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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10021 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10021 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 13, 2017 r� Page 1 of 1 �i {i7 Y *a SUBJECT: ACQUIRING A WASTEWATER CERTIFICATE OF CONVENIENCE rrn AND NECESSITY FOR THE CITY OF FORT WORTH This informal report is intended to provide the Mayor and Council with a summary of the City of Fort Worth Water Department's efforts to acquire a wastewater Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN). REASONS TO ACQUIRE A WASTEWATER CCN The City of Fort Worth provides wastewater service to retail customers within the city, its Extraterritorial Jurisdiction and to 23 wholesale customers in the surrounding counties. The City's collection system consists of 12 sewer basins. As the City continues to grow, the system also demands necessary expansion and new facilities which are costly endeavors. CCNs are granted by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) through a lengthy and robust process that includes public notice, hearings and technical mapping. A CCN authorizes and requires utilities to provide continuous and adequate service to every customer who requests service in a certificated area. In turn, the CCN provides the City the exclusive right to service the certificated area, therefore protecting the City's investment. The City currently has a water CCN and would like to obtain the same for the protection of its wastewater system. REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTION The Water Department issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to seek a consultant to with expertise in obtaining a wastewater CCN. The law firm of Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, PC (Lloyd Gosselink) submitted a response to the RFQ. Because of the law firm's extensive knowledge of the CCN process and experience in representing cities on CCN matters, the Water Department would like to hire Lloyd Gosselink to provide legal, technical and consulting services to acquire a wastewater CCN. Lloyd Gosselink will team up with Freese and Nichols as a subcontractor to provide the engineering and technical requirements of obtaining a CCN. Lloyd Gosselink would be required to provide required notice to all retail public utilities, districts and municipalities of the proposed CCN area; to create a meta data GIS sewer boundary of the existing sewer service area that meets the PUC requirements, as well as any other mapping requests by the PUC; and to prepare and submit the CCN application to the PUC. NEXT STEPS Although Lloyd Gosselink will be providing consulting services, the firm will also be acting in a legal capacity. Therefore, the City Attorney and City Manager will bring forth an M&C and resolution to hire Lloyd Gosselink as required by the City's Charter on June 20. For any questions, please call Chris Harder, Assistant Water Department Director, at 817-392-5020. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS