3.1 Environmental technical Review Services
CITY OF SALINA
REQUEST FOR CITY COMMISSION ACTION
DATE TIME
10/31/2006 7:00 A.M.
AGENDA SECTION
NO:
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: APPROVED FOR
AGENDA:
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
ITEM
NO.
Page 1
BY: Jason A. Gage, City Manager
ITEM: Provide additional purchasing authority to the city manager for the purpose of obtaining
environmental technical review services.
BACKGROUND:
For months, the United Stated Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been in the process of
analyzing date and making conclusions regarding groundwater contamination under the former
Schilling Air Force Base (SAFB). These conclusions are the basis for risk determination, the
establishment of work timelines, and future actions related to mitigation and remediation.
In March of 2006, the Salina Public Entities (SPE - includes the City of Salina, Salina Airport
Authority, USD #305 and K-State at Salina) utilized the services of the Dragun Corporation to analyze
data and related conclusions made by the USACE regarding former SAFB contamination and time of
travel to the public water supply system. Their report illustrated numerous technical errors and was
instrumental in convincing the USACE to take a second look at their work.
Since March of this year, USACE officials have been very open, agreeable and diligent in completing
this second look, which is in the form of the OU1 Remedial Investigation Addendum/Feasibility Study
Work Plan. This information contains their methodology for obtaining additional groundwater
information and data for what we refer to as the northern plume. Since the northern plume is the area
of greatest concern to the City at this time, Staff believes it is prudent to have an in-depth technical
review conducted for this work and certain other anticipated technical documents related to the areas
of OU1, OU2 and OU3 that are forthcoming. These documents typically allow for a very short local
entity review timeframe.
As a result, Staff is asking the City Commission to grant additional purchasing authority to the city
manager in an amount not to exceed $75,000. This authority is to be used exclusively for the
technical review of environmental work performed by the USACE related to the former SAFB. Staff is
asking that this authority be granted until June 30, 2007. This will provide the ability to obtain high
quality technical review services within the short timeframe allowed for local entity comments.
FISCAL NOTE:
Both this year's budget and the 2007 Budget include funding in the Water/Wastewater Utility Fund in
anticipation of this type of work.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends an action by the City Commission to provide purchasing authority to the city
manager through June 30, 2007 and in an amount not to exceed $75,000, with said authority to be
used specifically for technical review of former SAFB environmental work performed by the USACE.