As part of the State of Texas Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Action Plan (CDBG-MIT), the Texas General Land Office (GLO) allocated $488,762,000.00 to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) to develop a method of distribution (MOD) for the Regional Mitigation Program. Through the preliminary H-GAC MOD, the City of Sugar Land (City) is included as a potential recipient of funding in the amount of $4,063,600.00. This amount is subject to change as the public participation process is completed and until final MOD approval by the GLO.
On July 15, 2022, City staff submitted the form signed by the City of Sugar Land Mayor accepting the allocation of $4,063,600.00 through the Regional Mitigation Program. Declining to participate in the H-GAC MOD may exclude the City if there are any future allocations or reallocations of funds through the Regional Mitigation Program. The City is planning to use the grant for the Brazos River Erosion Protection at the City’s Memorial Park area, which is one of the top 11 erosion sites identified by both Fort Bend County and the City.
Participation in CDBG-MIT MOD programs requires utilizing experienced professionals in the engineering design and project delivery of federally-funded projects. In order to identify qualified and responsive providers for these services, staff issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for engineering and design services in accordance with the GLO requirements.
Three Statement of Qualifications (SOQs) were received and reviewed to determine the most qualified and responsive provider for the engineering professional services, giving consideration to the ability to perform successfully, compliance with public policy, record of past performance, integrity, financial and technical resources, under the terms and conditions of the proposed procurement process required by GLO.
The company selected by the City to provide project-related engineering design and delivery services is Huitt-Zollars Inc.
Huitt-Zollars Inc. will provide the following services as necessary:
1. Engineering and Final Design (Post-Funding);
2. Construction Contract Procurement Support (Bid Phase and Award); and
3. Construction Contract Management and Construction Oversight Support.
Before the CDBG-MIT grant application is submitted, the GLO requires the City Council to approve a contract for engineering professional services.
This project is funded by the CDBG-MIT. The payment schedule will be contingent upon funding being awarded. In the event that grant funds are not awarded to the City, this agreement with Huitt-Zollars Inc. will be terminated. The engineering fee will not exceed 15 percent of the final grant award. After the grant award, Huitt-Zollars Inc. and the City will execute a Work Authorization detailing the final contract amount and cost for services. It is also agreed that payments to Huitt-Zollars shall be subject to adjustment where monitoring reviews or audits by the TXGLO indicate that professional services were compensated at greater than reasonable rates.
Staff recommends authorizing a contract with Huitt-Zollars Inc. for design and engineering services in an amount not to exceed 15 percent of the CDBG-MIT funding award for the Brazos River Erosion Protection Project at Memorial Park.