City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO
EXECUTE AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO THE CONTRACT
WITH ARCADIS OF NEW YORK, INC. FOR SEWER
ENGINEERING SERVICES, EXTENDING THE TERM
THROUGH MARCH 15, 2026, AND INCREASING THE
CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $500,000
Whereas, in correspondence dated October 9, 2025, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works formally requested authorization for the Mayor to execute Amendment No. 4 to the contract between the City of Mount Vernon and Arcadis of New York, Inc. for Sewer Engineering Services, extending the contract term through March 15, 2026, and increasing the contract amount by an additional $500,000, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $3,838,000; and
Whereas, in December 2021, the City of Mount Vernon entered into an agreement with Arcadis of New York, Inc. (“Arcadis”) for professional engineering services to assist the City in achieving compliance with its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit and the Consent Decree entered in United States v. City of Mount Vernon, Case No. 7:18-cv-05845-CS; and
Whereas, Arcadis has provided ongoing engineering and technical services related to sewer investigation, rehabilitation, and compliance activities under successive amendments to the original agreement, with Amendment No. 3 bringing the total contract value to $3,338,000; and
Whereas, the City is currently operating under a Consent Decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which requires the City to continuously retain a qualified Engineering Expert and Financial Expert to ensure compliance with its obligations and to avoid civil and stipulated penalties for noncompliance; and
Whereas, the existing Arcadis contract is set to expire in December 2025, but the remaining funds under that agreement will be depleted by the end of October 2025, creating an urgent need to extend services to avoid interruption in critical engineering activities that ensure ongoing compliance with the Consent Decree; and
Whereas, the Department of Public Works has requested a fourth and final extension of the emergency contract with Arcadis through March 15, 2026, at an additional amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000), to maintain continuity of services while the City completes procurement and contract negotiations with a new engineering firm; and
Whereas, funding for this extension shall be drawn from the ongoing New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYS EFC) administrative grant titled “Funding Agreement - Sewer Investigations and Repairs” (EFC Project No. 2151), which currently has a remaining balance of approximately $1.2 million-sufficient to support this amendment at no additional cost to the City; and
Whereas, under Amendment No. 4, Arcadis shall continue to perform engineering and financial advisory services essential to maintaining compliance with the Consent Decree, including sewer investigation, repair planning, and program management, and shall also implement additional requirements promoting MWBE participation, workforce development opportunities for City residents and youth, and enhanced public education and community engagement; and
Whereas, the City Council finds it in the best interest of the City and its residents to approve this amendment to prevent lapses in critical sewer engineering services, ensure continued Consent Decree compliance, and avoid potential penalties and enforcement actions.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Mount Vernon, in regular session convened, as follows:
Section 1. Authorization. The Mayor is hereby authorized to execute Amendment No. 4 to the contract between the City of Mount Vernon and Arcadis of New York, Inc. for Sewer Engineering Services, extending the contract term through March 15, 2026, and increasing the contract amount by an additional $500,000, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $3,838,000.
Section 2. Scope of Services. Under this amendment, Arcadis shall continue to provide professional engineering and technical services necessary for compliance with the Consent Decree and related mandates, including but not limited to:
• Sewer investigation, inspection, and rehabilitation planning;
• Program management and technical oversight;
• Grant and financing assistance;
• Community engagement and public education related to sewer remediation efforts;
• Implementation of workforce development and MWBE participation goals.
Section 3. Funding Source. All costs associated with this amendment shall be paid from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) Grant - “Funding Agreement: Sewer Investigations and Repairs” (EFC Project No. 2151). No additional City funds are required for this contract amendment.
Section 4. Necessity and Continuity. This Ordinance is declared necessary to ensure the uninterrupted provision of sewer engineering services required under the Consent Decree and to prevent potential civil and stipulated penalties against the City for noncompliance.
Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption by the City Council and subsequent approval by the Board of Estimate & Contract.