A RESOLUTION of the Board of the Regional Transit Authority for the Pierce, King and Snohomish Counties region authorizing a contract with the firm of Parametrix, Inc. to provide environmental review work for LINK Light Rail Transit System.

WHEREAS, a Regional Transit Authority ("RTA") has been created for the Pierce, King, and Snohomish County region by action of their respective county councils pursuant to RCW 81.112.030; and

WHEREAS, on November 5, 1996, Central Puget Sound area voters approved local funding for Sound Move, the ten-year plan for regional high-capacity transit in the Central Puget Sound Region; and

WHEREAS, the Sound Move ten-year plan includes the design and construction of a new Link Light-Rail Transit System to provide passenger service from downtown Seattle north to the University District and potentially to Northgate; from downtown Seattle south through Southeast Seattle and Tukwila to SeaTac; and from downtown Tacoma to the Tacoma Dome Intermodal Station; and

WHEREAS, the construction of the Link Light Rail Transit System will require the design of an integrated transit system that will include approximately 80 light-rail passenger train cars, 25 miles of newly constructed rail line, and 24 newly constructed passenger stations located in Seattle and Tacoma; and

WHEREAS, the RTA solicited proposals through a competitive procurement process for the environmental review services necessary to construct the Link Light Rail Transit System; and

WHEREAS, the selection committee charged with the evaluation of the solicited proposals determined that the consultant team lead by Parametrix, Inc. was the most-qualified team to perform the environmental review services; and

WHEREAS, the RTA has determined that the fees, costs, terms and conditions negotiated with Parametrix, Inc. to perform the environmental review services are fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the RTA.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of the Regional Transit Authority as follows:

The Executive Director is hereby authorized to execute a contract with Parametrix, Inc. to provide environmental review services to the Authority pursuant to such terms and conditions as are appropriate, usual and customary for governmental agencies, provided that the base fees and expenses paid for such services shall be not exceed four million three hundred forty nine thousand eight hundred forty nine dollars $4,349,849.00 in base fees and costs and nine hundred nineteen thousand nine hundred seventy dollars $919,970.00 in contingent funds to pay for additional services, if any, required to be performed due to unforeseen changed conditions.

ADOPTED by the Board of the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority at a regular meeting thereof held on the __ day of ________________ 1998.

____________________

Bob Drewel
Board Chair

ATTEST:

____________________

Marcia Walker
Board Administrator

Approve Board Resolution 98-2, to award an environmental services consulting contract in the amount of $4,349,849 to Parametrix, Inc. for preparation of the environmental impact studies required for the Link Light Rail Transit System. Approval is also requested for an additional $919,970 to be used as a contingency reserve to cover unforeseen changes in the work. The contract has been reported to the Finance Committee and the Executive Committee.

Note: The contingency reserve is not part of the consultant contract. The Director of Light Rail Transit will hold the contingency in reserve.

On November 17, 1997, the RTA received qualification proposals from three consultant teams to perform environmental services for the LINK Light Rail Transit System in response to RTA’s Request for Qualifications. All three consultant teams that submitted written qualifications were deemed qualified and oral interviews were held on December 3, 1997. The RTA selection committee recommended that the RTA pursue negotiations with Parametrix, Inc., the firm deemed most qualified based on written qualifications and the oral interview.

Parametrix agreed to the basic contract terms proposed by the RTA. The principal cost issue that remained for negotiation related to the overhead rates proposed by Parametrix and its twenty subcontractors. The overhead rates proposed by Parametrix were analyzed by the RTA and by King County/Metro’s Audit Services department. Parametrix and the RTA then agreed to overhead rates determined to be reasonable and appropriated by the King County/Metro Audit Services Department and by the RTA. With respect to costs and expenses incurred by Parametrix and its subconsultants, the RTA will pay only the actual direct costs incurred, without profit markup. The RTA and Parametrix have also agreed that Parametrix will not receive additional compensation for managing subconsultant contracts. The RTA will provide project office space for six consultant staff who will be co-located with RTA at 1100 Second Ave. in Seattle, King County. Parametrix will pay the RTA rent in the amount of $131,394 as reimbursement for the RTA actual cost to provide office space over the term of the contract.

The RTA issued a limited notice to proceed in the amount of $25,000 to Parametrix on December 17, 1997. The tasks identified in the limited notice to proceed were to develop a work program for the environmental review and attend the Central LRT EIS scoping meetings. This has been accomplished. A second limited notice to proceed was issued in the amount of $20,000 on January 20, 1998. The task identified in the second limited notice to proceed was to begin environmental review for the Tacoma LRT line. The overall project will be a two-year work program. The work program contains five elements:

• Work Plan (scope of work) on a task by task basis
• Project Schedule
• Organization Chart and identification of principal personnel
• Project Budget on a task by task basis
• Summary Budget by firm

After three iterations of negotiations, agreement was reached on the total work program comprised of all five elements.

