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Board directs manager to negotiate with Wallace Group for 90% sewer design
Summary
The Los Olivos district board voted to direct the general manager to negotiate a contract with Wallace Group to advance 90% design work for a proposed sewer project; the manager said negotiations will return a contract in October and must remain within the board’s budget.
The board voted to direct the general manager to negotiate with Wallace Group to produce the next step toward 90% design for the district sewer project.
General Manager Savage told the board the technical subcommittee narrowed six proposals to two finalists — HydroScience and Wallace Group — after reference checks. Savage said he was seeking "direction from the board to go negotiate with 1 of these 2 vendors" so staff could return a negotiated contract for consideration in October. Director Faream moved to direct negotiations with Wallace Group and Director Parks seconded; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote with all present members voting aye.
Public commenters had urged the board to wait for an upcoming Regen study and to make proposals and quotes public before moving forward, but counsel reminded the board that selection of professional consultants must be qualifications‑based and that price is negotiated after that choice. During public comment and the firm’s presentation, Wallace Group principal Carrie Wagner said the firm would "be able to provide your board with a project cost estimate for both projects as well as we have proposed to provide you with a life cycle cost analysis for both systems" to allow apples‑to‑apples comparisons between STEP/effluent and gravity options.
The general manager noted that Wallace’s revised submittal included more of the surveying and potholing tasks that produce biddable documents and warned that a more complete design approach can raise the cost to the district; he asked directors to specify any outstanding technical concerns for staff to address during negotiation. The manager said the negotiated contract would be presented to the board for approval in October and must fit within the board’s previously discussed budget.
Provenance: The topic began when the board moved to item 7 (consideration of 90% design proposals) and concluded with the motion, deliberation and roll call approving direction to negotiate with Wallace Group.
