REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Award of Bid No. PW16-09 for the Federally-funded Safe Routes to School 2014 Project for Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, and Finding of CEQA Categorical Exemption
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval is requested to award a construction contract in the amount of $438,787 to St. Francis Electric LLC of San Leandro for Safe Routes to School 2014, Public Works Project No. TR-13/02-14. Approval is also requested for a 15% construction contingency in the amount of $65,818.
EXISTING POLICY
Section 1309 of the City Charter requires construction contracts to be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determination for this project is a categorical exemption pursuant to Class 1, Section 15301(c), for existing facilities.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) began statewide in August 2005. The program enables and encourages students in kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8), including students with disabilities, to safely walk and bicycle to school by facilitating the planning, design, and implementation of improvement projects in and around school neighborhoods.
In 2011, the City received $820,000 in SRTS funding to design and construct improvements identified in the City’s Pedestrian and Safety Opportunities Study, as well as the Neighborhood Guided Bike Routes Project developed as a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Study Issue. The project design was completed in February 2015 by a combination of in-house staff from the Transportation and Traffic Division with consultant assistance provide by Bellecci & Associates (RTC No. 13-151). The necessary authorization to proceed to construction was approved by Caltrans in May 2015. The project consists of establishing guided bicycle routes along various streets throughout the entire City, installing signage and striping at eleven various street intersections, installing crosswalk In-Road Warning Lights (IRWLs) at four locations and speed feedback signs at five locations citywide. See Attachment 1 which summarizes the locations of various improvements.
The original scope of the project also included 73 ADA curb ramps; however, during the consultant negotiation process these were removed from the project because the City was advised that there would not be enough money in the grant for design and construction (estimated at $400k).
The project was advertised for competitive bidding in The Sunnyvale Sun on October 9, 2015, distributed to eighteen Bay Area Builder’s Exchanges, and published on the City’s website through the Demandstar public procurement network. Twelve contractors requested bid documents. Sealed bids were opened on November 4, 2015, with three responsive bids being received (Attachment 1).
The lowest responsive and responsible bid was submitted by St. Francis Electric LLC of San Leandro, in the amount of $438,787. The Bid Summary is attached. Staff is requesting a 15% contingency because there are multiple project sites located city-wide and additional coordination and re-scheduling may be required due to other construction projects (City, utilities, private development etc.) going on throughout the City.
FISCAL IMPACT
The original grant in the amount of $820,000 was appropriated to Capital Project 829370 (Safe Routes to School and Neighborhood Guided Bike Routes). Approximately $717,000 in funding remains; $103,000 was utilized for design purposes.
Of the $717,000 budgeted in the current fiscal year, $59,000 will be needed for City staff support services during construction. Should staff expend the entire amount approved under this construction contract (bid price plus the contingency), approximately $153,395 in federal grant funding will remain. Staff is working with Caltrans to determine whether the remaining funding can be utilized for a separate ADA ramp project, re-purposed to other safe routes to school work or if it must be returned.
Funding Source
Funding is provided by the Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program administered by Caltrans.
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) Make a finding of CEQA categorical exemption pursuant to Class 1 Section 15301(c) for existing facilities; 2) award a contract, in substantially the same format as Attachment 2 to the report and in the amount of $438,787 to St. Francis Electric LLC; and 3) approve a 15% construction contingency in the amount of $65,818.
Staff
Prepared by: Pete Gonda, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Grace K. Leung, Director, Finance
Reviewed by: Manuel Pineda, Director, Public Works
Reviewed by: Kent Steffens, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Bid Summary
2. Draft General Construction Contract