Title
Dept/ Agency: Economic & Housing Development
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Professional Services Contract
Purpose: To create an Energy Assurance Plan
Entity Name: WITT Group Holdings LLC.
Entity Address: 17 Knolls Drive, Jackson, New Jersey 08527
Contract Amount: $179,201.00
Funding Source: ARRA Grant
Contract Period: Date authorized by Municipal Council to July 31, 2012
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( X ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale ( X ) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
Acceptance of LEAP grant funds by Resolution #7R3-F 021611
Invitation: Director of Economic & Housing Development, April 17, 2012
body
WHEREAS, the City of Newark ("the City"), in an effort to prepare, plan, and educate key City employees, seeks to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents and the business community as it relates to threats, hazards, natural disasters, and energy supply disruptions; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interest to develop uniform comprehensive plans and protocols that will be integrated into broader emergency preparedness plans on all levels of government to respond effectively to minimize disruptions, maintain safety, and ensure smooth coordination with key public and private entities in the unlikely event of an energy emergency or natural disaster; and
WHEREAS, a Local Energy Assurance Plan ("LEAP") is an energy preparedness, mitigation, response, and educational tool that assists local governments in enhancing their ability to deal with disruptions to the regional energy supply systems including the electricity grid; the refining, storage, and distribution of fossil fuels; and renewable energy sources; and
WHEREAS, on August 1, 2010, the City received grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") in the form of a LEAP grant as a part of the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA") for activities that include Energy Assurance Planning that will help the City enhance preparedness and expand knowledge among key City staff regarding response to energy-related emergencies, for which purpose up to $200,000.00 in LEAP funds may be allocated; and
WHEREAS, the objectives of the Newark LEAP grant are to: (1) enhance knowledge base in relevant City agencies about protocol, roles and responsibilities in the event of an energy emergency, (2) identify and pursue opportunities to improve coordination among local, county, state and federal entities in planning for and responding to possible energy disruptions, (3) establish a baseline of information among key City staff about energy infrastructure, supply, distribution, and back-up generation options, especially at critical facilities, (4) explore opportunities to enhance grid resilience through deployment of Smart Grid technology, (5) explore options for introducing electric vehicle plug-in infrastructure to the City without increasing the burden on local electricity demand, and (6) connect energy assurance projects with expanded access to job opportunities in the clean energy sector and air quality improvements for Newark residents; and
WHEREAS, through a competitive bidding process, on October 31, 2012 the City advertised a Request for Proposals to solicit the services from an engineering/planning firm that specializes in Energy Assurance/Preparedness Planning to create an Energy Assurance Plan for the City. Of the three (3) qualified respondents, Witt Group Holdings, LLC ("Witt Associates") located at 17 Knolls Drive, Jackson, NJ 08527, submitted a proposal that was considered by a review committee, to be the best and most responsive, taking into account a combination of factors which included competitiveness of the proposed fee, experience with successfully engaging key stakeholders around energy preparedness issues, experience with creating and developing similar plans related to energy assurance experience with the electric and gas utility power supply and distribution operations in an around Newark, quality and completeness of work demonstrated through previous similar projects and quality of the proposed project approach; and
WHEREAS, Witt Associates will create an Energy Assurance Plan for the City that is in accordance with the approved DOE LEAP Project Management Plan Statement of Project Objectives ("SOPO") which include, but are not limited to: the production of a City of Newark Energy Assurance Plan, attendance of relevant City staff at one or more State tabletop exercises related to energy assurance, production of a curriculum for City staff that provides a basic education on energy infrastructure, delivery and back-up options, an exercise during which material in Energy Assurance Plan is tested for effectiveness, the development of a feasibility study for the deployment and implementation of cost-effective, safe electric vehicle plug-in infrastructure without additionally burdening the electricity grid, an analysis of critical infrastructure assets that support the production and delivery of energy essential to the City and identify interdependencies and consequences of critical infrastructure disruptions and best practices for critical infrastructure protection measures, policies and protocols of which services and all products shall not exceed a cost of $179,201.00; and
WHEREAS, this contract is being awarded pursuant to the provisions of the State Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i)), and also the provisions of the American Reinvestment Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA). All activities funded under this contract must comply with the rules and regulations of ARRA, including, as applicable, Buy American Act, Davis-Bacon, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Waste Stream rules and regulations; and
WHEREAS, this project will be supported exclusively from grant funds accepted by the City such that no revenue-derived City funds are required.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor and/or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic Housing and Development, are hereby authorized to enter into and execute a grant agreement with the Witt Group Holdings, LLC, ("Witt Associates") 17 Knolls Drive, Jackson, NJ 08527, to create an Energy Assurance Plan for the City of Newark using funds granted to the City of Newark from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009, for the amount of $179,201.00.
2. The contract period shall commence on the date on which the attached Contract is authorized by the Municipal Council and terminate at the end of the grant performance period, July 31, 2012.
3. Should it be necessary, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development is hereby authorized to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Energy requesting an extension to the grant performance period in order to complete the project, which shall be ratified from the date of the application submission.
4. Should the City's request for an extension be granted, the Mayor and/or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, are hereby authorized to enter into and execute any and all amending grant documents with the U.S. Department of Energy and Witt Associates.
5. Attached hereto is a certification from the Municipal Comptroller as to the availability of funds for this Contract, which shall be drawn from the following line appropriation of the Official Municipal Budget: Business Unit NW051; Department G11; Division D1170; Account 72090, Budget: B2011.
6. No municipal funds are required for this Contract. This Contract shall be funded from a LEAP grant received from the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") as a part of the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA").
7. The Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development shall file a fully-executed copy of the Contract with Witt Associates, the City of Newark's grant application to the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Energy's grant award letter to the City of Newark, a copy of the certification of funds, and any amending contracts authorized herein in the Office of the City Clerk.
STATEMENT
This resolution authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, to enter into and execute a Contract in the amount of $179,201.00 from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 with Witt Group Holdings, LLC, ("Witt Associates"), located at 17 Knolls Drive, Jackson, NJ 08527, to create an Energy Assurance Plan for the City of Newark for the period commencing on the date at which the attached Contract is executed by both parties and terminating at the end of the grant performance period. This resolution further authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development to apply for an extension of the grant period and enter into any grant amendments with the U.S. Department of Energy should it be necessary to complete the project.