DATE: June 10, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Award Contract 24-24-PR Choinumni Park Improvements
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt plans and specifications for Contract 24-24-PR Choinumni Park Improvements, State of California Department of Parks and Recreation Project No. RG-10-001 and award to the lowest bidder JT2 Inc dba Todd Companies, 1701 N Clancy Ct, Visalia CA 93291, in the total amount of $2,702,651.44 for the base bid and Additive Bid 6.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will authorize the award of a Regional Park Program grant funded park improvement project. This item pertains to a location in District 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may award only the base bid, award the base bid and some of the additive bids, or reject all bids. In lieu of awarding Additive Bid 6 (new restroom and septic sewage system), the Board could award Additive Bids 2 through 5 (lighting, volleyball courts, basketball court, and asphalt improvements) totaling $519,185.44. If the recommended action is not approved, the project will be delayed or will not be constructed. If your Board chooses to award additive bids exceeding the amount of grant funding, Net County Cost would need to be allocated to the project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. This project is funded through the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Grants and Local Services, Regional Park Program (RPP) Grant funds and not to exceed $3,000,000, including costs for design and construction management. The cost to construct the walking path and hiking trail portion of the project, $219,150.40, will be funded through the County’s Measure C Local Transportation Program Rural Pedestrians/Trails allocation. The estimated maximum total cost of the construction contract, based on the low base bid, the Director’s allowance for change orders of $147,632, is $2,850,283. Future maintenance requirements will be allocated within the Parks Org 7910 Budget. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Public Works and Planning - Org 8867 FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
Choinumni Park, located in Sanger on 26501 Pine Flat Road, is a highly popular location that generates annual revenue through park entrance and camping fees, especially during the holiday weekends and summer months; however, the campground and facilities within the park are outdated, lack amenities, and do not comply with today’s standards, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Board approved on November 2, 2021, the filing of an application for the RPP Grant funds, a State of California Department of Parks and Recreation program that is funded by Proposition 68, California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (2018 Parks and Water Bond Act), in the total amount of $3,000,000. On June 20, 2023, the Board approved a budget resolution to increase revenues and expenditures for Parks Org 8867 based on the State’s approval of the grant application in August 2022. The RPP Grant contract requires the grantee to ensure operation and maintenance of the project site for 30 years.
This project was previously advertised as Contract 24-11-PR, but the lowest bid exceeded the amount available from the grant. On February 25, 2025, the Board rejected all bids and the Department re-advertised the project the same day. Staff restructured the bid items to decrease the base scope to ensure most of the project can be funded within the limits of the grant.
The work to be done consists, in general, of improvements to Choinumni Park including furnishing and installing picnic/barbecue areas, prefabricated shelters, playground and play structures, horseshoe pits, and concrete cornhole boards, miscellaneous signage and striping, and miscellaneous electrical and plumbing improvements throughout the park. The work will also include two new trails, application of chip seals on existing roads and camp stalls, and replacement of the existing campsite fire pits and picnic tables. The bid was structured so that the construction of a new restroom and septic sewage system, six new informational kiosks along the trails, installation of solar-powered lights, application of additional chip seal to the remaining roads throughout the park, and the construction of a basketball court and volleyball courts were all additive bids. Based on the low base bid of $2,122,777.04, the budget allows for construction of either additive bids 2 through 5 (lighting, volleyball courts, basketball court, and asphalt improvement) totaling $519,185.44; or Additive 6, replacement of a restroom and septic sewage system, which costs $579,874.40. As required by the State for changes to the grant scope, a public outreach meeting was held on May 9, 2025, to obtain input from park users and interested parties on which additive items should be prioritized, and the recommendation for award is based on those results. It is anticipated that some of the other additive bid items might be constructed through the use of donated materials or with existing park staff. The Department will also continue to seek other funding opportunities to construct these items.
The lowest bidder is determined using the base bid only which shall be the lowest bid prices on the base contract without consideration of the prices of any of the above additive bid items.
The project was advertised on February 25, 2025, and a bid opening was held on April 3, 2025. Five bids were received. The base bid of $2,122,777.04, from JT2 Inc dba Todd Companies, was $51,333.04 or 2.48% higher than the engineer’s estimate of $2,071,444.00. The total bid, including additives, of $3,481,231.10 from JT2 Inc dba Todd Companies, was $377,656.10 or 12.17% higher than the engineer’s estimate of $3,103,575. A list of bidders and their respective bid amounts is shown below:
Bidder Base Bid Amount Total Bid Amount
JT2 Inc dba Todd Companies $2,122,777.04 $3,481,231.10
Clean Cut Landscape Incorporated $2,224,227.00 $3,487,409.60
Caliber Contracting Services, Inc. $2,372,248.00 $3,622,525.00
Cal Valley Construction, Inc. $2,432,540.75 $3,610,522.75
Truxell & Valentino Landscape Development, Inc. $2,613,890.00 $4,070,141.35
Plans and Specifications were prepared by A&M Consulting Engineers and are on file with the Department. Department staff has determined that the Choinumni Park Improvements is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA under Section 15301 - Existing Facilities, Section 15302 - Replacement or Reconstruction, and Section 15304 - Minor Alterations to Land. It is anticipated that construction will commence in July 2025 and will be completed in Winter 2025.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #42, February 25, 2025
BAI #79, June 20, 2023
BAI #41, November 2, 2021
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
Bid Summary
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia