City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE
MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A MASTER SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH ARCADIS OF NEW YORK,
INC. FOR UNINTERRUPTED CONSENT ORDER
COMPLIANCE SERVICES
Whereas, in correspondence dated February 27, 2026, the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Works formally requested authorization for the Mayor to execute a Master Services Agreement with Arcadis of New York, Inc. for continued engineering, technical, and advisory services to support uninterrupted compliance with the federal Consent Decree and related regulatory obligations, and to facilitate an orderly transition of services to Woodard & Curran; and
Whereas, the City of Mount Vernon (the “City”) is presently engaged in critical Infrastructure Corrective and Preventative Maintenance initiatives, particularly with respect to its Stormwater and Wastewater Programs; and
Whereas, the City is subject to a federal Consent Decree in the matter of United States of America, et al. v. City of Mount Vernon, Case No. 7:18-cv-05845-CS, entered in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, requiring compliance with specific corrective measures, deadlines, and reporting obligations; and
Whereas, the Consent Decree is between the City, the United States of America, the State of New York, and Basil Seggos, as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”); and
Whereas, the City entered into an Engineering Agreement with Arcadis of New York, Inc. on December 21, 2021, which has been extended by amendments and is scheduled to expire on March 15, 2026; and
Whereas, Arcadis is presently designated in the Consent Decree as the City’s Engineering Expert and Financial Expert and has developed and implemented the City’s compliance program since its inception; and
Whereas, Arcadis is currently completing time-sensitive work required under the Consent Decree, and failure to meet mandated deadlines may subject the City to violations and substantial stipulated penalties; and
Whereas, on January 28, 2026, the City Council approved legislation authorizing the City to enter into a Professional Services Agreement with Woodard & Curran to assume the role of the City’s engineering consultant; and
Whereas, the Department of Public Works has determined that a structured “left seat/right seat” transition between Arcadis and Woodard & Curran is necessary to ensure uninterrupted compliance with federal and state mandates and to mitigate risk of violation; and
Whereas, the immediate areas requiring transition assistance include: (1) meetings and regulatory correspondence; (2) completion of the Edison Avenue Pump Station project; (3) Year Two Corrective Action Plan activities, including the SSES deadline of March 30, 2026; (4) construction administration handoff; (5) bid document development for Outfall 24; and (6) transition assistance related to technology systems; and
Whereas, through its service as Engineering and Financial Expert, Arcadis possesses unique institutional knowledge and technical capabilities necessary to support continued compliance, infrastructure planning, capital improvement initiatives, and clean water objectives; and
Whereas, the proposed Master Services Agreement will provide for Task Order No. 1 in the amount of Three Hundred Fifteen Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars ($315,800), with a completion date of June 30, 2026; and
Whereas, the Master Services Agreement shall permit additional Task Orders as necessary, provided that the total authorization shall not exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) through December 31, 2026; and
Whereas, funding for this Agreement shall be drawn from allocations provided through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation as part of the City’s $150 Million financing program; and
Whereas, the City Council finds that entering into this Master Services Agreement is necessary, appropriate, and in the best interests of the City to ensure continuity, stability, regulatory compliance, and protection of public health and welfare.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Authorization. The Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to execute a Master Services Agreement with Arcadis of New York, Inc. for continued engineering, technical, and advisory services to support uninterrupted compliance with the federal Consent Decree and related regulatory obligations, and to facilitate an orderly transition of services to Woodard & Curran.
Section 2. Term. The term of the Master Services Agreement shall commence upon execution and shall terminate on December 31, 2026, unless sooner terminated in accordance with the terms thereof.
Section 3. Compensation.
A. Task Order No. 1 is hereby authorized in the amount of $315,800, with a completion date of June 30, 2026.
B. The total cumulative authorization under the Master Services Agreement shall not exceed $500,000 for the duration of the contract term.
C. Funding shall be drawn from the City’s financing allocations provided through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.
Section 4. Purpose and Scope. The services authorized herein shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Regulatory meetings and correspondence;
2. Completion support for the Edison Avenue Pump Station project;
3. Year Two Corrective Action Plan compliance, including SSES requirements;
4. Construction administration transition support;
5. Bid document development for Outfall 24; and
6. Technology systems transition assistance.
Such services shall ensure uninterrupted compliance with federal and state mandates and mitigate the risk of violations and stipulated penalties.
Section 5. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, or Section of this Ordinance shall be adjudged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder shall not be affected thereby.
Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption by the City Council and subsequent approval by the Board of Estimate and Contract.