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Portland City Council next week will consider a proposal to authorize competitive solicitation and execution of price agreements for temporary staff additions to support the Bureau of Environmental Services‘ (BES) Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The investment would be up to $28 million over five years. The temporary staffers would support city personnel with in-house design engineering, design management and project management.

A first reading of the ordinance took place on Wednesday. A second reading and consideration will follow on Dec. 7.

The bureau’s annual capital budget is around $200 million and includes approximately 200 active projects, including required upgrades to the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant, critical pump station repairs and improvements, and other projects. BES has relied on temporary staffers in the past and expects to continue to need them for the CIP, which is increasing due to the number of projects required to meet wastewater and stormwater system needs.

The estimated average annual cost of the agreement would be $5.6 million. Funds would be made available as needed in BES’ Sewer System Operating Fund budget and various CIP project budgets over the term of the price agreements.

Temporary staffers would support capital project design and management, BES analyst Amy Chomowicz said Wednesday. Storm and sanitary structures are aging, she added, and need to be repaired or replaced. Additional staff would help BES maintain output tied to CIP projects.

Similar services have been in place since 2017.

鈥淐urrently, we have five contracts that provide us with mainly construction managers and inspectors,鈥� Chomowicz said.

O-call staffing services help the bureau design and construct projects, including storm and sanitary sewers, wastewater pump stations, wastewater treatment facilities, stormwater treatment facilities, and drainage way improvements.

The request for proposals would replace those existing contracts, which expire on June 30, 2023. The contracts that result from this RFP would provide BES with sufficient capacity to bring in supplemental personnel.

鈥淭hese temporary employees will perform design engineering, project management and controls, and facility planning on a regular and as-needed basis,鈥� Chomowicz said.

The contracts have provided BES opportunities to support workforce development, Chomowicz added. Over the past five years, BES has hired 30 former temporary staff members into permanent positions.

BES is working with an equity team on outreach to encourage Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID)-certified, and disadvantaged, minority-owned, woman-owned, and emerging small business firms to apply.