Council action is requested to award a purchase order to Burns & McDonnell, Inc. in the amount of $188,159.00 to cover Augmented Engineering Services for the Power & Light Department.

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

Independence Power & Light (IPL) has engaged Burns & McDonnell, 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 $188,159.00. Expectation is for a continued need for these services to supplement vacant positions in engineering staff.

IPL has requested this proposal from Burns & McDonnell, Inc. to include a variety of tasks, such as designing of overhead and underground distribution facilities, conducting field inspection of existing system conditions, meeting with customers to discuss service requirements, performing electrical studies, providing input to distribution standards, coordination with IPL and external stakeholders, and other activities as needed.

The contract and purchase order with Burns & McDonnell, 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. Burns & McDonnell, Inc. has the skill sets and the experience to assist IPL in both regular and highly specialized areas. Burns & McDonnell, Inc. proposed staff are local and can quickly and efficiently respond to IPL requests.

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

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

The fiscal impact to the city totals $188,159.00. Funding for the Augmented Engineering support is included in the fiscal year 2023-24 adopted budget, page 240, account number 0206160, IPL Fund 020.