Item 8- RCA: Vegetation Management Pre-Planning — original pdf

Backup

Posting Language ..Title Authorize a contract for electric distribution vegetation management pre-planning services for Austin Energy with Eocene Environmental Group, or one of the other qualified offerors, for an initial term of three years with up to three one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $24,000,000. Funding: $1,010,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. ..Body Lead Department Austin Financial Services. Client Department(s) Austin Energy. Fiscal Note Funding in the amount of $1,010,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Procurement Language: Austin Financial Services issued a Request for Proposals solicitation RFP 1100 LLM3002 for these services. The solicitation was published on September 1, 2025, and closed on October 14, 2025. Of the nine offers received, the proposal submitted by the recommended contractor represented best value to the City based on the solicitation’s evaluation criteria. A complete solicitation package, including a log of offers received, is available for viewing on the City’s website. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=142507 . MBE/WBE: This contract will be awarded in compliance with the City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). For the service required for this solicitation, there were no subcontracting opportunities; therefore, no subcontracting goals were established. For More Information: Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement at FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: March 9, 2026 - To be reviewed by the Electric Utility Commission. Additional Backup Information: The contract will provide pre-planning services for Austin Energy’s vegetation management around distribution electrical facilities. Pre-planning services include coordination and assignment of work to vegetation management contractors, performance of quality control audits, notification and coordination with property owners, and development of detailed vegetation management work plans. These services support capital improvement projects, distribution maintenance on circuits, grid and substation facilities, customer requests regarding outages or complaints, after-hours or storm restoration events, and vegetation suppression. Item 8The current contract for these services will expire April 17, 2026. The recommended contractor is not the current provider of these services. An evaluation team with expertise in this area evaluated the offers and scored Eocene Environmental Group as the best to provide these services based on program, staffing capabilities, experience and qualifications, and price. This request allows for the development of a contract with a qualified offeror selected by Council. If the City is unsuccessful in negotiating a satisfactory contract with the selected offeror, negotiations will cease with that provider. Staff will return to Council so that another qualified offeror may be selected, authorizing new contract negotiations. Pre-planning is the foundation of Austin Energy’s vegetation management program. Without this contract, essential tasks such as reviewing field projects near energized lines, notifying property owners of upcoming work, and the development of detailed vegetation work plans cannot occur which may create public safety hazards, operational disruptions, and compliance risks. Contract Details: Contract Term Initial Term Optional Extension 1 Optional Extension 2 Optional Extension 3 Total Length of Term 3 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 6 years Contract Authorization $12,000,000 $4,000,000 $4,000,000 $4,000,000 $24,000,000 Note: Contract Authorization amounts are based on the City’s estimated annual usage.