REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: HARMANJIT DHALIWAL, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Special Projects and Capital Management Division
FABIOLA LOPEZ, Projects Administrator
Public Works Department, Special Projects and Capital Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Veterans Boulevard State Route 99 Interchange and Extension Project
(Council District 2):
1. Approve Amendment No. 6 to Cooperative Project Agreement Short-Term Regional Transportation Program Project N1 Urban, Veterans Boulevard / State Route 99 Interchange and Grade Separation, in the amount of ($991,444), with the Fresno County Transportation Authority;
2. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Cooperative Project Agreement Short-Term Regional Transportation Program Urban Project N2, Veterans Boulevard Connect State Route 99 Interchange, in the amount of $991,444, with the Fresno County Transportation Authority.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the City Council (1) Approve Amendment No. 6 to Cooperative Project Agreement Short-Term Regional Transportation Program Project N1 Urban, Veterans Boulevard / SR
99 Interchange and Grade Separation with the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) and (2) Approve Amendment No. 1 to Cooperative Project Agreement Short-Term Regional Transportation Program Urban Project N2, Veterans Boulevard Connect SR 99 Interchange with the FCTA and authorize the Public Works Director or designee to execute the agreements on behalf of the City of Fresno.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno successfully completed the five phases of construction of the Veterans Boulevard Project including Phase 1-Bullard Extension, Phase 2-Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation, Phase 3- SR99 Interchange and Extension, Phase 4a-Veterans Boulevard South Extension, and Phase 4b- Riverside to Herndon Connection construction. The 24-month landscape maintenance contract and Carnegie Median Landscape Improvements remain pending. The proposed Measure “C” Amendments provide the necessary project funding adjustment to properly fund the actual costs incurred on each phase of construction. The two amendments will transfer savings on the Project N1 interchange project to the Project N2 Veterans Boulevard connections where the costs were incurred.
BACKGROUND
Veterans Boulevard, originally referred to as the Herndon-Grantland Diagonal, was part of 1984 General Plan and is now a six-lane super arterial in the 2035 General Plan. The City of Fresno successfully completed the construction of all phases of the Veterans Boulevard Project including Phase 1-Bullard Extension, Phase 2-Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation, Phase 3- SR99 Interchange and Extension, Phase 4a-Veterans Boulevard South Extension, and Phase 4b- Riverside to Herndon Connection construction. The 24-month landscape maintenance contract and Carnegie Median Landscape Improvements remain pending.
The original cooperative agreement for the Veterans Boulevard/State Route 99 Interchange and Grade Separation, Urban Project N1, between the City and FCTA, was approved by the Council on March 31, 2009 for the Environmental Impact Report and Caltrans Project Report, totaling $1.5 million in Measure “C” funds. On December 11, 2011, the Council approved Amendment No. 1 which provided $8.8 million for the design phase of the Project. On October 10, 2012, the City entered into Amendment No. 2 to proceed with right-of-way acquisition for the Project. On November 21, 2013, Council approved the Amendment No. 3 which provided additional funding in the amount of $3,421,000 bringing the total “not to exceed” amount of allocated project funding to $29,556,000 of Measure “C” funds (Original and Extension) and Regional Transportation Mitigation Fee (RTMF) funds. On October 8, 2015, Council approved Amendment No. 4, which shifted funding from the right -of-way phase to the design phase of the Project but did not change the total “not to exceed” amount of allocated project funding. On September 24, 2020, Council approved Amendment No. 5, authorizing construction funding in the amount of $36,347,000 bringing the total “not to exceed” amount of allocated project funding to $65,903,000 of Measure C Funds. The proposed Amendment No. 6 transfers realized funding savings in the amount of ($991,444) to Urban Project N2 to properly fund the actual costs incurred on its construction phase.
The original cooperative agreement for the Veterans Boulevard Connect State Route 99 Interchange, North and South Extension Projects Urban Project N2, between the City and FCTA, was approved by the Council on September 24, 2020, authorizing construction funding in the amount of $4,544,000. The proposed Amendment No. 1 increases funding in the amount of $991,444 bringing the total “not to exceed” amount of allocated project funding to $5,535,444. The increase in the amount will fund the actual costs incurred in the successful completion of the North and South Extension Projects.
Staff recommends Council approval of these two Veterans Boulevard Project amendments and to authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign and execute them on behalf of the City of Fresno. The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved both amendments as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The California Department of Transportation, as Lead Agency, prepared an EIR for the Veterans Boulevard/State Route 99 Interchange Project/Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation Project, identified by SCH No. 2010021054 (the “Veterans Boulevard EIR”). The Veterans Boulevard EIR was certified on June 16, 2013 and analyzed several components of the Veterans Boulevard Project, including but not limited to a new interchange at State Route 99 and Veterans Boulevard, grade separated crossings to connect Veterans Boulevard and Golden State Boulevard, the construction of separated crossings to connect Veterans Boulevard and Golden State Boulevard, the construction of Veterans Boulevard as a six-lane super arterial from West Shaw to Herndon Avenues, drainage basins, and landscaping. A resolution will be brought forward for each phase of the Project at the time of the award of a construction contract for the City Council to adopt the findings related to the specific phase.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable because these amendments do not include a bid or award of a
construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Veterans Boulevard Project is located in Council District 2 and will have no impact to the General
Fund. The two Cooperative Project Amendments provide the necessary Measure “C” funding to fully
fund the Veterans Boulevard Project. The Project also included funding by State Local Partnership
Program grants, Federal BUILD grant, and local Developer Impact Fee funding.
Attachments:
Urban Project N1 Agreement
Urban Project N1 Amendments No. 1
Urban Project N1 Amendments No. 2
Urban Project N1 Amendments No. 3
Urban Project N1 Amendments No. 4
Urban Project N1 Amendments No. 5
Urban Project N1 Amendments No. 6
Urban Project N2 Agreement
Urban Project N2 Amendments No. 1