REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Award a Contract for Design of Safe Routes to School - 2015 Project (F15-98)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval is requested to award a contract to TJKM Transportation Consultants, Inc. of Pleasanton in the amount of $293,623 for design and construction support services for the Safe Routes to School 2015 project (Public Works Project No. TR-15/01-16). Approval is also requested for a 10% design contingency in the amount of $29,362.
EXISTING POLICY
Consistent with the provisions of Chapter 2.08 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, civil engineering design contracts are awarded subsequent to a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, unless otherwise exempt from the competitive bidding. Contracts resulting from RFPs are awarded based on best value to the City, rather than the lowest bid price as in the case of an Invitation for Bids (IFB). RFPs are utilized when the City is seeking a solution and cannot exactly specify what is needed.
In addition, the City evaluates civil engineering design proposals in conjunction with the Qualification Based Selection (QBS) process established in California Government Code section 4525 et. seq. This requires that consultants be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated competence before pricing is considered and negotiated.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This award of a design contract is not a project as defined in Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program enables and encourages students in kindergarten through 8th grade to safely walk and bicycle to school by facilitating the planning, design and implementation of improvement projects in and around school neighborhoods. In 2014, the City received $1.6 million in SRTS grant funds, for design in FY 2015/16 and construction in FY 2016/17. The scope of work for this project is to provide enhancements for school route intersections at various sites identified in a Comprehensive School Traffic Study prepared by Paragon Planning in 2012. The enhancement treatments may include high visibility signs and markings, new traffic controls, warning devices, improved signal timing, and traffic calming devices on the school walking routes. A Request for Proposals (RFP) process was conducted to select a civil engineering firm to design the project.
RFP specifications were prepared by Public Works and Purchasing staff. RFP No. F15-98 was directly distributed to three Bay Area transportation design firms and posted on the Demandstar public procurement network. Twenty-two (22) firms requested the RFP documents. Proposals were received on May 27, 2015. Two responsive proposals were received as follows:
TJKM Transportation Consultants, Inc., of Pleasanton $337,955
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. of Pleasanton $486,470
Proposals were reviewed by an evaluation team consisting of Transportation and Traffic and Engineering staff. The firms were evaluated on qualifications, experience and programmatic approach. Following the evaluation process, TJKM was unanimously selected as the highest ranked consulting team with the most relevant experience. Their proposal provided the best overall value based on their approach to maximizing the number of safe routes school sites within the available budget.
The TJKM fee proposal included $322,955 in base services, plus $5,000 in optional environmental services and a $10,000 allowance for field data collection if needed during the preliminary design phase. The environmental work may be required under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines, but a determination will not be made until Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) documents are reviewed by Caltrans. This work could include a cultural resources inventory, as well as historical preservation and biological studies. The additional field data collection services may be required for additional environmental work, and other conditions that may be identified during the preliminary design phase.
Subsequent scope and fee discussions with TJKM resulted in a reduction of base services to $278,623. Staff recommends awarding a contract for the Design of Safe Routes to School - 2015 Project to TJKM Transportation Consultants, Inc., including both the base and the optional services, for a total of $293,623.
FISCAL IMPACT
Project costs are as follows:
Project design (including bid and construction support) $278,623
Optional Services $15,000
Contingency $29,362
Total cost $322,985
Capital Project 831140 (Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Safety Improvements) has budgeted funds in the amount of $322,989 available for design, with $1,568,861 designated for construction.
Funding Source
The Federal SRTS program grant will provide 83% of the project costs for construction. The City will provide matching funds from Traffic Mitigation Fees.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1) Award a contract, in substantially the same format as Attachment 1 and in the amount of $293,623, to TJKM Transportation Consultants, Inc. for the subject project, and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract when all the necessary conditions have been met, and 2) approve a 10% design contingency in the amount of $29,362.
Staff
Prepared by: Pete Gonda, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Grace K. Leung, Director, Finance
Reviewed by: Manuel Pineda, Director, Public Works
Reviewed by: Jane Chambers, Interim Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENT
1. Draft Consultant Services Agreement