COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
6e
BRIEFING ITEM
Date of Meeting
June 9, 2020
DATE: May 12, 2020
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Sandy Kilroy, Director, Maritime Environment & Sustainability
Jon Sloan, Sr. Manager, Environmental Programs
Alex Adams, Sr. Environmental Program Manager
Laura Wolfe, Environmental Program Manager
Danielle Butsick, Sr. Environmental Management Specialist
SUBJECT: Environmental Review, Permitting, and Sustainability Support IDIQ
Amount of this request: Service Agreements valued at $15,000,000 over six years
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute three indefinite delivery,
indefinite quantity (IDIQ) consulting agreements for environmental review, permitting and
sustainability consulting services with a cumulative total amount not to exceed $15,000,000 over
six years, awarded as three separate service agreements of $5,000,000 each. This request is for
authority to execute service agreements which will be used to support projects and initiatives
which are funded separately; no funding is associated with this request.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Maritime Environment & Sustainability Department proposes to advertise and select up to
three qualified firms to provide environmental review, design, communications, permitting, air
quality, energy, sustainability, and climate adaptation and response services. If authorized, the
procured services will replace three existing IDIQ service agreements that are approaching their
funding capacity. The three new service agreements will provide capacity to address
environmental support needs for a period of six years.
The proposed IDIQ contracts will be used to ensure Port operations, maintenance, capital
development, and redevelopment projects meet or exceed environmental standards. They will
provide a range of general, as well as specialized services, that are needed to secure permits,
document compliance, monitor performance, support environmental initiatives, design/manage
habitat restoration projects, and address existing/future environmental liabilities. They will also
provide services to support the Port’s climate change adaption, mitigation and response work,
including air quality assessments, energy conservation, and sustainability efforts. These services
will include support of the Port’s Sustainable Evaluation Framework Policy Directive (Jan. 2020),
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. _6e___ Page 2 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
including assistance with certification programs and subject matter expertise on sustainable
design, including application of the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s
Envision framework, Salmon Safe, GreenMarine, and other programs.
The contract will also provide support of the Port’s role as a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
“lead agency”, including environmental review, public notice, and threshold determinations.
Completion of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for federal agency
approvals will also be supported.
JUSTIFICATION
Timely environmental review, permitting services, scientific and technical assessments, and
subject matter expertise are essential to keep operations, maintenance, and capital projects on
schedule and budget and to make progress toward ambitious environmental and sustainability
goals. Fulfillment of environmental obligations and sustainability efforts through this
procurement supports all four of the Port’s Century Agenda objectives under the following
strategies: (1) position the Puget Sound region as a premier international logistics hub, (2)
advance this region as a leading tourism destination and business gateway, (3) use the Port’s
influence as an institution to promote women and minority business enterprise (WMBE) growth,
small business growth, and workforce development, and (4) be the greenest, and most energy-
efficient port in North America.
This procurement will allow the Port to responsibly manage finances by providing a cost-effective
means of managing programs that have variable workloads, are time-sensitive, and require
specialized expertise. The Port’s operations, capital program, and expense projects include
satisfaction of regulatory requirements such as NEPA/SEPA review, environmental permits, and
compliance monitoring. Work under these service agreements will provide general and
specialized expertise required to maintain Port infrastructure. The agreements will also support
other environment and sustainability programs, including the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy,
the Port’s greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts, energy efficiency and renewable energy
programs, the Seattle Waterfront Clean Energy Strategic Plan and associated engagement
efforts.
These contracts do not launch new programs, rather these new contracts will replace contracts
that are expiring which have covered similar work. The contract duration and value will ensure
the Port has continuity and capacity throughout a six-year period. The scope has been developed
to be very comprehensive to cover a range of environment and sustainability needs. In the past,
the Port advertised three IDIQs independently for different aspects of this work. This year
program staff have worked with CPO to streamline this process by advertising all three together.
This will save significant procurement administrative time.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. _6e___ Page 3 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Diversity in Contracting
Port staff met with the Diversity in Contracting Department within the Economic Development
Division to set a woman- and minority-owned business enterprise (WMBE) goal of 20 percent of
contract spending. Funding of services under this contract will come separately from
annual operating budgets.
DETAILS
Indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts provide the Port with flexibility to meet
business requirements as they arise by issuing individual service directives to accomplish tasks
within a general, pre-defined scope of work, on an as-needed basis, for a fixed period of time,
and a maximum contract amount. Specifically, this service agreement will allow staff to support
port operations and development projects on time and on budget, maintaining compliance with
regulations and permit conditions, and advancing essential climate, air quality, energy and other
sustainability initiatives.
Scope of Work
The three IDIQ service agreements will provide environmental services including but not limited
to the following: environmental review and permitting; habitat restoration design and
management; strategic environmental planning; sustainable development; climate change
mitigation, adaptation and resilience; air quality assessment and programs; environmental
justice evaluations/programs; and energy conservation programs.
Schedule
The three IDIQ service agreements will have a contract ordering period of six years during which
service directives may be issued. Each service directive will specify the scope, schedule and
budget associated with the work. The service agreements may extend past the
six-year ordering period, but no new service directives will be issued after the ordering
period or when contract funding capacity is reached, whichever occurs first.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
Alternative 1 – Let existing IDIQs expire and hire FTEs to cover work
Cost Implications: Cost associated with several new FTEs with sufficient expertise/bandwidth
Pros:
(1) Reduces cost of consultant contracts
(2) Increases continuity of services
(3) Direct access to staff performing the work
(4) Increases breadth of staff expertise
Cons:
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. _6e___ Page 4 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
(1) Over 20 discipline experts are required for general environmental review
(2) Port could not hire enough staff to cover the breadth of specialized expertise
(3) Port staff does not have the capacity to undertake this scope at current staffing levels
(4) Work is episodic in nature so staff workloads would be difficult to manage
This is not the Recommended Alternative
Alternative 2 – Procure a single IDIQ contract
Cost Implications: $15 million
Pros:
(1) Allows Port staff to maximize utilization and productivity through use of single
contract
(2) Increases familiarity between staff and consultants by reducing number of
consultants
(3) Reduces internal contract administration costs compare to multiple contracts
Cons:
(1) Does not maximize opportunities for WMBEs
(2) Provides less diversity and therefore availability of unique skills
(3) Decreases overall consultant capacity compared to using multiple contracts
(4) Does not distribute port spending widely to qualified firms
This is not the recommended alternative.
Alternative 3 – Procure three IDIQ service agreements
Cost Implications: $15 million
Pros:
(1) Allows Port staff to maximize utilization and productivity by optimizing staff-
consultant work loads
(2) Increases the diversity of specialized services across consultant teams which expands
capability and improves work product quality
(3) Overlaps in the services provided by each contract allows more efficient delegation
of scoped services
(4) Increases capacity during times of intensive planning and development without
increasing cost
(5) Maximizes opportunities for WMBEs
Cons:
(1) Higher administrative costs
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. _6e___ Page 5 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
(2) Decreases continuity and increases management complexity
This is the recommended alternative.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds
There is no funding associated with this request for authorization. Funding for Service Directives
under this contract will be for work authorized by either future capital projects or annual
operating budgets.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) Presentation Slides
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
March 8, 2016 (Unanimous Consent Calendar Item 4e)
