REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
MARK STANDRIFF, Program Director, Beautify Fresno
Department of Public Utilities, Solid Waste Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Downtown Fresno Neighborhood Beautification and Cleanup Project (Council Districts 1, 3, & 7):
1. Affirm the City Manager’s determination that Fresno Arts Council is uniquely qualified
2. Approve the Agreement between City of Fresno and Fresno Arts Council, Inc. of Fresno CA, a uniquely qualified consultant, in the amount of $207,500 for procurement of transportation art on behalf of the City of Fresno.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) Affirm the City Manager’s Finding that the Fresno Arts Council is Uniquely Qualified, (2) Approve an agreement in the amount of $207,500 with the Fresno Arts Council, Inc. (FAC) of Fresno, CA for procurement of transportation art as part of the Downtown Fresno Neighborhood Beautification and Cleanup Project (Project) on Belmont Avenue from Abby Street to Millbrook Avenue, SR-180 at Blackstone Avenue, SR-180 at Abby Street, SR-180 at Fresno Street, SR-180 at First Street, and at the north wall of the Romain Community Center at SR-180 and First Street, and authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign a final Agreement that substantially conforms to the Council-approved Agreement, and sign related documents on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno (City), Public Works Department, is proposing a project involving both infrastructure and non-infrastructure components. The City seeks to execute an agreement in the amount of $207,500 with FAC of Fresno, CA, a uniquely qualified consultant, for procurement of transportation art consisting of eight (8) murals at five (5) locations, as part of the Project on Belmont Avenue from Abby Street to Millbrook Avenue, SR-180 at Blackstone Avenue, SR-180 at Abby Street, SR-180 at Fresno Street, SR-180 at First Street, and at the north wall of the Romain Community Center at SR-180 and First Street, as part of the non-infrastructure portion of the Project.
The agreement is for $207,500 and is fully funded by the State of California’s Clean California Local Grant Program (CCLGP). The City and FAC are nearing the conclusion of negotiations to add traffic control services to the Agreement. The City anticipates the need to increase FAC’s fee to account for the additional traffic control services to be provided. The final Agreement will be reviewed and approved by the City Attorney prior to execution.
BACKGROUND
On January 27, 2022, the City Council authorized the Public Works Department to submit a Grant Application to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the CCLGP; a program created to beautify and clean up local streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways, transit centers, and other public spaces. The program is part of the nearly $1.1 billion Clean California initiative that aims to assist Caltrans in addressing the continuous trash generation overwhelming California’s public spaces.
The Public Works Department was awarded the grant in May of 2022 for the Project which includes both infrastructure and non-infrastructure elements focused on urban greening, improved walkability, community placemaking, and litter cleanup. The amount of the grant, which extends through June 30, 2024, is $5,000,000, with $207,500 designated for the installation of eight (8) murals at five (5) locations, including SR-180 at Blackstone Avenue, SR-180 at Abby Street, SR-180 at Fresno Street, SR-180 at First Street, and at the north wall of the Romain Community Center at SR-180 and First Street.
Murals will be painted to encourage community placemaking and decrease graffiti in the Anthony, Webster and Hidalgo Elementary School neighborhoods. The Project’s infrastructure improvements include reconstruction and beautification of the median islands along the Belmont Avenue corridor from Abby Street to Millbrook Avenue, irrigation system improvements, and tree planting along the median and sidewalks. The Belmont Avenue improvements would be consistent with the vision of the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan as previously adopted by the Council.
Staff determined that FAC is uniquely qualified for the procurement of transportation art for the project. FAC is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization that provides financial support services and other programs to a variety of cultural art organizations, individual artists, and diverse communities throughout Fresno County. FAC is currently the City’s consultant for a mixed media mosaic mural design titled “You Have Arrived” at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
FAC is knowledgeable of qualified artists at both the local and state level and has successfully prepared and facilitated the selection process for public art projects and installations in cooperation with the City of Fresno, the County of Fresno, and the State of California. FAC was chosen by the City Council in 2020 to administer the Fresno Arts and Culture Emergency Relief Grant Program at the beginning of the pandemic. The organization’s relationship with the arts community and its experience with a variety of public art projects makes FAC uniquely qualified to perform the consulting work for the project, and the City Manager approved a Uniquely Qualified Memorandum, dated February 2, 2023.
The City and FAC are nearing the conclusion of negotiations to add traffic control services to the Agreement, in addition to the procurement of transportation art. The City anticipates the need to increase FAC’s fee to account for the additional traffic control services to be provided. The anticipated fee increase is accounted for in the Project’s budget and funding allocation. The final Agreement will substantially conform to the Council-approved Agreement and will be reviewed and approved by the City Attorney prior to execution.
Staff recommends the City Council approve an Agreement in the amount of $207,500 with FAC of Fresno, CA, a uniquely qualified consultant, for procurement of transportation art consisting of eight (8) murals at five (5) locations, as part of the Project, and authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign a final Agreement that substantially conforms to the Council-approved Agreement, and sign related documents on behalf of the City.
Council’s approval of the Agreement and authorization of the Public Works Director or designee to sign a final Agreement that substantially conforms to the Council-approved Agreement will allow the project to move forward without delay and meet the CCLGP funding deadline.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the Agreement as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The Project is consistent with CEQA Guidelines, Sections 15301/Class 1 and 15302/Class 2 categorical exemptions because the project proposes reconstruction and improvements to existing landscaping median and sidewalk, ADA ramps, reinstallation or replacement of signage and striping, painting of eight (8) murals, establishment of Beautify Fresno Clubs at Webster and Hidalgo elementary schools, organization of eight (8) Beautify Fresno Club-hosted events, organization of four (4) City of Fresno-hosted volunteer clean up events at Webster, Hidalgo and Anthony elementary school neighborhoods, coordination of two (2) twelve (12) week anti-litter campaigns to include bus wraps, billboard ads and social media outreach, execution of a litter abatement contract to include the Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street business corridors from Belmont Avenue to Olive Avenue and the Belmont Avenue business corridor from Abby Street to First Street. Based on staff analysis, it was determined that no adverse environmental impacts would occur as a result of the proposed project and none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply to this project. Therefore, a categorical exemption, as noted above, applies to the Project. City Council adopted staff’s finding of Categorical Exemption on April 27, 2023.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this contract uses state funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Project is fully funded by a CCLGP grant. Approving the Agreement with the FAC of Fresno, CA, for procurement of transportation art consisting of eight (8) murals at five (5) locations and authorizing the Public Works Director or designee to sign a final Agreement that substantially conforms to the Council-approved Agreement, will have no impact to the General Fund. The initial funding amount included in the Agreement as well as the anticipated FAC traffic control costs are accounted for in the Project’s budget and funding allocation and are included in the current fiscal year adopted City budget. The project is within Council Districts 1, 3, & 7.
Attachment(s):
Vicinity Map
Agreement Between City of Fresno and Fresno Arts Council, Inc.
Uniquely Qualified Memo