Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Interim City Manager to Execute a Third Amendment to the Agreement with CDM Smith to Increase Compensation by $230,000, Including Contingencies, for a Total Aggregate Compensation Not to Exceed $1,360,633, to Complete the Plans and to Provide Construction Support for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project. (Transportation 20962740)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff is requesting City Council authorization to extend the CDM Smith contract to allow for the completion of the design work and for construction support including as built drawings.
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda (City) has been working for several years on a redesign of Clement Avenue and the Cross Alameda Trail between Alameda Point and the Miller-Sweeney Bridge. Most of the trail is complete, parts are under construction, and parts are still in the planning phase. The Cross Alameda Trail and the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project support City Council adopted policies regarding Vision Zero, greenhouse gas reduction and transportation mode shift. The City Council has taken a series of actions over the years to improve the corridor, including the following:
• In October 2016, the City Council approved a successful federal grant application for over $5 million for the proposed safety improvements on Clement Avenue.
• In June 2017, the City Council approved $641,000 from local and federal funding sources for Fiscal Years (FY) 2017-2019 for Clement Avenue project approvals, environmental review and preliminary design.
• In December 2018, the City Council approved the CDM Smith consultant contract for planning, environmental review and preliminary design after City staff conducted a competitive selection process that involved issuing a request for qualifications in late 2017 and a request for proposals to prequalified teams in late 2018.
• In June 2019, the City Council approved a FY 2019-21 budget allocation for $1 million in Clement Avenue expenditures from local and federal funding sources for the construction drawings and construction bid support.
• In September 2019, the City Council approved a preliminary design concept for the Clement Avenue project.
• In July 2020, the City Council approved the final design concept for the Clement Avenue project and authorized the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment to the agreement for the Clement Avenue plans, specifications and estimate.
• In June 2021, the City Council approved a FY 2021-23 budget allocation for $5.2 million in Clement Avenue expenditures from local and federal funding sources for the construction drawings and construction bid support.
DISCUSSION
For the Clement Avenue project, CDM Smith has completed the environmental clearance, and the 65 percent and 95 percent plan development, specifications and cost estimate. For the design phase, additional monies are needed to address complex environmental conditions for the cultural resource area and for the removal of the railroad tracks as well as ongoing coordination with adjacent new development projects and customized stormwater bio-retention areas, especially with sea level rise in our future. This contract amendment also covers continued work in the construction phase with construction engineering support including funds for contingencies due to the cultural resource area and to generate post-construction as built drawings. Exhibits 1 through 6 include the CDM Smith Service Provider Agreement, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Third Amendment and the proposed work scope and budget.
The original consultant selection of CDM Smith followed the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual for federally funded transportation projects. The competitive consultant selection process involved issuing a request for qualifications in late 2017 and a request for proposals to prequalified teams in late 2018. In December 2018, the City Council approved the selection of the CDM Smith team as the engineering team that best met the contract requirements and the selection criteria based on past experience, quality and experience of key staff, understanding of work scope, and ability to meet contract requirements. The First Amendment of the Agreement is a time extension. The Second Amendment is consistent with the approval of the original contract, which stated that City staff would return at a later date to request City Council authorization to proceed with the Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E). The Third Amendment is the subject of this request and allows for the completion of the design and construction engineering support given the unique characteristics of the corridor.
CDM Smith’s work on complex complete streets projects in business corridors has positioned them as experts in providing improved mobility options for users of all modes and in promoting safety through planning and design. CDM Smith is a full service engineering and construction firm that has direct traffic engineering, multimodal and Caltrans experience in the Bay Area and across the country, and is on the cutting edge of implementing innovative transportation solutions. CDM Smith employs 5,000 staff in 125 offices around the world. The CDM Smith team includes Paleo Solutions, JRP Historical, CHS, Pacific Legacy and A3GEO, Inc.
In conclusion, staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a Third Amendment to the Service Provider Agreement with CDM Smith to increase compensation by $230,000, including contingencies, for a total aggregate compensation not to exceed $1,360,633, to complete the design and to provide construction engineering support for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council may consider a range of alternatives:
• Authorize the recommended contract amendment.
• Direct staff to make specific changes to the contract amendment.
• Do not authorize the contract amendment.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed CDM Smith consultant budget to complete design and to provide construction engineering support for the Clement Avenue project totals $230,000 for this Third Amendment to the Agreement and includes contingencies. The project is budgeted as Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project C65200 - Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project in the Fiscal Years 2021-23 Capital Budget, and is funded by a federal grant and Measure B and BB Local Streets and Roads monies. The costs are higher than other corridor projects because the City has obtained federal monies, which necessitate the City to fulfill federal requirements. The City Council previously approved the original contract and the Second Amendment; the First Amendment is a time extension; the Third Amendment is the purpose of this request (Table 1).
Table 1: Clement Avenue Project - Costs by Contract Phase
|
Contract |
Approval Date |
Authorized Amount |
Expended (as of May 2022) |
|
Original Contract |
December 18, 2018 |
$600,301 |
$600,301 |
|
1st Amendment |
June 10, 2020 |
Time extension |
Not applicable |
|
2nd Amendment |
July 7, 2020 |
$530,332 |
$523,472 |
|
3rd Amendment |
July 5, 2022 |
$230,000 |
Not applicable |
|
Total |
|
$1,360,633 |
$1,123,773 |
Table 2 shows the Clement Avenue project cost allocations by project phase. Construction, which is expected to start in late 2022, is funded mainly by a federal grant with required local match monies totaling $5.2 million. In total, the project is expected to cost approximately $6.5 million with 77 percent coming from a federal grant and 23 percent coming from local monies. Due to inflation and construction cost increases, staff expects additional local monies will be required ranging between $300,000 and $800,000 for the construction phase. No additional project budget is needed at this time for the proposed Third Amendment to the Agreement with CDM Smith.
Table 2: Clement Avenue - Cost Allocations by Project Phase
|
|
PA&ED |
PS&E |
Construction |
Total |
% |
|
Grants |
$567,000 |
$0 |
$4,451,000 |
$5,018,000 |
77 |
|
Local Match |
$74,000 |
$607,408 |
$789,732 |
$1,471,140 |
23 |
|
Total Cost |
$641,000 |
$607,408 |
$5,240,732 |
$6,489,140 |
100 |
|
Schedule |
2018-20 |
2020-22 |
2022-23 |
|
|
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The Clement Avenue project is consistent with the following City documents:
• The Mobility Element of the General Plan highlights the following four goals of equity, safety, choices and sustainability, which are addressed in the Clement Avenue project.
• The Pedestrian Plan identifies the Clement Avenue improvements as a priority.
• The Bicycle Plan identifies the Clement Avenue bikeway project as a high-priority project.
• The Transportation Choices Plan lists the Clement Avenue project as a Vision Zero Safety Improvements and Traffic Calming priority.
• The Vision Zero Plan focuses on eliminating fatal and severe injury collisions, and is the citywide guiding principle for transportation planning, the design of streets and sidewalks, and the maintenance of the public rights-of-way making safety as the highest priority when balancing competing needs and demands for space within the public right-of-way.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this project is categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) Existing Facilities (Minor alterations to existing facilities including bicycle facilities) and Section 15304(h) Minor Alterations to Land and the creation of bicycle lanes on existing public rights of way. For the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) determination, Caltrans has specified that this project is a categorical exclusion under 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 771.117(c): activity (c)(3).
CLIMATE IMPACT
Since vehicle miles traveled in Alameda is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda, City staff is expecting that the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project would have a positive climate impact. The concept is being developed to make it safer and more convenient to bicycle, ride the bus and walk and to reduce congestion and idling motor vehicles.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a Third Amendment to the Agreement with CDM Smith to increase compensation by $230,000, including contingencies, for a total aggregate compensation not to exceed $1,360,633, to complete the plans and to provide construction support for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret L. O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Agreement
2. First Amendment
3. Second Amendment
4. Third Amendment
5. Proposed Work Scope
6. Proposed Budget
cc: Dirk Brazil, Interim City Manager