TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: OCTOBER 22, 2024
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
AUTHORIZATION TO AMEND THE EXISTING AGREEMENT WITH LAE ASSOCIATES INC. FOR PUBLIC WORKS INSPECTION AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FOR THE COLLEGE AVENUE AT GREEN STREET BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, CIP 2022-01 (FUNDING SOURCE: MEASURE M FUND)
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SUMMARY
On January 24, 2023, the City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Garcon Construction for the College Avenue at Green Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Project, CIP 2022-01. This approval also authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with LAE Associates Inc. (LAE) for construction management and inspection services.
The project included removing the existing traffic signal located on College Avenue at Kirkwood Avenue and relocating it a short distance north to the College Avenue at Green Street intersection. It also included Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements, bicycle improvements, and roadway striping as necessary on College Avenue from First Street to Arrow Highway.
This project was selected by the San Gabriel Council of Governments (SGVCOG) for Measure M grant funding in 2018, with the Los Angeles Country Metro Board approval for funding expenditures in May 2019. The City Council approved a contract to complete this project in January 2023. However, this project was delayed due to the long lead time needed to secure traffic signal equipment and coordinate with the Claremont Unified School District (CUSD). A Notice to Proceed was issued in March 2024, and the project was completed in September 2024.
Due to the overlapping time between the January 2023 contract award and the issuance of the Notice to Proceed in March 2024, several administrative activities required LAE to account for additional time spent on the construction management and inspection activities to coordinate the start of the project's construction.
Staff recommends amending the agreement with LAE and appropriating $19,850 in additional funds to account for the additional hours spent on the construction management and inspection for the College Avenue at Green Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council:
A. Authorize the City Manager to amend the existing agreement with LAE Associates Inc., to increase compensation by $19,850, for a total agreement amount of $126,908, for the College Avenue at Green Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Project;
B. Appropriate $19,850 from the Measure M fund to fully fund these services; and
C. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information from staff.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The cost to amend the contract with LAE is $19,850. The project funding summary is below:
|
LAE Associates Inc. |
$97,325 |
Approved 1/24/23 |
|
10% Contingency - CM & Inspection |
$9,733 |
Approved 1/24/23 |
|
Amendment Request |
$19,850 |
Pending |
|
Requested Total Authorization |
$126,908 |
Pending |
Staff recommends appropriating $19,850 in Measure M funds to fund these services, which will bring the total contract amount to $126,908.
The cost associated with the preparation of this staff report is estimated at $700 and is included in the operating budget of the Community Development Department.
ANALYSIS
The City of Claremont worked with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) and their team of consultants as well as local bicycle and pedestrian advocates and community stakeholders to prepare and adopt the Gold Line Foothill Extension 2B First/Last Mile (FLM) Plan. The FLM plan includes the proposed improvements at College Avenue and Green Street.
LACMTA awarded the City of Claremont $686,945 in Measure M Multi-Year Sub-regional Program (MSP) First/Last Mile and Complete Streets Program funds allocated for the San Gabriel Sub-region for the implementation of this project. These funds were approved in May 2019 and were originally required to be spent by June 30, 2022. A time extension was executed to allow for the completion of this project by June 30, 2024. However, this project experienced unanticipated delays. Initially, this project was expected to commence in June 2023, with construction completed in September 2023.
The project experienced delays related to the coordination of utility work necessary to be completed on College Avenue and long lead times of over twenty weeks for the delivery of traffic signal equipment. As a result, construction did not begin until March 2024. The project has now been completed and staff is in the process of closing out the project file. It should be noted that the construction activities associated with the grant were completed in time, prior to June 30, 2024, as required by the time extension, allowing staff to request reimbursement for all eligible construction items.
Due to the overlapping time from the January 2023 contract award and the notice to proceed issuance in March 2024, there were several administrative activities that required LAE to account for additional time to be spent on the construction management and inspections to coordinate the start of the project construction. The following summarizes the activities that had to be coordinated that required additional construction management and inspections.
• Utility Coordination
o Overhead lines on College Avenue
o Edison power outage, which was not originally identified
o Edison outage resulted in a 30-calendar days delay
• Material Certification Review
o For long lead time signal equipment
• Tree trimming at NEC, conflict with signal pole placement
• Delays in the schedule requiring additional construction management and inspection accounted for an additional three months and 138 man hours.
To move forward and complete this project, staff recommends authorizing the City Manager to amend the construction contract with LAE Associate Inc., in the amount of $19,850 to pay for construction management and inspection services rendered. If approved, the total contract amount will be $126,908.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, Sustainability Plan, General Plan, and the 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item (Authorization to Amend the Construction Contract with Garcon Construction for the College Avenue at Green Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, CIP 2022-01, Upgrading the Project Resurfacing from Slurry Seal to Rubberized Asphalt Overlay), the College Avenue at Green Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA guidelines. This Class 1 exemption allows for the maintenance and repair of topographical features with negligible or no expansion. The project will perform maintenance work on existing infrastructure (asphalt, curb, gutter, and sidewalk). The work being performed is within existing right-of-way areas and will not expand the capacity of the roadway infrastructure.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Vincent Ramos
Community Development Director Associate Engineer
Reviewed by:
Maria B. Tipping, P.E.
City Engineer