Staff recommends that the City Council approve Amendment 10 with Morrison-Maierle, Inc. for the engineering services associated with the MET Transit Metroplex Expansion/Interior Remodel project for the amount of $409,000.

On May 05, 2022, the City Council approved a five-year contract with Morrison-Maierle, Inc. to provide all civil engineering services for the Aviation and Transit Department, including project designs, surveys, drawings, and construction administration in accordance with the project requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. The five-year contract is amended each time a project is undertaken.  Amendment 10 for $409,000 will provide survey, design, specifications, bidding process, and construction management for the Metroplex Expansion/Interior Remodel project; this project consists of refurbishment of facility items in need of repair, the remodel of office space with the addition of a large conference room to the MET Transit administrative area, and electrical system updates.  The office and conference room updates will allow for centralization of MET Transit daily operations, as well as provide dedicated classroom space to further support the requirements of the Entry Level Driver Training and Public Transit Agency Safety Plan regulations. Electrical updates will include enhanced systems to support installation of two large electric vehicle charging stations in support of the heavy duty electric buses scheduled to be delivered in late 2024. Facility repair items primarily include refurbishment, repair, and removal of facility skylights. Through this project, MET Transit will extend the useful life of its 40+ year old primary facility, ensuring continued usability into the future by not only improving current functionality in accordance with required Federal programs, but also adding additional space to be utilized for future expansion and technology opportunities. The project will include pre-design and development, schematic design, construction documents, bidding and permitting, and construction administration with the design portions, including architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire alarm, site work, and low voltage services.

The scope of work and associated fees for these services have been reviewed by HDR Inc. engineering/architectural personnel and negotiated by City staff to ensure proposed rates are fair and reasonable. HDR was contacted to perform the secondary review, providing staff with an estimated fee schedule to ensure fees proposed by Morrison-Maierle are within expected ranges. 

City Council may:

• Approve Amendment 10 with Morrison-Maierle for the final design and construction management of the MET Transit Metroplex Expansion/Interior Remodel project; or
• Not Approve Amendment 10 with Morrison-Maierle and delay the project. 

The total cost of Amendment 10 with Morrison-Maierle for engineering services for the MET Transit Metroplex Expansion/Interior Remodel project is $409,000. This project will be funded using Federal Transit Administration grant funds at 80% Federal ($327,000) and 20% local ($82,000). This project is included in the City of Billings CIP within the Aviation and Transit Department and local funds are available in MET Transit's capital account.