Exhibit 1 - Agenda Information Sheet
City of Denton
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET
DEPARTMENT: Procurement & Compliance
ACM: David Gaines
DATE: December 14, 2021
SUBJECT
Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, a Texas home-rule municipal corporation,
authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Burns & McDonnell,
Engineering Company Inc., to provide engineering and professional services to the DME Electric
Engineering Department as set forth in the contract; providing for the expenditure of funds therefor; and
providing an effective date (RFQ 7740 – Professional Services Agreement for engineering and professional
services awarded to Burns & McDonnell, Engineering Company Inc., in the three (3) year not-to-exceed
amount of $1,500,000.00).
INFORMATION/BACKGROUND
There are numerous technical requirements for the electric distribution system which are managed by
Denton Municipal Electric’s Engineering department. Short and long-term studies of the electric
distribution system allow DME to proactively identify and correct system deficiencies before they affect
the quality of electric service provided to customers. Denton’s current customer growth is positive and
significant. DME’s Engineers and Techs work diligently to design, estimate, and manage multiple projects
within the DME service territory; but there are times when outside assistance is beneficial for a timely
response. DME has recently released a collection of Construction Standards that have been reviewed and
approved by multiple departments and sealed by a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. As new
construction methods and materials are identified that are beneficial to DME’s customers, the Construction
Standards will require updates from time to time. It is advantageous for a third party to perform audits of
projects. An audit provides a greater understanding of design and construction compliance with
Construction Standards and allows for improvements to be made in criteria, practices, or processes. As
technology continues to evolve for the electric utility industry, DME will assess opportunities to utilize new
technology to improve service, reliability, and the cost-effectiveness of operating the electric utility. These
requirements help DME to be fiscally responsible and responsive to its customers.
DME Engineering has utilized a professional services contract to provide engineering services from 2017
to the present. The DME has greatly benefited from the expertise in system design, system planning, and
the creation of new standards. The existing contract is not renewable and has expired on September 10,
2021. DME recommends having a similar contractor in place for three more years and has selected Burns
& McDonnell, Engineering Company Inc. through competitive proposals in response to Request for
Qualifications (RFQ 7740) to choose an engineering firm to provide engineering services described in more
detail in the Scope of Work.
City Hall
215 E. McKinney Street
Denton, Texas
www.cityofdenton.com
There are six (6) specific services Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. will provide. These
services are:
Engineering Service 1: Electric Distribution System Short and Long-Term Planning
DME's distribution system has been hardened during the past five (5) years through Capital Improvements
Plans (CIP) and increased the system’s power quality and reliability. The completion of this work has played
a critical role in DME's recent promotion from Gold to Platinum level within American Public Power
Association’s Reliable Public Power Program (APPA's RP3) and its receipt of the Excellence in Reliability
Award for the third year straight. DME's electric service territory is experiencing additional growth and
there is a need to study and validate CIP plan requirements on a short- and long-term basis to proactively
identify system operational issues and address them before they become an issue for the customer. Burns
& McDonnell Engineering has engineers on its staff who specialize in these studies.
Engineering Service 2: Electric Distribution Design
The electrical distribution system design solves challenges related to design and development to ensure
that they are economical, safe, and reliable. This also includes electrical layouts, grounding, and voltage
drop, etc. As population and system growth occurs in Denton, the need to design/evaluate projects to serve
new revenue-generating customers and make the necessary distribution system improvements to meet this
growth has been solid and consistent. Therefore, as required, DME will utilize Burns & McDonnell
Engineering to supplement the capacity of DME staff to provide new customer electric system design
services.
Engineering Service 3: Electric Construction and Materials Standards
The DME has been a proponent of electric utility standards since its inception in 1905. Standards benefit
the City's economy and design, construction, procurement, maintenance, and operating processes within
DME. These benefits have proven crucial over the years. They are even more valuable today, with the
advent of communications technology, the computerization of traditional electro-mechanic devices, and the
introduction of smart grid technologies. Distribution Engineering, Distribution Construction, Distribution
Operations & Maintenance, and Meter divisions utilize standards daily to meet or exceed current regulatory
statutes and codes related to electric distribution. Every electric utility is different in the materials and
methods used to build its electric distribution system; therefore, an "off-the-shelf" set of standards does not
exist. Burns & McDonnell Engineering will be used to review DME's distribution system standards and
update them to current practices and processes.
