LAKEPORT >> Three contracts were approved by the Lake County Board of Supervisors during their regular meeting this week. Two contracts were from Lake County Public Services, while one was from Lake County Public Works.
Public Services asked the supervisors to continue a water monitoring relationship with SHN Consulting Engineers. The department’s director, Caroline Chavez, requested they board waive the consultant selection process due to the firm’s long history with the county.
“For many years, the county has relied upon SHN Consulting Engineers to provide water monitoring and reporting services and to represent the county before the Regional Water Quality Control Board,” Chavez stated.
Her rationale for bypassing the selection process received affirmation from the supervisors.
“In order to most effectively provide these services, a consultant must be intimately familiar with the surface water and ground water monitoring systems, and the historical issues and site characteristics that have impacted monitoring techniques, testing protocols and compliance efforts at the landfill,” Chavez explained.
The renewed contract will last for five years, costing $13,000 each year.
A second contract was for surface and ground water sampling and analysis services at the Eastlake Landfill, which has been provided by BC Labs for the past two years.
An evaluation of BC Labs was conducted in order to determine if a new request for proposals would be sent out. According to Chavez, the “evaluation included discussions with the consultants we utilize to analyze the test results produced by BC Labs,” who “stressed that BC Labs is the company most trusted by the Water Board for provision of such testing services.”
“In fact, BC labs performs more landfill testing work than all of the other state-approved labs combined,” Chavez continued.
Totaling $25,000 each year, the renewed contract will last for five years.
An amendment to a contract between the county and Quincy Engineering, Inc., was the topic was the final contract discussed.
The contract, which was approved in October 2013, is for engineering services for preliminary and final design, environmental services, surveying and bidding assistance for the replacement of Dry Creek Bridge on Dry Creek Road in Middletown.
The need for the amendment rose when “a requirement for professional liability insurance which was inadvertently omitted,” according to Lake County Public Works Director Scott De Leon. The amendment does not affect the cost of the project.
With a unanimous 5-0 vote, the board approved each contract.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
