DATE: January 29, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Agreement with Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group for Design Engineering Services, Federal Project No. BRLS-5942(279)
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Consultant Agreement with Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group, for design engineering services for the North Fork Road over San Joaquin River Bridge Replacement, Federal Project No. BRLS-5942(279), effective upon execution, not to exceed eight consecutive years, which includes a six-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $1,144,483.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will authorize a consultant services agreement for a Federally funded bridge replacement project with Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group (Cornerstone). Cornerstone will provide design engineering services including plans, specifications, a construction estimate, and assistance during bidding and construction. The agreement will be funded by the Highway Bridge Program and the Road Fund. This item pertains to a location in District 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the Board declines to approve the recommended action, the design of the project will be delayed, which could result in the de-obligation of the allocated Federal funding. In that case any funds received by the County for this project would require reimbursement to the Federal Highway Administration from the Road Fund. As another alternative, your Board may choose to approve the agreement with a decrease in the duration of its term, however, its reduction to a five year term would necessitate an extension in order to accommodate the project schedule which includes increased time for completion of the environmental and permitting processes
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The maximum compensation is $1,144,483, which is comprised of $946,837 for basic services and $197,646 for optional services. The project is funded primarily through the federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP), which will provide 88.53% ($1,013,210) of the funding for the contract, and the balance ($131,272) will be funded by the Road Fund 0010. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues have been included in the Department of Public Works and Planning - Road Org 4510 and will be included in budget requests for the duration of the term.
DISCUSSION:
The recommended agreement will provide a consultant team to design the replacement of the North Fork Road over San Joaquin River Bridge. The bridge, constructed in 1952, is vulnerable to collapse due to its hydraulic deficiencies including susceptibility to being overtopped, which most recently occurred during a storm in 1997, and erosion of sand and gravel underneath the bridge footings. Design of the new bridge will take into account these deficiencies, as well pedestrian and bicycle access. The Department and the consultant will work with the San Joaquin River Conservancy and Madera County regarding Friant Cove kayaking and fishing access, the planned River Vista Access point, and potential removal of the remains of the predecessor bridge, which collapsed in 1952.
It is anticipated that the plans, specifications, and construction estimate will be completed in 2024, with construction completion in 2026, unless the project is delayed during the environmental review or right-of-way acquisition.
The recommended agreement term is for six years with two one-year renewals, which is required to accommodate the project schedule with increased time for completion of the environmental and permitting process, to be authorized by the Department’s Director as necessary. The recommended agreement needs to remain in place through completion of construction, which currently is estimated at six to eight years from now, and which exceeds the County standard five-year agreement term. The factors likely to affect the project schedule are the unknown potential cultural resources, the habitat of various protected species, and the technical studies needed to ensure that the demolition and replacement of the bridge would have a minimum impact on the environment.
In accordance with County Ordinance Code, Chapter 4.10 governing the selection and compensation of architectural and engineering firms, and the related Selection Policy, a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued for the project on December 26, 2017. The RFP was distributed to consultants on the Department’s mailing list and posted on the Department’s webpage, and additionally a notice was published in the Fresno Business Journal. In addition to the County Selection Policy, the Department followed the consultant procurement guidelines outlined in Caltrans’ (California Department of Transportation) Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM), Chapter 10: Consultant Selection.
The Department received responses from nine engineering firms on February 2, 2018. A selection committee comprised of representatives from the Department’s Design and Road Maintenance divisions reviewed and evaluated the proposals based upon the stated criteria in the RFP. Four firms were shortlisted and interviewed, and the selection committee recommended Cornerstone to provide the requested design services. Pursuant to the LAPM, and as required by applicable federal regulations, fee proposals were not used as a determining factor in the evaluation process.
Cornerstone’s proposal included a fee for design with on-site detours, cast-in-place bridge, and optional design fees within the maximum agreement amount. The bridge type selection and detour method will be determined and environmental sensitivity of the project area and potential construction costs have been considered. Cornerstone will be compensated only for services actually provided.
Cornerstone provides structural engineering services and their subconsultants will provide various civil, geotechnical, and hydraulic services. The maximum value of the contract is $1,144,483. The Department has successfully negotiated an agreement that meets the expectation of a fair and reasonable costs for the services to be provided. The consultant will be paid actual costs plus a fixed profit fee of $51,475 which was calculated based on 10% of the original cost estimate for each task under the Basic Services as set forth in the agreement. This will serve as a cap on the consultant’s profit and as an incentive to maintain an efficient workflow. For Optional Services, the consultant will be paid a fixed profit fee, also calculated at 10% of the original cost estimate for each services, for only the services performed.
Total project costs are estimated at $9,658,500, and the local match is estimated at $1,107,830. Madera County, via a commitment letter from the Public Works Director, has pledged its support of the project. The Department will return to your Board at a later date with a proposed cooperative agreement with Madera County which will address specific project issues such as right-of-way and cost-sharing of the local match.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
Development of this project was coordinated with Caltrans, Madera County, and the San Joaquin River Conservancy. Caltrans provides oversight on projects where Federal funds are allocated.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #52, December 5, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa