestroo at the fIrst of the year. The agreement continues until either party cancels. 3. Regarding the City's monitoring and oversight of the services Bonestroo provided, the City Administrator stated, "Bonestroo provides a breakdown of hours of each person that works on any of the City's projects. As for monitoring, the City knows what projects Bonestroo is working on, and budgets are preauthorized for each. They are a professional services company, and we trust that they are submitting honest bills for the hours they work on our project. The City checks the computations and watches to make sure that Bonestroo does not exceed the allotted budget in their billings." 4. We reviewed a sample of disbursements paid by the City to Bonestroo during calendar years 2005 through 2008 and noted that all invoices sent to the City of Centerville were accompanied with supporting documentation from Bonestroo. 5. We examined the detail of a 2008 invoice from Bonestroo and compared the rates charged on the invoice to a 2008 rate schedule provided by Bonestroo and approved by the City. The rates charged on the invoice agreed with the approved rate schedule without exception. In light of the amount of engineering fees paid by the City of Centerville to Bonestroo, we recommend that the City consider developing a Request for Proposal (RFP). The responses to this "official" statement to vendors about the services the City of Centerville requires would provide a comparison of what other vendors can provide as professional engineering services to the City and at what cost. RFPs have several benefIts: . they inform vendors that the City is looking to procure professional services and encourages vendors to make their best effort, . they require the City to specifY what it proposes to purchase, . they alert vendors that the selection process is competitive, and . they allow for a wide distribution and response. Page 4