Title
AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO FOR WATER SAMPLING AND TESTING SERVICES FOR CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT BEACHES
Body
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that the General Superintendent and CEO or their designee enter into a contract with University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for water sampling and testing services for Chicago Park District beaches.
II. Award Information
Company: University of Illinois at Chicago
2121 W. Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612
Term: Five (5) years with one five-year extension option
Amount: Not to exceed $600,000 annually
Scope of services: UIC will collect and test water samples from two transects per beach, 18-20 beaches per day, seven (7) days per week from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Authorization: Authorize the General Counsel to include other relevant terms and conditions in the written Agreement. Authorize the General Superintendent to execute the Agreement and the Secretary to attest as to the signing of the Agreement and keep an original copy of the Agreement on file.
III. Budget and Financial Information
Budget Classification: Operating and Grants
Fiscal Year: 2023
Source of Funds: 001.8450.8450.623130.1.1.1.1
IV. Procurement Information
Pursuant to Chapter 11 Section D. 1. (b) (2) (f) (iii), competitive bidding is not required due to the specialized nature of the services provided and the unique skills of the UIC personnel.
V. Explanation
The Department of Cultural and Natural Resources (DCNR) manages the beach monitoring and notification program for public swimming beaches in Chicago. Sampling of bacteria levels in the water is performed following recreational water quality monitoring criteria established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. For the past seven years, DCNR has worked with the UIC School of Public Health to implement the beach water quality monitoring program. UIC has specialized expertise in recreational water quality monitoring and laboratory facilities with the equipment necessary to implement the EPA-approved method.
UIC is Chicago’s largest university and its only public research university. Its 16 academic colleges serve nearly 34,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. UIC is recognized as one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse campuses in the nation, a leader in providing access to underrepresented students. UIC is an integral part of the educational, technological, and cultural fabric of one of the world’s greatest cities.
The collaboration between CPD and UIC has additional benefits beyond the service that is provided to CPD. Every summer, UIC undergraduate and graduate students are hired to work on the beach water monitoring project as water sampling technicians (who do field sampling work) or laboratory technicians (who do water sample analysis in the lab). In the past, students have used this experience to complete their applied practice experience (APE), a requirement for all Master of Public Health students. Students get an opportunity to experience and develop practical skills in the application of public health competencies and concepts. Graduate students have also used data generated from the beach water monitoring project for their master’s theses and/or PhD dissertations. Students have also published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented findings at both national and international conferences. Additionally, many students who have been a part of this project have gone on to pursue graduate studies (in related fields), and have been hired for jobs at local, state, and federal agencies. These include the Illinois Pollution Control Board, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Park District to enter into an agreement with UIC for water quality sampling and testing services.
VI. General Conditions
1) Conflicts: The Agreement shall not be legally binding on the Chicago Park District if entered into in violation of the provisions of 50 ILCS 105, the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act.
2) Ethics: The Chicago Park District’s Ethics Code, Chapter III of the Code of the Chicago Park
District, shall be incorporated into and made part of the agreement.
3) Contingent Liability: Any agreement lawfully entered into for a period of more than one year
shall be executory only for the amounts for which the Park District may become liable in succeeding fiscal years pursuant to Section 17(i) of the Chicago Park District Act, 70 ILCS 1505/17(i). All agreements authorized herein shall contain a clause that any expenditure beyond the current fiscal year is subject to appropriation in the subsequent fiscal year budget.