DATE: August 9, 2016
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Contract No 16-08-C, Highway Safety Improvement Program, 2015-16 Safety Striping
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Award Contract No. 16-08-C, Highway Safety Improvement Program, 2015-16 Safety Striping Federal Project No. HSIPL-5942(272), to the lowest responsible bidder, Safety Striping Service, Inc., 6868 Avenue 305, Goshen, CA 93227 in the total amount of $689,239.20.
2. Authorize the Director of Public Works and Planning or his designee to execute Contract Change Orders up to $46,961.96, which is approximately 6.81% of the total contract construction cost.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will authorize the award of a federally funded Road project and allow the Director of Public Works and Planning or his designee (Director) to execute change orders up to the statutory limit.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
Not approving the first recommended action will result in delay or cancellation of the project. If the project is cancelled, any funds received by the County for these projects might require reimbursement to the Federal Highway Administration from the Road Fund. A delay in the award of the project may require completion of the contract in the summer of 2017. Not approving the second recommended action will limit the Director’s authority to approve contract change orders up to $29,392.39.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The subject project is funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which will provide 90 percent of contract construction funding for the project, up to $888,394. Sufficient appropriations for the project are included in the adopted FY 2016-17 Public Works and Planning - Roads Org 4510 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The HSIP is a Federal aid program which funds projects intended to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and injuries on public roads. The project will install no passing striping on 90.8 miles of roads in various locations throughout Fresno County. Materials used in traffic striping are temperature sensitive and can only be placed in warm temperatures. Some of the proposed striping locations are located at higher elevations and are subject to extreme winter weather and extended periods of snow cover thereby limiting the construction season.
For road projects, Public Contract Code (PCC) Section 20395(d) limits the extent to which the Director may be authorized to execute Contract Change Orders to ten percent of the first $250,000, plus five percent of the contract amount in excess of $250,000, up to a maximum authorization of $210,000. For this project, this amounts to $25,000 (10 percent of $250,000), plus five percent of $439,239.20 (the amount in excess of the first $250,000) for a total authorization of $46,961.96 (approximately 6.81% of the contract construction cost). The Board’s authorization for the Director to approve Contract Change Orders up to this statutory limit would reduce the time required to process changes, reduce paperwork, help keep costs down, and reduce potential claims for additional cost and time due to administrative delays. This Change Order authorization would not apply to, nor allow, changes to the scope of the work.
The Department received two bids for this project on July 14, 2016. The lowest responsive bid was $689,239.20, from Safety Striping Service, Inc. This amount is $10,827.70, or 1.55%, lower than the engineer’s estimate of $700,067. The bidders and their respective bid amounts are shown below:
Bidder Total Bid
1. Safety Striping Service, Inc. $689,239.20
2. Chrisp Company $721,434.90
Specifications for the project were prepared by the Department’s Design Division. Construction is anticipated to begin in late August, and be completed in October.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
Caltrans provides oversight on projects where federal funds are allocated.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #42, June 7, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map and List
CAO ANALYST:
John Hays