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Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 7.D
Meeting Date: October 25, 2023
From: Kevin Biersack, Financial Services Director
Title: Gregory S. Pettis Fountain of Life Repair and Upgrade
City Council
RECOMMENDATION:
To authorize staff to proceed with the repairs and upgrades to the Gregory S. Pettis Fountain of Life
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Gregory S. Pettis “Fountain of Life” was developed/built over a two -year period from 1998 – 2000. It was meant to be something truly special – a monument/”work of art” symbolizing the ambition of an entire community as well as a gathering place for Cathedral City citizens. The “Fountain of Life” features a central structure of three highly decorated stone bowls, at different heights, each level with various jets an d cascades, set atop columns rising into the desert sky. Water tumbles, sprays and cascades from these bowls and other jets on the center structure. All around this vertical structure are sculpted animal figures – a whimsical counterbalance lending a light touch to the composition.
As assembled, the center element weighs nearly 100 tons, which called for a significant foundation. A Structural Engineer from Oxnard, CA, designed a 12 -by-14-foot pad, four (4) feet thick. The pad was created in two pours to ass ure proper placement of the conduits, routed through large iron standpipes ranging in diameter from six ( 6) to 14 inches.
The center fountain structure was built on three levels. The first row was laid on the pad around the standpipe. Slots were cut into t he bottom of the base stones. Loops of rebar were then cemented in place using a special epoxy/mortar mixture. Holes were cut in the tops and sides of the stones for more rebar. Stubs for the loops were then used to stitch the second and third levels of stone to each other.
On the first two levels, a large void was left in the center of the stones. After the pieces were put together, th e void was then filled with concrete, flush to the top. Once the center structure was complete, columns for the bowls were added and lowered over each standpipe. Separately, plumbing runs were set up to the animal’s supporting
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foundations and an encircling gutter system with a 60-foot diameter to allow for flow and drainage of the water system.
To the east of the fountain is a 25-year-old subterranean equipment vault with two 10 - horsepower pumps driving the water features. The control panels and plumbing configurations program 35 different water elements with a variety of nozzles and spray effects in a system holding approximat ely 10,000 gallons of water drawn from a subgrade surge tank. To compensate for the rapid evaporation in the desert, an auto -fill system was created.
There are areas of soft surface deterioration, safety concerns, slip and fall issues, and potential struct ure issues, e.g., cracks in the bowls – with varying degrees of risk associated with operating the fountain as an interactive, climbable water feature. The fountain was not operational for seven (7) months from October 2023 through April 2023. Due to poten tial structural issues, deterioration and damage to the soft surface and the associated risk with it being an interactive, climbable feature on the actual art pieces, staff (with City Council concurrence) secured the fountain with temporary fencing and sig nage to make it a central art piece. City staff addressed basic mechanical, electrical and plumbing issues to make the fountain water flow operational.
The fountain’s water flow operated from May through September of this year until scalping season and laying seed for winter grass.
DISCUSSION:
At the April 5, 2023 Council meeting, staff received City Council concurrence to engage Verde Design, a third-party consultant, to create a conceptual design at a cost of $8,200 for the Fountain’s proposed use to include these considerations:
• Fencing (potentially made of recyclable materials) to protect and safeguard the art.
• Concrete and/or soft surface options inside and outside fencing • Water flow and drainage
At the September 27, 2023 City Council meeting, staff received City Council direction to research and develop a detailed plan to implement the concept ual diagram in attachment 1 . This repair and upgrade is estimated to be a total cost of $150,000, including a 12% contingency. This project will not require a f ormal Request for Proposal (RFP). Staff will issue task orders to existing vendors for specific tasking, e.g., concrete.
Project details with associated costs are provided in attachment 2. A summary is provided below of the project details:
Site Preparations:
• Construction Fencing
• Demolition Grading, Drainage & Utilities
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o Remove approximately 800 square feet of existing concrete paving o Remove approximately 2,800 square feet of existing rubber surfacing o Rough, fine grade and compact approximately 3,000 square feet
• Construction Items
o Install approximately 3,000 square feet of 4" thick colored concrete paving with reinforcement & scoring
o Install 42" tall aluminum guardrail
o Install 12" Wide x 6" Deep Edgeband (Underneath Guardrail)
Repairs and Upgrades:
• Filtration System Upgrades: Replace old, outdated filters with two new Pentair Clean and Clear filters, which will decrease the cost of cartridge replacements and decrease employee labor hours for maintenance spent inside the underground vault.
• Plumbing System Upgrades: Install six new 6" motorized isolation valves to prevent pump prime loss during motor shutdown for maintenance and scheduled automated remote start and stop run times.
• Automation System Upgrades: Install one new automated time controller for remote operation to have control of fountain pump motors with preset scheduled on / off run times.
• Automated Chlorin e Injection System: Install one new Pulsar P -30 automated chloring injection system to maintain proper water chemistry.
• Automated Pump Motor Controller: Install one new automated pump controller to remotely control and monitor pumps and fountain hours of operation.
• Electrical System U pgrades: Shunt Trip Breaker: Install one new Shunt Trip Breaker to shut off power to pump motors and deenergize electrical components inside the vault, to prevent employee injuries and equipment damage during flooding or fire events.
• Vault Component Orga nizing: Organize existing electrical wiring, remove unused wires and electrical panels from vault. Paint plumbing and walls.
Install new pool equipment identification labels.
• Contractor Mobilization, Bonding & Permitting
All the work being authorized is consistent with the direction provided by Council during the September 27 discussion.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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In the current biennial budget’s first year, staff included $150K to address potential issues, whether for the Facilities Master Plan Phase II OR for repairs and modifications to the Fountain of Life. Note – This estimated cost of $150,000 includes a 12% contingency.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B: Community Investment
Action B-7: Maximize the use of existing resources to include underutilized parks.
ATTACHMENTS:
2023.08.22 01 - Fountain of Life Conceptual Diagram
Fountain of Life Fountain Upgrades and Vault Repairs Project Details and Costs