Consideration and Approval of Contract:  JE Fuller Hydrology & Geomorphology, Inc. for the Flood Alert Gauge Network Expansion Project in the amount of $112,800.

1. Approve the contract with JE Fuller Hydrology & Geomorphology, Inc. in the amount of $112,800; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.

Staff recommends that the Council approves a contract with JE Fuller to expand Flagstaff to expand the City’s rain and flood alert gauge network.   Staff is also presenting a Consent Order for the Stormwater Section to execute an Arizona Department of Military and Emergency Affairs grant for $110,295. Stormwater matching funds is $27,574. 
 
The alert network will support public safety by sending automated alerts to the Police, Fire, and Public Works Divisions.  The data generated will also be used by Stormwater to model flood frequency and stream characteristics.  The expanded network will include at least one flood alert gauge per FEMA floodway within the City. The grant is for nine new gauge sites and two retrofitted sites.  The expansion is needed to monitor FEMA floodways and the new Rio de Flag outfall. 
 
The gauge system will be installed in the Summer of 2020.  The $2505 cost above the original grant amount and the fund match will be funded through the Stormwater Section, specifically account 206-08-331-1250-0-4461.
 

The grant amount is for $110,295, $82,721 of which is Security Emergency Council (SEC) funds and $27,574 is Stormwater funds as a match. The grant was sent to Council in January 2020 as a consent item and was accepted. The City Procurement Division and Grants and Contracts Management Division put the project out for formal bid through PlanetBid shortly after Council consent. The winning bid was determined in May 2020 for the amount of $112,800 to JE Fuller Hydrology & Geomorphology, Inc. (JE Fuller Hydrology) through a formal Invitation for Bids solicitation. It was procured through open IFB from April 28, 2020, to May 21, 2020, closing with only one responsible, responsive bid. The $2505 cost above the original grant amount will be funded through the Stormwater Section, specifically account 206-08-331-1250-0-4461. This account was setup to fund additional flood alert gauges prior to the grant award and has sufficient funding for both the grant match and the bid overage amount.

This largely grant funded contract supports the Council Goals of "Transportation and Infrastructure" by providing real-time public safety alerts and forensic information to design more flood resistant infrastructure. Additionally this gauge system provides valuable information that supports the "Environmental and Natural Resources" and "Climate Change" goals by providing precipitation and stream flow data to environmental scientists and civil engineers. Finally, this contract supports "Economic Development" goals by adequately sizing flood infrastructure and providing data to re-map FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas.

Yes, Council approved the Security Emergency Council (SEC) grant in January of 2020 which allowed City staff to move forward with the bid process.

1. Approve the contract to JE Fuller Hydrology allowing the expansion of the flood alert network using a combination of Security Emergency Council (SEC) and City funding.
2. Deny the contract, this will likely lead to the grant funds being returned to the State due to the grant time table being too short to award a new contract. The City will then have to defer or postpone adding the new flood alert gauges until adequate funding is available.

The City of Flagstaff operates a flood alert network that consists of both rain and stream flow gauges on an ALERT1 public safety network. The oldest gauge is on the Rio de Flag at Peak View Street and has been in operation for over 10 years. The newest gauges were installed last year as the network continues to expand to eventually monitor each of the FEMA floodways within the City. The alert network is useful for public safety sending automated alerts to the police, fire, and public works divisions, the data is also used by Stormwater to model flood frequency and stream characteristics.

In July 2019 the Stormwater Section was awarded a grant from the Security Emergency Council (SEC) – Arizona Department of Military and Emergency Affairs to expand the City’s rain and flood alert gauge network. The expanded network will include at least one flood alert gauge per FEMA floodway within the City. The grant is for nine new gauge sites and two sites retrofitted.
 
The exact locations of the new gauges are as follows:
 
Rio de Flag near Mall (water level add-on) 35°13'13.49"N 111°33'59.84"W
Penstock Wash (new) 35°13'56.10"N 111°34'9.16"
Spruce Wash at Route 66 (new) 35°12'7.10"N 111°36'57.54"W
Switzer Wash (new) 35°12'43.60"N111°38'23.64"W
Rio de Flag upstream from Sinclair Wash (new) 35°11'16.86"N 111°38'46.19"W
Bow and Arrow Wash at Lone Tree (new) 35°10'4.87"N 111°38'50.78"W
Ponderosa Wash at detention basin (new) 35° 9'41.52"N 111°40'1.28"W
Sinclair Dam (water level add-on) 35° 9'40.84"N 111°42'5.49"W
Observatory Mesa (new, Precip only) 35°12'39.06"N111°40'55.57"W
West Ave. Wash (new) 35°12'45.66"N111°37'21.51"W
Rio de Flag at Butler (new, water level only) 35°11'31.30"N111°38'10.78"W  
 

This contract will execute the Security Emergency Council (SEC) grant allowing the City to fully monitor each of the FEMA floodways within the City. The expanded network will be one of the most comprehensive in the State allowing for early flood warning as well as environmental data for flood risk modeling, climate change modeling, and other collateral benefits.

The City has an existing flood alert network, there are no expected issues of expanding the network in terms of permitting, legal, or other negative impacts.

None

The flood alert network provides early warning of flooding in the community as well as important data for flood risk modeling, climate change modeling, and general hydrology data useful for re-mapping FEMA floodplains and external research. The expansion of the network will increase the utility of the gauges for those benefits listed above.

The flood alert network empowers the community by allowing residents to see rain and flow events in real time through the City's rain gauge website (https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/4111/Rainfall-and-Stream-Gauge-Data). The longer term data has been used by NAU students for projects as well as consultants to provide background data for storm drain sizing. The real-time data is also used by the Coconino County Flood Control District, especially downstream of the Museum Fire.