Department
Real Estate and Asset Management
Requested Action (Identify appropriate Action or Motion, purpose, cost, timeframe, etc.)
title
Request approval of a Contractor Agreement with Southface Energy Institute (“Southface”) in an amount not to exceed $300,000.00 to perform project management, fiscal agency, furnishment, and installation of all necessary labor, materials, equipment, supervision, and insurance with subcontractors for the Community Resilience Hub Project design and implementation at Metropolitan Branch Library to become the County’s first Community Resilience Hub. The agreement is 100% grant funded and is effective upon approval for 270 consecutive calendar days or completion of the project. (APPROVED UPON ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA)
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Requirement for Board Action (Cite specific Board policy, statute or code requirement)
O.C.G.A. § 36-10-1; All official contracts entered into by the County governing authority with other persons on behalf of the County shall be in writing and entered on its minutes.
Strategic Priority Area related to this item (If yes, note strategic priority area below)
Infrastructure and Economic Development
Commission Districts Affected
All Districts ☐
District 1 ☐
District 2 ☐
District 3 ☐
District 4 ☐
District 5 ☒
District 6 ☐
Is this a purchasing item?
No
Summary & Background (First sentence includes Agency recommendation. Provide an executive summary of the action that gives an overview of the relevant details for the item.)
In 2019, the County and Southface executed a $300,000 grant agreement with the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) over the period of 2020-2022 to plan, design and implement the County’s first Community Resilience Hub at Metropolitan Branch Library and improve the facility to function as a temporary emergency operations center and a daily resource center promoting a high level of community resiliency and sustainability to climate and social hazards and disruptions. The Project goal is to improve community resiliency and adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability to climate change and social disruptions experienced by low-income, under-resourced and communities of color in the County. The grant agreement and funding support the tasks described in the Scope of Work related to project management, fiscal agency and management, facility operations manual, communications, and the design, installation, and construction of resilient technologies including a battery energy storage system tied to an existing solar photovoltaic array for backup emergency power, and a rainwater harvesting system for emergency potable water supply and irrigation. This proposed contract is being entered into to formalize the parties responsibilities during the design and construction phase of the project and, before execution by the Chairman, the County Attorney will approve the contract and any related documents as to form and make modifications thereof to protect the County’s interests.
Scope of Work:
1. Serve as the fiscal agent and recipient of grant funding on behalf of the County to manage project financials, budgets, invoicing, purchasing, subcontracting, payments, and related grant reporting in coordination and with approval from the County. The Contractor shall prepare procurement solicitations, complete subcontractor proposal evaluations and selections, and execute subcontract agreements as necessary to complete the Scope of Work on behalf of the County and with the County’s review and written approval.
2. Select via a competitive process and subcontract with professionally licensed and qualified design and engineering subcontractors and construction subcontractors to complete the final design drawings, permits, and construction installations of the battery energy storage system connected to the installed solar array, and rainwater harvesting system at Metropolitan Branch Library. Purchase the necessary supplies and equipment from qualified vendors as specified in professional designs, specifications, and drawings by licensed architects, engineers, and subcontractors.
3. Develop the facility operations manual and procedures for the Metropolitan Library Resilience Hub programming and services, communications, power systems, and building and landscape during every day, disruption, and recovery operations modes.
4. Support the grant reporting requirements of quarterly, annual, and final reports, attend grantee cohort meetings facilitated by SSDN, and participate in storytelling/communications activities with SSDN.
Community Impact: This agreement for the design and implementation of the Community Resilience Hub at Metropolitan Branch Library will improve the community resiliency and adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability to climate change and social disruptions experienced by low-income, under-resourced and communities of color in the County
Department Recommendation: The Department of Real Estate and Asset Management recommends approval of this agreement to ensure that the County fulfills its responsibilities under the executed SSDN grant agreement and completes the project scope of work and deliverables by the end of 2022, improves County and community resiliency, and makes progress on goals of the Sustainability and Resilience Plan.
Project Implications: The project will be the County’s first Community Resilience Hub and the first of its kind in the state of Georgia. The County will make additional progress on priority areas and goals in the Sustainability and Resilience Plan and deliver on the scope of work in the executed SSDN grant agreement. It will also improve the sustainability and resiliency of under-resourced and vulnerable communities in the County as well as County assets and serve to inform the County’s knowledge and experience of implementing Resilience Hubs at additional County facilities in the future.
The project supports several Priority Areas and goals of the Sustainability and Resilience Plan. Priority Area 1: Sustainability is Climate Change Mitigation and goals of reducing energy use and offsetting electricity demand and carbon dioxide emissions are supported by the solar and battery energy storage. Priority Area 3: Sustainability is High-Performance County Buildings, and the goal of water efficiency and conservation are supported by the rainwater harvesting system. Priority Area 4: Sustainability is Education, Outreach and Green Jobs Training and the goal of green workforce training and placement is supported by the operations manual. Priority Area 5: Sustainability is Fostering Partnerships for Plan Implementation is supported via internal and external partnerships with the Library System, Southface, Wood PLC, Cherry Street Energy, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Partnership for Southern Equity, Georgia Power, Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Neighborhood Planning Units and Associations, and more. Priority Area 6: Sustainability is Budgetary Appropriation for Plan is supported by the $300,000 SSDN grant
Community Issues/Concerns: None.
Department Issues/Concerns: If the agreement is not approved, the County and Department will be unable to complete the design and implementation of the Community Resilience Hub Project at Metropolitan Branch Library and the project deliverables by December 31, 2022 as agreed upon and executed by the County and Southface in the SSDN Grant Award Contract. Additionally, the Department’s ability to address the goals of the Sustainability and Resilience Plan will be impaired.
Contract Attached:
Yes.
Contractor Agreement with Southface
SSDN-SSCF Grant Award Contract Letter Executed by Fulton County
Fiscal Impact / Funding Source:
No impact on County finances or budget. The Community Resilience Hub Project and Contractor, Southface, are funded by the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) grant award of $300,000.00.
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Key Contract Terms |
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Start Date: 08/03/2022 |
End Date: 04/30/2023 |
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Cost Adjustment: 0 |
Renewal/Extension Terms: 0 |