REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
November 19, 2020
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
THROUGH: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
BY: JOHN STANBOULIAN, Public Works Manager
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations Center
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Adaptive Project (from Van Ness to Chestnut Avenues) - Bid File No. 3767 (Council Districts 3, 5 and 7)
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff’s determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (CEQA)
2. ***RESOLUTION - 45th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2020-159 appropriating $382,000 for the Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Adaptive Project (Requires 5 affirmative votes) (Subject to Mayor’s veto)
3. Award a construction contract in the amount of $1,578,972 to Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno, CA, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor ITS Adaptive Project (from Van Ness to Chestnut Avenues)
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that City Council (1) adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) Class 1 of the CEQA Guidelines, (2) adopt the 45th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2020-159, (3) award a construction contract with Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian, of Fresno, CA, in the amount of $1,578,972 as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the base bid, and authorize the Public Works Director or Designee to sign a standardized contract on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road corridor is a heavily traveled corridor in Fresno, connecting businesses, hospitals, and residences with downtown Fresno and State Route 41. It is also one of the key bus routes for FAX’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Q-Line. This ITS adaptive project includes the installation of ITS infrastructure, technology components, and updated vehicle detection that will prepare the Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road corridor for the deployment of state-of-the-art real-time adaptive traffic synchronization. Separate from this contract, but as part of the overall Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor ITS Adaptive Project, staff will be bringing to Council a contract for the purchase of the traffic signal adaptive modules. This system will bring Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road corridor to the same level of adaptive, real-time traffic synchronization as the Shaw Avenue and Herndon Avenue corridors, improving Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road corridor operations by up to 20%, while reducing energy consumption and vehicle emissions. This project is funded by a Federal grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and Proposition 111 Gas Tax as the local match.
BACKGROUND
The Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor ITS Adaptive from Van Ness to Chestnut Avenues project was initiated in FY18 when the City was awarded a Federal grant from the CMAQ Improvement Program. The project was designed by Public Works staff after the project was budgeted in the adopted FY20 Capital Budget and the funds were obligated. The preliminary engineering design took approximately 17 months to complete.
The Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor ITS Adaptive project construction contract includes the installation of ITS infrastructure, including conduits, conductors/cables, pull boxes, termination of fiber optic cables, communication cabinets, service cabinets, traffic signal cabinets, networking equipment, cameras, signal loop detectors, as well as the upgrade of affected concrete curb ramps. The project will provide the corridor with the necessary ITS infrastructure improvements for the deployment of an adaptive traffic synchronization system.
Staff prepared a Notice Inviting Bids, which was then published in the Fresno Business Journal on August 19, 2020, posted on the City’s website, and faxed to twelve (12) building exchanges. Project plans and specifications were distributed to twenty-nine (29) prospective bidders. Two (2) sealed bid proposals were received and opened in a public bid opening on September 22, 2020; bids are $1,514,000 and $1,660,972 for the base bid plus add alternate. Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian, of Fresno, CA, with their base bid of $1,578,972, was determined to be the responsive and responsible bidder. The expiration date of the bids is November 25, 2020. If the bids are rejected or expire, the project must be rebid which will result in a delay of approximately 60 days.
The apparent low bidder Sturgeon Electric California, LLC., of Chino California was deemed “nonresponsive” as the result of not submitting the required bid proposal pages (1.1, 1.2. 1.4-1.16) as required by the project’s specifications. The bid process then identified Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno as the responsive and responsible bidder.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved as to form the proposed Standardized Construction Contract.
Staff recommends that Council award a construction contract to Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno, California, in the amount of $1,578,972 to construct the Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor ITS Adaptive Project from Van Ness to Chestnut Avenues as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and to authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign and execute the contract on behalf of the City of Fresno.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) Class 1 (existing facilities) which exempts projects involving a negligible or no expansion of an existing facility. This exemption applies because this project involves improving efficiency of an existing roadway through coordinating the operation of existing traffic signals to reduce congestion without expansion of the roadway. The project will install conductor cables in existing conduits; will install communication equipment in existing cabinets; will install wiring in existing signal cabinets, and will install signal loop detectors on existing pavement as required. Staff determined under the CEQA Guidelines this project fits within the definition of existing facilities in Section 15301(c) Class 1, as Categorically Exempt from further CEQA review. Furthermore, Staff has determined that none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
The local preference was not implemented based on conditions of the Federal CMAQ grant.
FISCAL IMPACT
The project will have no impact to the General Fund. The Ventura Street-Kings Canyon Road Corridor ITS Adaptive Project from Van Ness to Chestnut Avenues is located in Council Districts 3, 5 and 7. The overall cost of the project is $2,273,300 and is funded by Federal grant from the CMAQ Improvement Program and Proposition 111 Gas Tax as the local match. Of the overall budget of the project, $1,578,972 will be used for the construction contract award. Adoption of the attached AAR amendment resolution will appropriate the necessary funding to award the construction contract in the current fiscal year. Additional appropriations for the remaining project costs will be included in the City’s fiscal year 2022 budget.
Attachments:
Vicinity Map
CEQA Notice of Exception
45th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2020-159
Bid Evaluation
Fiscal Impact Statement
Standardized Contract