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Council declines to approve HR Green water‑engineering contract pending clearer definition of capacity needs
Summary
An item to hire HR Green, Inc. for water modeling and a comprehensive water capital improvement program drew extensive discussion and public comment; councilors requested more facts on gaps in capacity, GIS assumptions and project priorities and took no motion, leaving the item without action.
The council discussed but did not approve an agreement with HR Green, Inc. for water modeling, development of a water comprehensive capital improvement program (CIP), and other water-related engineering services.
Staff said the item had been brought back after a prior tied vote and that HR Green provided an updated quote. City Engineer Mario Gouveia cautioned that the HR Green scope assumes the city has an existing GIS system and a formal water CIP; Gouveia said Livingston does not have a GIS and that the city already has substantial knowledge about water needs but lacks a formal CIP and consistent project progression because of changing grant scopes and staffing turnover.
Several councilmembers urged caution. One councilmember said many city projects are not moving forward at the speed needed and asked that the council first identify the exact capacity gap—whether it is engineering capacity, staff resources, or council direction—before hiring outside consultants. Another member asked whether the current engineering firm could perform the requested work; staff said the city can perform water CIP work but that the scope and assumptions in HR Green’s proposal require clarification.
A resident speaker during public comment expressed concern about hiring additional engineering firms while the city has an existing city engineer; council members responded that bringing on additional capacity is intended to advance city projects, not to replace current staff.
No motion was made; with no motion the item died for lack of action. Councilmembers asked staff to assemble facts, clarify assumptions in the HR Green proposal (including GIS expectations and any work the city would need to perform), and consider a goals-and-priorities workshop or other steps to determine whether additional engineering capacity is needed.
