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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Professional Services Agreement for North River Valley Low-Head Dam RESOLUTION NO. 16-337 RESOLUTION APPROVING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR NORTH RIVER VALLEY PARK LOW-HEAD DAM IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE CITY OF AMES WHEREAS,the City of Ames constructed a low-head dam in 1984 in order to create a pool of water in the primary recharge zone for the City's Downtown Well Field, providing a means to increase the capacity of these wells during periods of drought,and this dam replaced temporary sand dams constructed in the 1970s for the same purpose; and, WHEREAS, while the City has never promoted recreation at the dam, it is evident that the low-head dam attracts members of the public who use the area for recreation; and, WHEREAS, low-head dams can pose a serious hazard due to the recirculation effect which occurs immediately downstream of the dam, and this hazard is caused by the uniform hydraulics as the water flows over the top of the dam; and, WHEREAS,without something to break up the uniform hydraulics, a dangerous undertow can be created, and once caught in the uniform flow, it is easy for a water vessel to capsize and become caught in the recirculation; and, WHEREAS, a project to improve the safety of this piece of infrastructure that is critical to the overall management of the Ames drinking water supply was first proposed in 2008, and the design has undergone several changes since 2008,which expanded the project to provide additional aquatic and recreational benefits, but that also increased the cost of the project; and, WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has worked with the City to develop conceptual ideas that involve a modified design to prevent the dangerous recirculation effects of the dam, while improving recreational features of the dam, such as bank access, fishing access, and whitewater features; and, WHEREAS, the revised concept is now a rock arch rapids design that has been successful in other locations; and, WHEREAS, staff has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in order to select a firm to prepare the bidding documents, and on April 1, 2016, four proposals for the design services were received; and, WHEREAS,RiverRestoration.org was identified as the preferred firm based on its prior work and its proposed approach to this project; and, WHEREAS, staff subsequently negotiated a final scope of work with this firm to perform the necessary design,bid phase assistance, and construction phase engineering services required to complete the project; and, WHEREAS, staff worked with the consultant to review the proposed scope,which brought the proposed fee to $102,499; and, WHEREAS, while recreation, aquatic life protection, and water quality are all valuable benefits that will result from this project, the single-most important outcome will be improving safety. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that award of contract for the design,bidding, and construction-phase engineering services for the North River Valley Low-Head Dam Improvements to RiverRestoration.org of Carbondale,Colorado, in an amount not to exceed $102,499 is hereby approved. ADOPTED THIS 14th day of June, 2016. A. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor Introduced by: Nelson Seconded by: Betcher Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin,Nelson, Orazem Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 14th day of June, 2016.