Engineering Service 4: Post Construction Audits
Distribution Engineering is often the focal point for the DME's interactions with the public and internally
with other city and intra-utility departments. Compliance with construction and service standards and
quality communications are keys to the successful delivery of service. Burns & McDonnell Engineering
will perform audits and quality control reviews of selected projects to verify compliance, accounting,
design, etc. In addition, this service will assist engineering management in identifying and improving staff
skills to meet service level expectations.
Engineering Service 5: Operational Technology
While there are no current industry-standard definitions of Information Technology and Operational
Technology (OT) in the electric power industry, it is possible to delineate the two. Information Technology
is related to the use of systems such as computers and telecommunications for the storage, retrieval, and
sending of information; while, OT is typically associated with field-based devices connected to the
distribution system and the infrastructure for monitoring and controlling those devices. It includes control
center-based systems such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Advanced
Distribution Management System (ADMS). DME has been deploying OT intelligence-enabled devices for
a few years. At present, most load tap changers, capacitor banks, gang-operated air break switches,
reclosers, sectionalizer, and other load-break switches are OT-ready. DME is currently developing the
business and deployment plans for an ADMS system and will use Burns & McDonnell Engineering's
planning, design, and deployment expertise.
Engineering Service 6: Additional Services
When a request is submitted to interconnect a 500 kW AC distributed generation resource, such as solar
panels or batteries, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) in §25.211 (g) (1) requires periodic
studies of the electric distribution systems for interference, voltage, flicker, frequency, harmonics, and fault
and line clearing. Each of these items can create power quality issues for connected customers. DME utilizes
third parties to perform these studies. DME will utilize Burns & McDonnell Engineering to conduct these
studies when needed. The generation interconnection requestor reimburses costs related to this service.
The estimated expenditures associated with this contract are shown below:
Project Description Estimated 3 -Year Expenditure
Engineering/Professional Services Year 1 500,000
Engineering/Professional Services Year 2 500,000
Engineering/Professional Services Year 3 500,000
Total $1,500,000
Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for professional engineering services was sent to 925 prospective firms
for these services. In addition, the RFQ was placed on the Materials Management website for prospective
respondents to download and advertised in the local newspaper. Ten (10) statement of qualifications (SOQ)
were received, with nine (9) meeting specifications. The SOQs were evaluated based on published criteria
including identification and understanding of the City’s requirements, past performance and experience,
qualifications of key personnel, expected performance and past customer satisfaction, and schedule to
complete tasks. Based upon this evaluation, the recommended award is to Burns & McDonnell, Engineering
Company Inc., and is determined to be the most qualified firm for the City.
NIGP Code Used for Solicitation: 918 - (Service Only) - Consulting
Services & 925 - (Service Only) -
Engineering Services, Professional
Notifications sent for Solicitation sent in IonWave: 925
Number of Suppliers that viewed Solicitation in IonWave: 147
HUB-Historically Underutilized Business Invitations sent out: 104
SBE-Small Business Enterprise Invitations sent out: 392
Responses from Solicitation: 10
Responses Meeting Specifications: 9
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
On December 13, 2021, this item will be presented to the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for consideration.
RECOMMENDATION
Award a contract to Burns & McDonnell, Engineering Company Inc., to provide engineering and
professional services to the DME Electric Engineering Department, in a three (3) year not-to-exceed amount
of $1,500,000.
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS
Burns & McDonnell, Engineering Company Inc.
Fort Worth, TX
ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROJECT
This is a three (3) year contract with the option to renew for an additional year.
FISCAL INFORMATION
These services will be funded from Electric Operating Funds. The City will only pay for services rendered
and is not obligated to pay the full contract amount unless needed.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1: Agenda Information Sheet
Exhibit 2: Evaluation Sheet
Exhibit 3: Ordinance and Contract
Respectfully submitted:
Lori Hewell, 940-349-7100
Purchasing Manager
For information concerning this acquisition, contact: Jerry Fielder, 940-349-7173.
Legal point of contact: Marcella Lunn at 940-349-8333.