Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve Waiving Bidding for NUE Urban Concepts, LLC to Prepare a Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee Study
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Submitted By: Teresa Lamar-Sarno, AICP, Deputy City Manager
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of high-quality infrastructure and facilities.
Summary Brief (Agreements/Contracts only)
1. Prepared by: Teresa Lamar-Sarno, AICP, Deputy City Manager.
2. Parties: City of Port St. Lucie and NUE Urban Concepts, LLC.
3. Purpose: On January 26, 2021, the City Council heard a presentation on Mobility fees by Jonathan B. Paul, Principal of NUE Urban Concepts, LLC. The Council directed that the City engage the consultant to prepare a Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee ordinance to become effective October 1, 2021. Staff was to return with a contract and plan to accomplish the Mobility fee work project in order to meet the October 1, 2021 effective date. This agenda item requests Council permission to waive the bidding requirement for this contract.
4. New/Renewal/Modified: New.
5. Duration: 150 days.
6. Benefits to Port St. Lucie: : The City benefits by establishing a mobility fee which allows funding of multi-modal projects in accordance with an approved Mobility Plan. The City benefits in contracting with NUE Urban Concepts, LLC because the firm has produced Mobility fees for various municipalities and counties. Additionally, the scope proposed to accomplish the mobility fee study in 6 months in order to adopt a Mobility Fee Ordinancy by October 1, 2021.
7. Cost to Port St. Lucie (Annual and Potential): The costs associated with this request is $227,500 for Phase 1.
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council waive the bidding process and approve a contract with NUE Urban Concepts, LLC in the amount of $227,500 for Phase 1.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and waive the bidding process and approve a contract with NUE New Urban Concepts, LLC in the amount of $227,500 for Phase 1.
2. Move that the Council provide staff direction.
Background: The City Council’s Budget Advisory Committee did an extensive review of impact fees paid by development in Port St. Lucie. Development in Port St. Lucie pays both City and County impact fees. Interlocal agreements establish the parameters of the collection and use of impact fees. A review of the road impact fees and the use of those fees by St. Lucie County indicated that a renegotiation of the interlocal agreement would be necessary. Another option of the Budget Advisory Committee’s review was consideration of a mobility fee to replace the current road impact fees. The City Council heard a presentation by Mr. Paul at its January 26, 2021 meeting and directed staff to proceed with a contract and plan to create a mobility plan and mobility fee ordinance with an effective date of October 1, 2021.
Issues/Analysis: As noted in Mr. Paul’s presentation, the creation of a mobility plan and mobility fee is a multi-task process that can take over a year to prepare. The proposal before the Council is based on the City Council’s requirement that mobility fees be effective by October 1, 2021.
The Scope of Service submitted by NUE New Urban Concepts, LLC contains a Phase 1 and a Phase 2. Each is described below.
Phase 1 is the completion of a Mobility Plan, technical report, and mobility fee ordinance to be completed for an effective date of October 1, 2021. The scope of services for the first phase will establish mobility corridors for new roads and roads to be widened, and multimodal corridors for roadways to be retrofitted with multimodal and intersection improvements. The scope will also establish areawide level of service (LOS) and / or quality-of-service (QOS) standards that will be used to calculate multimodal capacities and establish base line existing conditions in part-two of the scope of service. A mobility fee, mobility plan and fee technical report and mobility fee implementing ordinance will be developed for consideration by the Planning and Zoning Board and by the City Council for adoption in late summer. Phase 1 is projected to be complete October 1, 2021 for a cost of $227,500.
Phase 2 of the scope will utilize the data collection, the established service standards, and the mobility and multimodal corridors established in the first part of this scope to develop road specific multimodal improvements and cross-sections. Before and after aerials, renderings and capacities will be developed for specific roadway facilities. The scope will also include a baseline evaluation of the LOS and / or QOS of the existing network to establish a baseline existing conditions analysis in order to periodically measure mobility fee performance. The second part of this scope will include community outreach for input and refinement of proposed mobility plan improvements. Phase 2 is projected to be complete October 1, 2022 for a cost of $249,375. Staff recommends that the Phase 2 study costs be included in the City’s FY21-22 budget.
Today’s agenda item seeks approval of the request to waive bidding requirements for the Phase 1 Scope of Service. Approval of the Phase 1 scope will require a budget amendment that will be presented to the Council at a subsequent meeting. Approval of Phase 2 will be requested of the in late summer.
As part of the work effort to implement the Council’s direction to adopt a Mobility Fee effective October 1, 2021, staff anticipates that additional studies will be needed for Midway Road, and Glades Cut-off Road, St. James Boulevard, Walton Road, McCarty Road, and Gilson Road. These studies will attempt to ascertain the percentage of use of City residents versus county residents use on these County roadways within the City. These studies will attempt to ascertain the percentage of use on these roads by City residents versus County residents. The data will be useful in determining the amount of the mobility fee that may be remitted to St. Lucie County. Staff anticipates that St. Lucie County will participate in the stakeholder meetings. In addition, City staff will reach out to St. Lucie County staff to negotiate the distribution of a percentage of the mobility fees to the County for mobility improvements on County roads within the City’s boundaries.
Staff recommends approval of the waiver request for the completion of Mobility Fee Phase 1 Scope of Service submitted by NUE Urban Concepts, LLC as the most effective way to meet the City Council’s direction in light of the severe time constraints. Staff has reviewed the associated quotes and feel that they are reasonable for the work requested.
Financial Information: Funding for this project is 001-1900-531000-00000 Professional Services
Special Consideration: As noted above, the consultant’s deadline of October 1, 2021 effective date does not allow enough time to use the standard purchasing methods.
Location of Project: Citywide.
Attachments:
1. Scope of Service from NUE Urban Concepts, LLC.
2. Schedule for Adoption of a Mobility Fee.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 6068
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Margaret M. Carland, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by James D. Stokes, City Attorney.