REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Director
Capital Projects Department
SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: JESUS AVITIA, PE, Assistant Director
Capital Projects Department, Transportation Project Management Division
BRANDON CHACON, Projects Administrator
Capital Projects Department, Transportation Project Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the Second Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement with Sherwood Design Engineers, Inc. of Santa Cruz, California, in the amount of $62,217, for a total increased contract amount of $215,341, with a remaining contingency of $1,799, for professional engineering services for the Southwest Fresno Trail Project (Council District 3).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Second Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement dated December 17, 2021, with Sherwood Design Engineers in the amount of $62,217, increasing the total contract amount to $215,341, with a remaining contingency of $1,799, for the Southwest Fresno Trail Project, and to authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to execute the Second Amendment to Agreement on behalf of the City of Fresno.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City is proposing to construct a Class I Trail, with new trees, trail lighting and street lighting, along the Fanning Ditch Alignment with the Southwest Fresno Trail Project, from West Avenue to Thorne Avenue. The City entered into the Consultant Services Agreement with Sherwood Design Engineers, Inc., for the Southwest Fresno Trail Project, on December 17, 2021. As the project progressed, it was determined that converting the open channel portion of the Fanning No. 76 ditch between Fruit Avenue and Thorne Avenue to an underground pipeline would be mutually beneficial to the Fresno Irrigation District (FID) and the City. This Second Amendment to the Agreement includes additional design services in order to revise and finalize the trail design, to be located within the FID easement between Thorne Avenue and Fruit Avenue. The cost of the Second Amendment is $62,217, increasing the total contract amount to $215,341, with a remaining contingency of $1,799, for the Southwest Fresno Trail Project. Funding for this project is through the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant program through the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC). Local match to the grant is funded with Measure P Safe Walking and Biking Trails funding.
BACKGROUND
The Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Grant Program was established by Assembly Bill (AB) 2722 and is administered by the SGC using Cap-and-Trade funds for the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities. The TCC Grant Program takes a place-based approach that commits applicants to the achievement of economic, environmental, and public health benefits in a specific community through the deployment of integrated climate strategies that combine greenhouse gas reduction activities to achieve multiple community benefits and drive innovation. The City has been awarded grant funds of $66,500,000 from the TCC Grant Program to fund the development and implementation of neighborhood-level coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental and health benefits to disadvantaged communities.
The submittal for the grant funds, named the Transform Fresno Plan, includes coordination with several partners to deliver a variety of California Climate Investment projects, including the Southwest Fresno Trail. On February 28, 2019, the City Council approved the Master Grant Agreement with SGC for development and implementation of greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects in the amount of $66,500,000. On April 23, 2020, the City Council approved a Sub-Recipient Agreement with the City’s Department of Public Works for the Southwest Fresno Trail Project in the amount of $1,978,959 and adopted the Southwest Fresno Trail Wildlife Doc. No. E202010000079, Mitigated Negative Declaration. The general scope of work includes installation of a Class I trail, trees, landscaping, trail lighting and street lighting.
On December 17, 2021, the City entered into a consultant agreement with Sherwood Design Engineers for a total fee of $144,923, with a $10,000 contingency, to perform professional engineering services and the preparation of the plans, specifications, cost estimates, bidding support services and construction support services for the project. On November 28, 2022, the First Amendment to the consultant services agreement increased the total fee by $8,201, using a potion of the contingency, for a revised contract amount of $153,124 which included additional design changes related to additional driveway, curb, and gutter design.
The City now desires to amend the Agreement with Sherwood Design Engineers to revise and complete the trail design to locate the trail within the FID easement between Thorne Avenue and Fruit Avenue 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 amendment as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this item does not qualify as a project as defined by the CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented; this is an amendment to an existing agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
This project, which is located in Council District 3, will not have any impact to the General Fund. The amendment amount of $62,217 will be funded by the TCC Grant Funds and local Measure P Safe Walking and Biking Trails funding. All funds necessary for the contract amendment are included in the current fiscal year budget, as previously adopted by City Council.
Attachment(s):
Second Amendment to Agreement
Original Agreement
Vicinity Map