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Consideration of request by Senior Civil Engineer for approval of an amendment to the professional services agreement with MSA, in the amount of $400,000, for continued stormwater modeling and preliminary engineering analysis of the Schoonmaker Creek Watershed, CIP Project 3005.
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Submitted by:
Maggie Anderson, Senior Civil Engineer
Department
Public Works, Engineering Division
A. Issue
Consideration of request for approval of an amendment to the professional services agreement with MSA, in the amount of $400,000, for continued stormwater modeling and preliminary engineering analysis of the Schoonmaker Creek Watershed, CIP Project 3005.
B. Background/Options
In 2023, the City entered in to a professional services agreement with MSA to complete a detailed analysis of two alternatives to address flooding in the Schoonmaker Creek Watershed. MSA and City Staff presented the selected alternative of a conventional storm sewer from Lloyd Street to the Menomonee River at the October 15, 2024, Community Affairs Meeting. The Common Council subsequently passed a resolution on October 22, 2024, affirming the conventional storm sewer as the least costly option.
Since October of 2024, MSA and City Staff worked with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (District) to develop a scope of services for the next phase of work related to the District’s jurisdictional reach of the Schoonmaker Creek. This phase will include additional modeling and engineering to produce a comprehensive stormwater model of the Schoonmaker Creek. Efforts will also include developing a 30% design model for watershed areas north of Lloyd Street, which are not within the District’s jurisdictional limits, but are required for the full system analysis and conclusion of the 30% design. Completion of the work will identify specific construction projects, develop preliminary construction cost estimates, as well as construction phasing and sequencing, to be used by the City in preparing the 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
City staff is recommending an amendment to MSA’s current contract for a number of reasons. MSA successfully delivered the initial phase of the study and was instrumental in supporting coordination efforts between the City and District staff. MSA is also working with the District on regional stormwater modeling and flood risk-reduction efforts that will be coordinated with the Schoonmaker Watershed recommendations. In addition, this next phase is a continuation of MSA’s modeling effort to further develop the selected alternative and lay the groundwork for the next design contract and final design. In conjunction with City and District staff, MSA has the staff availability to continue and finalize this effort in the next 9 to 12 months.
MMSD has committed to cost sharing for professional services fees related to this next phase of the work as it is related to the jurisdictional reach of the creek. District and City staff are concurrently working on an Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement (ICA) to finalize roles, responsibilities, and cost sharing for this effort. The ICA will be brought to the MMSD Commission and the City Council for approval this summer/early fall.
C. Strategic Plan (Area of Focus)
Priority 3: Infrastructure, Goal 4. Identify improvement options for the Schoonmaker Creek Watershed.
D. Fiscal Impact
MSA’s initial contract for phase one was $450,000. The additional fees in this amendment for continued stormwater modeling and preliminary engineering are $400,000, increasing the total contract amount to $850,000. There are sufficient funds within Project 3005 for this effort and revised contract amount. Final cost share numbers with the District will be included in the forthcoming ICA in the Summer/Fall of 2025.
E. Recommendation
Authorize staff to amend the professional services agreement with MSA for continued stormwater modeling and preliminary engineering analysis of the Schoonmaker Creek Watershed, CIP Project 3005, for a revised total contract amount of $850,000.00.