REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
June 16, 2016
FROM: THOMAS C. ESQUEDA, Director
Department of Public Utilities
THROUGH: KEVIN L. NORGAARD, PE, Supervising Professional Engineer
Department of Public Utilities - Wastewater Management Division
BY: PATRICIA DIEP, Supervising Engineering Technician
Department of Public Utilities - Wastewater Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the design contract for the Recycled Water Distribution System, Southwest Quadrant, Project (Council District 3 and Fresno County)
1. ***RESOLUTION - 48th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2015-104 appropriating $674,300 (Requires affirmative 5 votes)
2. Approve the First Amendment to the Agreement with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers, a California Corporation for professional engineering services for the design (Council District 3 and portions of Fresno County)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council appropriate the project funding, and approve the first amendment to the consultant agreement in the amount of $674,240 with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers, a California Corporation for the additional pipeline design for the Southwest Quadrant of the Recycled Water Distribution System (RWDS).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Utilities, Wastewater Management Division (Department) requests the adoption of the 48th Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) No. 2015-104 and amend the professional engineering services agreement with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers, a California Corporation in the amount of $628,210. The Amendment is necessary to provide scope changes which deviate from the original scope which were caused by numerous reasons.
BACKGROUND
On July 2nd 2013 the City and Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers entered into a $3,324,000 Agreement for consulting engineering work associated with the Recycled Water Distribution System (RWDS) located in Southwest Fresno. The progression of multiple projects and maturing of the recycled water system have necessitated five major scope alterations to the design of the Recycled Water Transmission Main (RWTM).
The first scope change is requested because experiences on the first two RWTM construction projects show all anticipated utilities should be positively located during the design by potholing at each crossing location. Location of utilities will help avoid unnecessary change orders for money and delays. The second scope change is a result of the booster pump station location change after the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was completed. The pump station site changed because an existing undeveloped Department of Public Work (DPW) owned property was identified by the City Manager’s Office (CMO) which was subsequently purchased by Department of Public Utilities (DPU). This 2nd change includes the necessary CEQA revisions and other required engineering services. The third scope change was triggered because of unavoidable alignment changes. The original master plan included a portion of recycled water main to be installed in Whitesbridge Avenue to serve several cemeteries. During the design review by City and CalTrans staff determined, considering the long term plans for Highway 180, it would be advantageous to keep out of the CalTrans right of way. This amendment includes additional survey, potholing, CEQA work and other engineering design work to reroute the main down Hughes Avenue to serve the identified customers. The original scope of design only included prescriptive traffic control requirements. The fourth scope change in this amendment includes additional costs for complete detailed preapproved traffic control plans (TCP) to be included with the bid documents. These TCP will then be submitted to the County and City Traffic Engineering departments by the contractor for preapproved permits. Completing these TCP’s before the project bid will help reduce construction costs and greatly reduce liability for time delays associated with TCP approval. The final scope change is additional work associated with crossing from Roeding Park to the H street alignment and the avoidance of the Fresno Street Subway. This first alignment alteration was originally intended to cross the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and High Speed Rail (HSR) in Belmont Avenue. The City was unable to obtain necessary approvals for the Belmont alignment therefore several different routes were developed and analyzed. The final alignment now will cross from Roeding Park east into Dennett Avenue. This new alignment will add an additional 1,800 feet of pipeline. The second alignment change is necessary because of delays in the removal of the Fresno Street Subway. The amendment includes the necessary engineering, survey work, and environmental services for the new alignments.
The original design contract with Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers totaled $3,324,000. Staff negotiated the additional scope to the contract for an increase of $674,240 which brings the total sum of the contracts to $3,998,240.
City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved as to form this First Amendment to Agreement. Upon approval by the Council, the Agreement will be executed by the Director of Public Utilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 the award of this contract does not qualify as a “project” for the purpose of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented; this item is an amendment of a contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
This project has no financial impact on the General Fund and is located in Council District 3 and portion of Fresno County. This project is identified in the Wastewater Management Division capital improvement plans and current rate structure. Monies exist in the sewer enterprise fund and will be transferred by the AAR approval. This project is a state revolving fund loan project. The state will reimburse the City and the Sewer Enterprise fund will make 1% loan payments for 30 years.
Attachments:
48th AAR No. 2015-104
First Amendment
Original Contract