Department of Utilities
Reference: Lochbuie to Metro Water Recovery Northern Treatment Plant Lift Station and Pipeline Project Progressive Design-Build Contract Award - Phase 1
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Scott Olsen, Director of Utilities
Date Prepared: October 28, 2026
PURPOSE
Requesting City Council’s approval for the procurement of Phase I Progressive Design-Build (PDB) services for the Lochbuie to Metro Lift Station and Pipeline project by awarding a contract to Garney Companies, Inc, deemed the most responsive and responsible Proposer of the ten (10) proposals received in response to the published solicitation, and approving the resolution giving the City Manager, or designee, authority to sign the contract. Per City Code Section 3-8-30(b): “All materials, services, and construction contracts, except as otherwise provided in this Article, with an estimated cost greater than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be awarded through the formal solicitation procedure by the City Council. After due notice inviting bids, purchase orders and contracts shall be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder."
BACKGROUND
City staff have determined it is in the City’s, and our customers’, best interest to re-route wastewater flows from the Town of Lochbuie to Metro Water Recovery’s Northern Treatment Plant located within the City of Brighton near US 85 and Baseline Road. In order to re-route the wastewater flows, the project requires the design and construction of a lift station and pipeline to convey flows to the Metro Water Recovery plant.
Due to the duration of the project and the amount of capacity remaining at the Town of Lochbuie’s treatment plant, it is imperative to begin the project while working through contract matters with the Town of Lochbuie.
City Council previously authorized staff to send a connection request to Metro Water Recovery for the additional wastewater flow from the City of Brighton. Metro Water Recovery has confirmed that they have capacity for additional Brighton wastewater flows and approved the City’s connection request.
Neither a lift station location nor pipeline route have been presented because determination of these key project factors are a part of the PDB team’s scope of services. Staff have identified a conceptual route for the lift station and pipeline that would allow for future growth in the City to connect to the line and potentially eliminate some existing lift stations serving the City.
Staff, with assistance from our Owner’s Advisor, prepared a detailed Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Phase 1 of the project and a draft PDB agreement for solicitation. It is important to note the differences between a Request for Bid (RFB) and an RFQ. In an RFQ, the primary selection and evaluation criteria are technical qualifications and other non-monetary criteria aimed at selecting the most qualified progressive design-build team. Once teams have been evaluated on these criteria, a cost proposal is submitted and also considered. However, the cost of the work is only 10 out of the possible 100 points each team is scored on. In the RFB process, the cost of work may have a much higher weight. The RFQ process is typically chosen for more technically complex and challenging projects to ensure a qualified team is chosen.
The City project team, with assistance from our Owner’s Advisor, has also prepared cost estimates for initial project budgeting. These initial cost estimates, which are assumed to be conservative, were used as part of the analysis to determine it is advisable to move treatment from the Town of Lochbuie to Metro Water Recovery.
Phase 1 PDB services will bring the City through preliminary design and allow the PDB team to prepare a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for consideration.
The progressive design-build is an alternative project delivery method in which a construction contractor and engineering design firm (known as the design-builder) form a team to collaboratively deliver a project. The construction contractor provides constructability feedback and cost estimation throughout the design phase. At a desired level of design (usually 60% or greater), the design-builder proposes a GMP. If an agreed upon price cannot be reached, the City is able to solicit construction bids from other contractors. The PDB process is used to deliver a technically challenging project quickly, while having a single point of accountability and transparent cost preparation throughout. The project team has coordinated with Carollo Engineers, our Owner’s Advisor, and the City’s legal staff extensively on the PDB process, scope of services and contracting.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Sufficient appropriation exists in the Utilities Capital Improvement budget allocated to this project.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend approval of the resolution as drafted, accepting Proposal 2, submitted by Garney Companies, Inc, as this Proposal has been deemed the best qualified of those received for Phase I services, based upon demonstrated past experience and innovative approach.
ATTACHMENTS
• Resolution
• PowerPoint presentation