Council action is requested to award a purchase order to Power Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $223,332.00 to cover Augmented Engineering Services for the Power & Light Department.

IPL staff recommends issuing a contract to Power Engineers, Inc. for these services.

Independence Power & Light (IPL) has engaged Power Engineers, Inc. for 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 and the inability to recruit for vacant positions. Contract proposals call for a not to exceed amount of $223,332.00. Expectation is for a continued need for these services to supplement vacant positions in engineering staff.

IPL has requested this proposal from Power Engineers, Inc. to provide staff augmentation support for project management, transmission and distribution engineering, and substation engineering. The scope of work includes distribution permit application review and design, lighting design, underground subdivision design, NERC audit support, transmission pole replacement design, and construction observation support for IPL projects. Additionally, Power Engineers, Inc. has included options in this proposal for substation design support, as needed.

The contract and purchase order with Power Engineers, Inc. is for miscellaneous engineering and operational support to subsidize IPL vacant positions. Projects have been increasing and there is a need for detailed engineering for electrical service, including to high profile and high reliability customers such as the new Northpoint development in northeast Independence. Power Engineers, Inc. has the skill set and the experience to assist IPL in both regular and highly specialized areas. Power Engineers, Inc. proposed staff are local and can quickly and efficiently respond to IPL requests.

Power Engineers, Inc. is an approved A/E vendor of the city. The contract has been reviewed, modified, and approved by city legal. Power Engineers, Inc. have been supplying services to IPL for several years. They have the skill set, software, and systems in place to provide the required support efficiently and economically. IPL System Operations and Transmission & Distribution divisions concur with the use of Power Engineers, Inc. for these services.

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

The fiscal impact to the city totals $223,332.00. Funding for the Augmented Engineering support is included in the fiscal year 2023-24 adopted budget, page 240, account number 0206160, IPL Fund 020.