STAFF REPORT
CITY OF BURBANK
PUBLIC
WORKS
DATE: September 26, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Ken Berkman, Director of Public Works Ke
SUBJECT: Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for Professional Engineering Design and Construction Support Services for the Olive Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard Bridges Pedestrian Safety Railing and Deck Improvements Project
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Stantec) for Professional Engineering Design and Construction Support Services for the Olive Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard Bridges Pedestrian Safety Railing and Deck Improvements Project (Project).
BACKGROUND
The Olive Avenue Bridge was constructed in 1959 and crosses over the Burbank Western Channel, the Metrolink Tracks, Interstate 5, and several local streets including Bonnywood Place and Front Street. The first three spans (east end) are owned and maintained by Caltrans and the remaining seven are owned by the City of Burbank (City).
The Magnolia Boulevard Bridge was also constructed in 1959 and crosses over the Burbank Western Channel, the Metrolink Tracks, Interstate 5, and several local streets including Bonnywood Place and Front Street. The first four spans (east end) are owned and maintained by Caltrans and the remaining six are owned by the City.
The City-owned structures are maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works under a service agreement with the City.
The Project was established in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22 Capital Improvement Program at the City Council's request to improve pedestrian safety on the bridges. The Project would improve safety not only for pedestrian users of the bridges but also the transit and freeway users below the bridges by constructing new fencing that would meet current height and other applicable codes and standards. Necessary deck rehabilitation actions would be provided in the scope of work in accordance with recommendations provided in a report prepared by a consultant in October 2016 as well as inspections provided by the LACDPW in January 2020.
DISCUSSION
In November 2022, Public Works released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to competitively select a qualified engineering consultant to prepare the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E, or "contract documents") for the Project. The proposal was a Qualifications-Based Selection process, where cost proposals were not to be considered in the original scoring, and thus ranking, of the firms.
Twelve firms were invited to participate in the RFP process and four attended an optional pre-proposal meeting. The only firm to provide a proposal on December 14, 2022 was Stantec. Reasons cited by other firms for not submitting a proposal included lack of the necessary structural engineering expertise to competitively participate (in-house or subconsultant staff) or believing the work was "a better fit" for the other firms.
Stantec is a worldwide, multi-disciplined engineering firm of approximately 28,000 employees. Stantec is one of the firms currently working for the City under a multi-year on-call contract with Public Works, and has very competently provided professional engineering services on a variety of task order assignments over the past two years.
Stantec's cost proposal to provide the requested services, submitted on December 14, 2022, was approximately $507,000. Due to the unknown or potentially unforeseen impacts large permitting agencies can have on the progress (and thus cost and schedule) of the Project's design plan review and approval, staff executed a task order with Stantec under the existing on-call contract to confirm the permitting review and approval processes and ensure the scope of work required to complete the contract documents was as accurate as possible. The cost for this work was $12,450.
Caltrans and Metrolink are the most critical agencies with operational and maintenance jurisdiction over the rights-of-way impacted by the Project (or on the bridges themselves).
As a result of the meetings with Caltrans, Metrolink and other regulatory stakeholders, which provided confirmation of the environmental, permitting and design approval processes required by the City and the permitting agencies, Stantec's proposal to provide the requested services was reduced to $439,721.
Because the cost of the services exceeds $100,000 and no exception applies, City Council's approval is necessary before execution of the agreement. (See Burbank Municipal Code § 2-2-102.C.)
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of this agreement is not a "project" under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines because the agreement is solely for design services and such preliminary services do not have any potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. (14 CCR §§ 15601(b(3), 15378.) CEQA and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) clearances are part of Stantec's scope of work to ensure the Project's construction will be eligible to apply for and receive State and/or Federal funding, and such CEQA and NEPA review will be conducted, if necessary, before the start of activities that have any potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost for the requested services is $439,721. Sufficient funds are available in the Project (No. 24203) account to accommodate the cost of services.
CONCLUSION
Staff respectfully recommends the City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for Professional Engineering Design and Construction Support Services for the Olive Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard Bridges Pedestrian Safety Railing and Deck Improvements Project for a not-to-exceed amount of $439,721.00.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Professional Services Agreement
3