TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL FOR DESIGN AND PREPARATION OF PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SAN JOSE AVENUE STREET IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT (FUNDING SOURCE: STATE GAS TAX)
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SUMMARY
Staff receive requests throughout the year to address Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) needs and to address roadway maintenance. An ADA need was identified by a resident who uses San Jose Avenue daily. The design work will include the preparation of plans and specifications to resurface San Jose Avenue from Mountain Avenue to Mills Avenue and will include ADA access improvements along San Jose and at the intersection of Indian Hill Boulevard.
These services include, but are not limited to, right-of-way and topographic survey, potential easement mapping, hydrology analysis, ADA improvements, and geotechnical services, all necessary to design these specific maintenance improvements.
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Michael Baker International to perform these professional engineering services in an amount not to exceed $311,742.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Michael Baker International for design and preparation of plans and specifications for the San Jose Avenue Street Improvements Project in the amount not to exceed $311,742.
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information from staff.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
This agreement is for professional engineering services that does not require bidding and complies will all City purchasing guidelines. Contract documents are available for review in the City Clerk's office. The amount of the agreement is $311,742.
The City Council approved $1,500,000 in State Gas Tax funds for Citywide Street Resurfacing for the 2025-26 in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget. Of this amount, $1,187,776 was allocated to Hardy & Harper Inc., for the First Street Rehabilitation, Arrow Transit Improvement and Indian Hill Boulevard Improvements at the I-10 underpass at the September 9, 2025 City Council Meeting. This leaves a balance of approximately $312,224, which is sufficient to fund this agreement.
The staff cost to prepare this report is $866 and is included in the operating budget of the Community Development Department.
ANALYSIS
In response to public requests for ADA improvements and inquiries on the pavement condition of San Jose Avenue, staff has worked with Michael Baker International to develop a scope of work to address both requests. These requests meet the City Council-approved budget item for Citywide Street Resurfacing.
Although the intersection design comes at the request of residents with specific ADA needs, the roadway assessment is provided by the City’s Pavement Management System, where a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) provides City staff with corresponding scores that identify those roadways in the City of Claremont where pavement rehabilitation is necessary. The City’s last PCI update was performed in March 2024. San Jose Avenue currently has an average score of 39 between Mountain Avenue and Mills Avenue. This project will further contribute towards the City’s goal of maintaining a Citywide PCI rating of greater than 70.
The PCI score represents the street’s overall condition based on various types of distress observed on the pavement surface. Streets that received a score of 70 or above typically receive a recommendation for a slurry seal and those streets below 70 are typically recommended to obtain a grind and overlay. Reconstruction is an option for scores below 50, but typically can be avoided with appropriate spot repairs along the roadway sections where full-depth section removals are performed to address areas of the roadway that display signs of failure. If the geotechnical analysis shows that the current recommendation of spot repair, grind, and overlay is insufficient, staff will bring this item back to the City Council. However, in staff’s experience, it is anticipated that the current recommendation will suffice.
The services outlined in the agreement's scope include, but are not limited to, right-of-way and topographic survey, potential easement mapping, hydrology analysis, ADA improvements, and geotechnical services, which are necessary to design these specific maintenance improvements.
San Jose Avenue will be designed to receive ADA Improvements, a 2-inch grind and asphalt rubber hot mix resurfacing, including full-depth asphalt and sub-grade removals where necessary to address the roadway surface distress. The intersection of San Jose Avenue at Indian Hill Boulevard will be designed to provide bulb-outs to better accommodate an ADA crossing at Indian Hill Boulevard and San Jose Avenue.
Next Steps
• Authorization to execute a PSA with Michael Baker International - City Council Meeting September 23, 2025
• Contract and Purchase Order Processing - October 2025
• Project Kick-Off Meeting - October 2025
• Begin Design - October/November 2025
• Design Completion - June 2026
• Project Advertisement - June/July 2026
• City Council Award - TBD, pending Capital Improvement Budget Consideration and Approval for 2026-28
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relation to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, Sustainable City Plan, General Plan, and the 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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