• Adoption of Sound Move (May 31, 1996)
• Adoption of Resolution 78 (December 13, 1996)
• Adoption of Implementation Guide (May 22, 1997)
• Adoption of First Moves (May 22, 1997)
• Adoption of Fiscal Year 1998 Budget (December 11, 1997)

Reimbursement of $131,400 and a savings of over $55,000 in subconsultant mark-up fees, for a total savings of $186,400 due to the consultant being co-located in RTA offices. The $131,400 is the actual cost to the RTA for providing this office space to the consultants. A $100,000 limitation on costs associated with termination for convenience. Use of a letter of credit in lieu of retainage monies. Negotiated overhead rates versus annually adjusted provisional rates. Consultant’s commitment of principal personnel. The contract will extend from January 1998 to January 2000.

Funding is provided in the Fiscal Year 1998 budget. Federal funds are available in FY 1998. Additional federal funds may become available in FY 1999.

Pursue negotiations with the second ranked team.

The environmental review contract is one of the highest priority contracts to get underway. This contract is on the critical path for obtaining a Record of Decision from the FTA to allow federal grant funding for the Central LRT project. Delay in award of this contract would delay all subsequent major milestones on the project.

We are beginning conceptual and preliminary engineering design and environmental documentation for the LINK Light Rail System. As evidenced in EIS scoping meetings held in December, there are still uncertainties regarding alignment location, vertical profile, station locations and site specific applications of each alternative. These uncertainties extend even beyond the multitude of alignment options presented in the Environmental Scoping Information Report. It is important that we have the capability to respond to these alignment issues now, during environmental review, not later when designs have been completed.

Besides alignment issues, there are impacts with traffic, visual, noise and vibration, potential for hazardous materials, soil conditions, neighborhood disruption, economics, land use, historic properties, displacements and natural ecosystems that are currently unknown but will have to be studied nonetheless. Physical constraints and modifications to existing utilities will also have to be dealt with. We are also sure there will be issues from the public that we cannot anticipate at this point in time.

Our approach has been to award a tight contract based on a definitive scope of work that we can manage accordingly. We have made reasonable assumptions up front as to how much time and effort will be required, based on the best information at hand. Hence, a contingency fund is proposed to allow us to respond with environmental studies that may be required above and beyond our initial assumptions. In addition, we have taken a lean approach to the consultant’s budget focusing in on what we know we have to do. The contingency fund will be used only as needed to allow us to properly scope and manage the consultant effort.

A pre-approved contingency fund will also allow us to expeditiously respond to such issues, if they arise, to avoid impacts to schedule. A contingency fund of 20% is a reasonable amount. This was provided for by the Board in Resolution 78, Sections 9 and 10.

These final design contracts will require additional professional services for construction management, system activation, and final design oversight. One cannot overstate the importance of conceptual and preliminary engineering and the decisions that must be made as a result of that effort to ensure that follow-on work goes smoothly, without delay and without re-examining past decisions. The cost of change escalates once final design begins.

For the total conceptual and preliminary engineering effort there will be five main contracts:

• Environmental Documentation (This Resolution)
• System Facilities
• Civil Facilities
• Project Management/Control
• Ridership Forecasting (Regional Express taking the lead)

The work performed during the environmental review and documentation process will provide an evaluation and comparison of project alternatives that supports the selection of the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). The LPA for the Central LRT will be approved by the FTA as part of the Record of Decision (ROD), allowing pursuit of federal funding for portions of the project. The environmental review will also identify agency, city, and public concerns, and mitigation measures that will need to be addressed in the final project design and implementation.

The environmental review scope of work covers three main project tasks: alternative screening and alternative definition, preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), and preparation of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). All three project phases will be conducted for the Central LRT combined NEPA/SEPA process and the Tacoma LRT SEPA process. The Central LRT environmental review is expected to take up to two years to complete. The Tacoma LRT environmental process is scheduled for completion in November 1998. A more detailed breakdown of the contract tasks is described below.

Task 1. Alternative Screening and Definition of Alternatives

• Prepare summary report of EIS scoping comments
• Support alternative screening process
• Prepare detailed project schedule
• Public involvement support during screening
• Prepare analysis methods memoranda and detailed DEIS outline

Task 2. Prepare DEIS

• Prepare base maps and document standards
• Develop Project Description and Purpose and Need
• Prepare technical impact analysis for:
• Transportation
• Noise and Vibration
• Electromagnetic Field assessment
• Air Quality
• Energy Consumption
• Land Use
• Visual and Aesthetics
• Public Services
• Public Utilities
• Economics
• Neighborhood Disruption
• Displacements and Relocations
• Environmental Justice
• Parklands
• Historic and Archaeological Resources
• Section 4(f) Evaluation
• Ecosystems
• Water Resources
• Hazardous Materials
• Geotechnical
• Construction
• Conduct Environmental Issue Groups
• Coordinate with Federal and State Agencies, and Local Jurisdictions
• Project Management, including
• Project Reporting and Tracking
• Technical Coordination
• Coordinate with RTA and Other Consultants
• Public Involvement
• Produce DEIS Document

Task 3. Prepare FEIS

• Respond to Comment Letters on DEIS
• Identify Locally Preferred Alternative
• Update Technical Analysis as necessary
• Produce FEIS Document

Task 4. Diversity Program Management

The Tacoma Segment LRT would have the same basic tasks as above except that technical impact analysis in the DEIS would be conducted only for the following issues.

• Transportation
• Noise and Vibration
• Land Use
• Visual and Aesthetics
• Public Utilities
• Historic and Cultural Resources
• Construction