Council action to award a purchase order to Burns & McDonnell in the amount of $60,000.00 to cover transmission engineering requirements for the Power & Light Department.

IPL staff recommends issuing contract to Burns & McDonnell for these services.

IPL has engaged Burns & McDonnell for general transmission planning support and routine transmission and distribution engineering services annually for over 6 years. The need for this support has grown partially due to the increased activities for high profile high reliability customers coupled with the decline in IPL engineering staff. Contract proposals call for a not to exceed amount of $60,000.00. Contracts for the same services have been $40,000 in 2021, $49,000 in 2022 and $61,000 in 2023. The expectation is for a continued need for these services for the Northpoint area to supplement existing engineering staff.

The contract and PO with Burns & McDonnell is for miscellaneous transmission and distribution engineering and operational support and covers additional and specific transmission planning studies as required to support IPL transmission system improvements. Activities within SPP has been increasing along with the need to evaluate special requests from outside entities to allow connection to SPP system through the IPL interconnected transmission system. At times there is a need for highly specialized detailed engineering for electrical service to high profile and high reliability customers such as the new Northpoint development in northeast Independence. Burns and McDonnell has the skill sets and the experience to assist IPL in these special needs area. Examples include the impact of avian (Raptor) activity as it applies to power line designs, and to the specific design standards for undergrounding power lines in flood plains and wetlands (Northpoint Development.

Burns & McDonnell is an approved A/E vendor and have been supplying these services to IPL for several years, have the skill sets, software, and systems in place to provide the required support efficiently and economically. IPL System Operations and T & D concur with the use of Burns & McDonnell for these services.

The requested services are to be performed and included in fiscal 2024.

Approval of this item authorizes change orders up to ten (10) percent of the authorized amount, providing appropriations are available.

The fiscal impact to the city totals $60,000. Funding for the transmission planning support is included in the fiscal year 2023-24 adopted budget, page 231, account number 6160-5226, Engineering – Professional Services, IPL Fund 20.