REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: NICHOLAS D. MASCIA, PE, Assistant City Manager
Interim Director - Capital Projects Department
SCOTT MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: KEVIN GROSS, PE, Assistant Director
Capital Projects Department, Transportation Project Management Division
JONATHAN MARAVILLA, Engineer I
Capital Projects Department, Transportation Project Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a Fifth Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement with Blair Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers, Incorporated of Fresno, California, in the amount of $41,529, increasing the total contract amount to $251,559 with the remaining contingency amount not to exceed $8,000, for civil engineering design services and preparation of construction documents for the Southbound Polk Avenue Widening Project from Gettysburg Avenue to Shaw Avenue. (Council District 1)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council approve the Fifth Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement (Agreement) with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers, Incorporated (BCF) in the amount of $41,529, increasing the total contract amount to $251,559 with the remaining contingency amount not to exceed $8,000, for civil engineering design services and preparation of construction documents for the Southbound Polk Avenue Widening Project from Gettysburg Avenue to Shaw Avenue and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to execute the Fifth Amendment on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City is proposing to construct street improvements and widen southbound Polk Avenue from Shaw Avenue to Gettysburg Avenue. The City entered into the Consultant Services Agreement with BCF for the Southbound Polk Avenue Widening Project from Gettysburg Avenue to Shaw Avenue on April 25, 2017. As the project design progressed, additional coordination with project stakeholders identified changes to the project design package that requires additional work by the design consultant beyond their existing scope. This Fifth Amendment to the Agreement includes additional consultant design and construction support services for revising striping plans, adding new streetlights, revisions to Fresno Irrigation District (FID) facilities, updates to the High intensity Activated CrossWalk (HAWK) standards, realign inlet lateral at Polk Avenue and Shaw Avenue, add additional storm drain lateral at Lola Avenue, fee rate increases, and updating the Plans, Specifications and Estimates to Caltrans 2023 standards. Staff recommends approval of the Fifth Amendment to the Agreement with BCF in the amount of $41,529, for a total increased contract amount of $251,559, with an additional $8,000 remaining in contingency, for the Southbound Polk Avenue Widening Project. The project is funded with federal Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Highway Infrastructure Program Fund (HIP) grants. The local match requirements are being funded by Measure C flexible funds, New Growth Area Major Street Impact Fee funds, and a local contribution from Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD).
BACKGROUND
Polk Avenue currently is a two-lane roadway in need of curbs, gutters, sidewalks and drainage facilities. As a result, bottlenecks exist between the newer, fully improved subdivisions and older areas that developed in the County. In accordance with the 2035 General Plan, Polk Avenue is to ultimately be constructed as a four-lane divided arterial between Shaw Avenue and Belmont Avenue, as development occurs west of State Route 99.
The City of Fresno was awarded a federal Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) that provides construction funding for the Southbound Polk Avenue Widening Project. The STBG grant application was part of a package of grants adopted for submission and execution per Resolution No. 2017-288 adopted by the City Council on October 19, 2017.
The City of Fresno seeks to construct street improvements and widen southbound Polk Avenue from Shaw Avenue to Gettysburg Avenue. The consultant is currently preparing the plans, specifications and construction documents for the widening of Polk Avenue between Shaw Avenue and Gettysburg Avenue, including curb and gutter, paving, sidewalks, street lighting and a High intensity Activated crosswalk (HAWK) type pedestrian crossing near Teague Elementary School.
The original Agreement dated April 25, 2017, with BCF totaled $106,500, with a $15,000 contingency. Upon award of the federal STBG grant for construction, City staff identified additional scope that was included in the grant scope and pursued a First Amendment with BCF to add the additional scope. The additional items include a HAWK type pedestrian crossing and widening of the east side of Polk Avenue in proximity of the proposed pedestrian crossing. On December 7, 2018, City Council approved the First Amendment to the Agreement with BCF in the amount of $29,330. On March 17, 2022, the Second Amendment to the Agreement was executed utilizing contingency of $7,000 to complete a Noise Abatement Decision Report (NADR), which was required by Caltrans for environmental clearance on the project. On May 31, 2022, the Third Amendment to the consultant services agreement increased the total fee by $26,900 for a revised contract amount of $169,730, which included potholing to identify and mitigate potential design conflicts with the existing utilities and proposed improvements. On May 3, 2024, the Fourth Amendment to the consultant services agreement increased the total fee by $40,300 for a revised contract amount of $210,030, which included FID irrigation pipeline replacement and Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD) storm drain redesign, with a remaining contingency amount of $8,000.
As the project progressed, additional coordination with project stakeholders identified changes to the project design package that requires additional work by the design consultant beyond their existing scope. Staff negotiated the additional scope to the contract. The additional scope will increase the fee by $41,529, which brings the total contract amount to $251,559, with a remaining contingency amount of $8,000. Therefore, the City now desires to amend the Agreement with BCF to include revising striping plans, adding new streetlights, revisions to Fresno Irrigation District Facilities, updates to the High Intensity Activated CrossWalk (HAWK) standards, realign inlet lateral at Polk Avenue and Shaw Avenue, add additional storm drain lateral at Lola Avenue, fee rate increases and updating the Plans, Specifications and Estimates to Caltrans 2023 standards and to authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign on behalf of the City of Fresno.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the proposed Amendment as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the approval of this contract amendment does not qualify as a project as defined by the CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this is an amendment to an existing contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed Southbound Polk Avenue Widening Project from Gettysburg Avenue to Shaw Avenue is within Council District 1. This amendment will have no impact to the General Fund. All project costs for the engineering design phase are funded with local Measure C flexible and New Growth Area Major Street Impact Fee funds. All funds necessary for the amendment are included in the current fiscal year budget as previously adopted by City Council.
Attachments:
Fifth Amendment
Fourth Amendment
Third Amendment to Agreement
Second Amendment to Agreement
First Amendment to Agreement
Consultant Services Agreement
Vicinity Map