HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemoCITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Joe Arriola
City Manager
Mary H. Conway, P.E. h►i ector
Capital Improvements : Transportation
DATE:
SUBJECT:
April 27, 2006
FILE :
Summary of Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma
Debris Clearing Monitoring Services
REFERENCES:
ENCLOSURES:
Summary of Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma Debris Clearing Monitoring Services
The 2005 Hurricane Season was the most damaging in recent history with more named storms
(27) and hurricanes (15) since 1933 and 1969, respectively. The impact to Florida was
significant, particularly following the unusually high activity of the 2004 season where numerous
storms had a direct impact on the state. The number, magnitude and strength of these storms
caught local, state and federal agencies under prepared.
While the City of Miami was prepared with two separate contracts for storm debris removal
managed through the Solid Waste department, the City was not prepared to provide the
associated monitoring services required to insure FEMA reimbursement. In prior years it was
sufficient for City staff to monitor and document post storm activities for FEMA.
To provide some perspective the City's Solid Waste department collects 400,000 cubic yards
(CY) of vegetation on an annual basis. Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma resulted in 400,000 CY
and 800,000 CY, respectively or the equivalent of three years worth of vegetation debris created
by two one -day events and cleaned up within seven (7) months.
Hurricane Katrina struck South Florida on Friday, August 26 (followed by Hurricane Wilma on
Monday, October 24). The amount of tree debris blocking city streets resulting from Hurricane
Katrina was more than had been encountered in recent memory as stated above. There was an
immediate need to clear the streets for use by emergency vehicles as well as the subsequent
need to clear all storm related debris to return the city to normal operations. At the same time it
was imperative to maintain accurate and detailed records to insure the lowest financial exposure
to the City by insuring the highest possible recovery rate from FEMA.
On Saturday, August 27 in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) the Administration
determined that outside resources would be needed to supplement the Solid Waste staff due to
the sheer volume of manpower that would be needed to remove storm debris. The City needed
to make a quick decision to either;
1) Contact firms already under contract to the City to check their availability to immediately
provide staff for this emergency response; or
2) Issue a new solicitation for monitoring services and attempt to provide the services with
in-house resources until the procurement process and new contract execution could be
com pleted.
Based on time constraints and the immediate need to provide monitoring and documentation
services to insure the highest level of FEMA reimbursement, the City selected the first option.
1
These services are historically provided by engineering or environmental consulting firms. The
Administration identified the existing contract with HDR as an immediately available means to
obtain the required services and decided to increase the contract value to provide the
monitoring services sorely needed by the City. HDR is an international architectural,
engineering and consulting firm with expertise in managing complex projects. HDR's existing
contract was established by the Department of Capital Improvements and Transportation to
provide program managements services in support of the City's capital improvements plan
delivery. The firm was uniquely qualified to perform these services not only due to previous
hurricane clean up experience in Florida, but also to their prominence as an industry leader
providing solid waste planning, permitting, design and construction administration to other
municipalities in Florida and nationwide.
At a time when all City staff were actively engaged in hurricane related efforts ranging from
directing traffic to distributing supplies and the South Florida community was largely immobilized
by roadway blockages, loss of power and the unavailability of gas; HDR, through its contacts,
was able to mobilize the veritable army needed. The team assembled by HDR maintained their
efforts continuously after Hurricane Wilma struck only eight weeks later creating double the
vegetation debris from Katrina. A detailed breakdown of the workforce assembled and the
associated fees follows:
Hurricane Katrina
Gross Fees: $2,153,000.00
HDR Fees:
$155,000.00 7%
Subconsuitants
GBF Engineering $203,000.00 9% Consulting Engineers
ADA Engineering $341,000.00 16% Consulting Engineers
Ambro $316,000.00 15% Consulting Engineers
Aerotek $1,136,000.00 53% Temporary tabor Company
Hurricane Wilma
Gross Fees:
HDR Fees:
$5,572,360.00
$770,240.00 14%.
Subconsultants
GBF Engineering $133,080.00 2% Consulting Engineers
ADA Engineering $1,568,330.00 28% Consulting Engineers
Ambro $751,530.00 13% Consulting Engineers
Aerotek $2,349,180.00 42% Temporary Labor Company
2
The purpose of this resolution is to clarify the hurricane related price increases to the HDR
contract. The work related to Hurricane Katrina completed by HDR and the firms they
assembled resulted in a price increase of $2,200,000 bringing the value of the total contract to
$9,480,878. The work related to Hurricane Wilma completed by HDR and the firms they
assembled resulted in a price increase of $5,572,360 bringing the value of the total contract to
$15,053,238.
Solid Waste is currently working on a competitive solicitation to hire a firm with similar
qualifications and experience to provide these services as needed for storm recovery needs to
insure that the City of Miami is fully prepared in the future.
3