CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: June 17, 2015
PREPARED BY: Julie Behzad, Senior Civil Engineer/Public Works
APPROVED BY: City Manager
Title
AWARD CONTRACT FOR THE DOWNTOWN UNDERGROUNDING UTILITIES STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
END
recommendation(s)
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution approving the following actions:
1. Approve project plans and specifications;
2. Award contract to St. Francis Electric, LLC for the Downtown Undergrounding Utilities Street Improvement Project in the amount of $1,871,464;
3. Authorize expenditure of construction contingency funds not to exceed $280,720; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to sign the Contract.
BODY
COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES:
Ongoing Priorities
Enhancing public safety
2015 Focus Area
Stimulate Economic Development
Advance Downtown Revitalization
REPORT NARRATIVE:
The Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy includes the undergrounding of overhead utilities on the side streets east of Monterey Road and installation of new street lights. Overhead utilities are placed underground to remove unsightly overhead wire clutter, wooden poles, and, more importantly, to reduce the following safety issues:
· Vehicle accidents
· Live-wire contact injuries
· Fires
· Injuries to first responders
· Health and Safety Concerns due to Power Outages
The properties on First Street, Second Street and Fourth Street between Monterey Road and Depot Street are currently being serviced by overhead utilities. In accordance with the Downtown Specific Plan, the overhead utilities in Downtown shall be placed underground at the time that street improvements are made.
The Project is located at First, Second and Fourth Streets between Monterey Road and Depot Street. The scope of work includes: Installing trenching and conduits, vaults, and boxes to convert overhead utilities, upgrading street lighting, performing all private conversions and installing site utilities.
Also included in the scope of work for this project is the installation of a water line and a sewer line in Fourth Street. Staff had communicated to the Council on May 20, 2015 that the water line and sewer line work would be included in the negotiated change order with F&H Construction that added the Third Street improvements and the Fourth Street improvements. Subsequent to Council's approval of the F&H change order, staff learned that F&H only included a portion of the required wet utility work. As a result, staff immediately added the installation of the wet utilities to the Downtown Undergrounding Utilities project which was out to bid to meet the schedule for the parking structure project and Downtown Undergrounding Utilities project. If this contract with St. Francis Electric is approved by Council, staff will continue to work with F&H to receive credit for the portion of the utilities work that have been added to the new contract with St. Francis Electric to make sure there is no duplication of the scope of work for the two projects. With this new arrangement, all underground utility work on Fourth Street will be completed by St. Francis Electric and the above ground street improvement work will be completed by F&H. As also discussed in May, staff will work to ensure project coordination is a priority for both firms.
The bid opening was held on June 11, 2015, and three bids were received. The low bidder, St. Francis Electric, LLC has many years of experience in construction and is located in San Leandro. Staff found St. Francis Electric, LLC to be both responsible and qualified to perform the work. St. Francis Electric's construction base bid of $1,871,464 was 13% lower than the engineer's estimate of $2.15M.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Inform
At the March 4, 2015 City Council Meeting, Council held a Public Hearing for the formation of an Underground Utility District. Affected property owners will be notified prior to construction activity.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
Council could direct staff to reject this bid and remove undergrounding utilities from the scope of the Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:
At the May 21, 2014 City Council Meeting, staff presented and the Council approved the Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy for expenditure of 2008 Bond proceeds that includes streetscape improvements, pedestrian safety improvements, landscape/irrigation to the median along Monterey Road, parking lot improvements and undergrounding of the overhead utilities.
At the June 4, 2015 City Council Meeting, Council Adopted the Resolution approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute a Service Agreement for Design Professionals with Sandis for a not-to-exceed fee of $335,510 for several design tasks related to the Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy, including undergrounding overhead utilities in the Downtown.
At the February 4, 2015 City Council Meeting, Council directed staff to notice the required public hearing to be held on March 4, 2015 for the formation of an Underground Utility District along First Street, Second Street and Fourth Street between Monterey Road and Depot Street per Morgan Hill Municipal Code, Chapter 12.12.
At the March 4, 2015 City Council Meeting, Council Adopt resolution establishing Downtown Underground Utility District (DUUD) on First Street, Second Street and Fourth Street between Monterey Road and Depot Street.
FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:
The approved FY 2014/15 and 2015/16 CIP Budgets include the downtown projects and associated implementation costs. The bond proceeds expenses for these services were included in the approved ROPS 14-15B and the ROPS 15-16A submittal approved by the Oversight Board and by the State Department of Finance.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):
Categorical Exemption
LINKS/ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Project location Map