Oxnard City staff seek $835,335 sole-source AECOM contract to finish wastewater reliability project

Tim Deaman, assistant director of public works for the City of Oxnard, asked the Oxnard City Council to approve and authorize the mayor to execute a negotiated sole-source agreement with AECOM Technical Services Inc. for engineering services during construction for the Wastewater Reliability Improvements Project.

"The recommendation is that the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to execute an agreement with AECOM Technical Services Inc, AECOM, for a term of 1 year and 4 months from Sept. 3, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2026 for a total amount not to exceed $835,335 for engineering services during construction for the Wastewater Reliability Improvements Project," Deaman said.

The contract request is intended to maintain design continuity and on-site support during remaining construction work. Deaman said AECOM served as the project’s original designer and engineer of record and has provided engineering consulting support since 2015. He said AECOM has been reviewing contractor submittals, responding to requests for information, and supporting commissioning and startup activities as new equipment and systems are brought online.

Project status and scope: Deaman said the Wastewater Reliability Improvements Project is about 75% complete and remains in active construction. The overall project—awarded to Keyway Infrastructure West on June 7, 2022 under agreement A8463 for $54,100,000—includes a new electrical building and motor control centers, a maintenance storage building, site security upgrades, SCADA system improvements, pipe work and structural rehabilitation to the headworks. Deaman showed photos of the new electrical building and maintenance building and noted that one of two generators has already been replaced.

Sole-source justification and past payments: City staff requested a negotiated sole-source contract because AECOM is the engineer of record and has extensive knowledge of the design, existing facility conditions and ongoing coordination with the construction contractor. Deaman said engaging a different consultant could create issues with liability and responsibility because AECOM signed off on the project drawings as the licensed engineer. He reported that AECOM has already been compensated about $580,922.54 under prior task orders for related services.

Construction complications cited by staff included unexpected site conditions—undocumented underground piping and coordination needs with Southern California Edison on conduit work—that AECOM has been helping to resolve. Establishing a standalone contract would replace the current use of task orders under a broader public works engineering-services agreement and carry the project through the end of construction.

Funding and budget: Deaman said there is currently $32,335,093.94 available in the Wastewater Reliability Project fund. He said the project is funded in part by the State Revolving Fund (SRF) and plant cash; those designated construction funds are not intended for professional services, so the requested negotiated sole-source contract would be paid from the wastewater operating fund. Deaman also cited a recent purchasing ordinance change, Purchasing Ordinance 3053, passed by the City Council on April 15, 2025; he said the ordinance’s language about task-order limits (section 4-9) factors into the procurement approach.

No formal council action or vote was recorded in the provided transcript. Deaman concluded the presentation by asking the council to approve the agreement so AECOM can continue providing engineering services through the anticipated contract term ending Dec. 31, 2026.