REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 13, 2018
FROM: PARVIN J. NELOMS, Jr., Director
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
BY: KRISTINA CHAMBERLIN, Assistant Director
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a professional consultant agreement in an amount not to exceed $318,000 with Blair, Church and Flynn, a Clovis-based California corporation, to prepare a comprehensive irrigation replacement plan for Roeding Park and Woodward Park.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve the consultant agreement with Blair, Church and Flynn for the purpose of preparing a comprehensive irrigation plan for Roeding Park and Woodward Park for a fee not to exceed $318,000 and authorize the PARCS Director or designee to sign all related documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In January 2018, the City Council adopted the Parks Master Plan. As part of the process, park sites were evaluated and conditions of existing amenities were assessed and categorized as poor, fair, and good. Lifecycle replacement needs were also identified. Among the findings, nearly $48 million of the $112 million in lifecycle replacement costs were associated with irrigation systems, as most were categorized as poor or antiquated.
The City recently solicited a Request for Proposal seeking the services of a landscape architect or other qualified firm to develop, a comprehensive irrigation system replacement plan for Roeding and Woodward Parks. The effort will include system assessment and design, preparation of plans/drawings/specifications and an engineer’s estimate of probable costs.
The consultant will also be responsible for assisting the City in preparing the formal bid documents, reviewing proposals, and recommending the firm to be hired to replace and upgrade the existing Woodward Park and Roeding Park irrigation systems.
BACKGROUND
Woodward Park is a 300-acre Regional Park and bird sanctuary that was constructed in phases beginning in the late-1960s. Among the vast open green spaces throughout the park, Woodward Park also is host to a variety of park features and amenities, including seven formal picnic areas, three children’s play areas, three ponds, a BMX Track, Mountain Bike Trails, Dog Park, Lewis Eaton Trail, Disc Golf course. The park also houses an outdoor Amphitheater, the 3-acre Art of Life Healing Garden, and the 5-acre Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden.
The current irrigation system is beyond its useful life and is in constant need of maintenance and repairs due to age, root damage, rodent infestation, changes in use, as well as the associated impacts of recent droughts. There is also a concern that improvements and repairs made over the previous decades, have inadvertently resulted in cross connections between the irrigation system and other systems used to supply other public uses.
The Fresno Irrigation District provides the main water source for Woodward Park. Currently, potable water is used periodically for irrigation purposes as the existing well pump, has recently failed and is no longer in use. In addition, a number of independent project improvements and repair have resulted in the use of different controllers, irrigation heads, and other components that have had a negative impact on the department’s ability to standardize inventory and perform repairs in a timely manner.
Roeding Park, a 160-acre Regional Park, has similar issues to those at Woodward Park. Improvement of Roeding Park began in the early 1900s and has been designated as an eligible Historic District for the National Registry of Historic Places. Notable amenities include Fresno Chaffee Zoo (operated independently), Rotary Storyland and Playland Amusement Park (operated independently). Other features include a series of lily ponds, Lake Washington, a Vietnam Nam War Memorial, a Dog Park and an informal arboretum. Like Woodward, Roeding Park’s aging system has been subject to a series of independent improvements and repairs that have resulted in an overall inefficient irrigation system.
In accordance with Administrative Order 6-19, staff published the Request for Proposal on the City’s Website, advertised in the Business Journal and sent out over forty general email notifications to firms listed in the California Parks and Recreation Directory. Six RFPs were received. Evaluation of proposals determined Blair, Church and Flynn (BCF) to be the most qualified consultant.
BCF has provided work for over 200 projects with the City over the last thirty plus years. They have been involved with the City of Fresno’s recent recycled water infrastructure project as well as several recent landscape and irrigation projects. BCF brings a team of professionals familiar with the sites and who have working knowledge of the City’s processes and procedures. BCF has resource capacity to meet the scope and timelines necessary to complete the work as outlined in the agreement.
Staff is recommending approval of the agreement with Blair, Church and Flynn of Clovis, California for consulting services contract not to exceed $318,000; and authorize the PARCS Director or designee to sign and execute the contract agreement on behalf of the City of Fresno. The consultant agreement has been approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office.
Once the Consultant Services Contract has been initiated, it is anticipated that the timeline for completing the prescribed consultant work will be between six and nine months. This will allow the City to solicit bids for construction as funding becomes available.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Approval of this agreement is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was implemented. Blair, Church and Flynn is a local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the consultant services agreement was approved by Council in the November 29, 2018 budget update resolution.
Attachment:
Blair, Church and Flynn Consultant Service Agreement