BACKGROUND:
In December 2018, Cathedral City was awarded a $1,302,500 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 9 grant to install advanced dilemma zone detection equipment, left turn phases, and pedestrian countdown heads at signalize d intersections (Project).
The City of Cathedral City entered into an agreement for design professional services (Agreement) for traffic signal upgrades at ten (10) intersections, Federal Project Number HSIPL-5430(034) and City CIP Project No. 8752 (Project), with Adv antec (Consultant) on June 24, 2020. The list of the ten (10) intersections included:
1. Ramon Road and Whispering Palms Trail
2. Ramon Road and Cathedral Canyon Drive
3. Vista Chino and Avenue Quintana
4. Gerald Ford Drive and Plumley Road
5. East Palm Canyon Drive and El Dorado
6. Ramon Road and Desert Vista Road
7. Ramon Road and Da Vall Drive
8. Date Palm Drive and Via Olivera
9. Dinah Shore Drive and Plumley Road
10. Landau Drive and 30th Avenue
In February 2022, the City Council approved Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with the Consultant for two (2) additional intersections to the Project as a result of the overlapping scope of work with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ (CVAG’s) Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project (CV Sync). The additional intersections are:
1. Date Palm Drive and Gerald Ford Drive
2. Dinah Shore Drive and Cathedral Canyon Drive
In January 2024, the City Council approved Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with the Consultant to accommodate the bidding and construction phase of the Project.
Additionally, city staff submitted a request for allocation (RFA) of HSIP Construction funding to CalTrans which included the final plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) package. At this time, city staff is waiting for Caltrans approval of the RFA to advertise the invitation to bid for the Project.
DISCUSSION:
Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) Construction Engineering Support Services
Within the original HSIP Cycle 9 Grant funding application submittal, the city included a request for f unding for the Project’s construction engineering to ensure the Project would comply with all federally funded HSIP project requirements during construction.
The construction engineering support services needed for this Project include construction management, labor compliance monitoring and enforcement, inspections, materials testing and all related documentation.
Staff prepared an RFQ/P for construction engineering support services for th is HSIP Cycle 9A Project. The RFQ/P was then advertised in the Dese rt Sun and the city’s website on January 24, 2024. City staff also circulated the RFQ/P to consultant companies that typically provide these services for similar projects. Consult ing companies were given until February 15, 2024 (twenty-three (23) days ), to submit proposals. The RFQ/P requested submittal of cost proposals that included hourly rates and/or unit costs for various services in a separate, sealed envelope ; all according to CalTrans and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposal submittal/revi ew requirements.
Proposals for construction engineering support services for HSIP Cycle 9A were received from the following four (4) consultant companies:
Falcon Engineering Services, Inc. Temecula, CA
RT Engineering & Associates, Inc. San Bernardino, CA Transtech Chino, CA
Z&K Consultants, Inc. Riverside, CA
The proposals were reviewed by a panel consisting of four members of the city’s Engineering staff. The panel cited all companies provided proposals that were responsive, qualified, an d knowledgeable of the requirements for the various tasks and understanding of Cathedral City and its projects. The rating summary of the panel’s review is attached.
The scores from the reviews ranked Z&K Consultants, Inc. (Z&K) with the highest ratings. Z&K submitted a work proposal providing assurance that, if selected, the performance of construction engineering support tasks ordered by city staff would be completed in a timely manner.
Following the scoring of the companies, the cost proposal of Z&K wa s opened and reviewed per state guideline requirements for evaluating proposals. The cost proposal received from Z&K was higher than expected in the amount of $343,120. City staff and Z&K entered into contract negotiations and on March 6, 2024, Z&K submitt ed a revised cost proposal in the amount of $209,124. This cost proposal is consistent with current costs and in line with the city’s expectations for these types of services.
In summary, staff is requesting that the City Council award a professional ser vices agreement to Z&K Consultants, in the amount of $209,124 for professional construction engineering support services for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 9A Project: Traffic Signal Improvements at 12 Intersections . Additionally, staff is requesting approval of a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $20,912 for any unforeseeable construction costs, thereby, bringing the total construction budget for this Project to $230,036 . Lastly, staff is requesting that the City Manager be authorized to execute the required contract documents; and, authorize the City Engineer to request insurance policies and issue the notice to proceed.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total funding provided by the HISP Grant includes funds for preliminary engineering (PE), construction engineering (CE), and construction (CON), in the amount of $1,302,500.
The PE phase has been completed, leaving a remaining total of HSIP funds in the amount of $1,030,500 for CON and CE phases of the Project as shown below.
Construction $ 864,800
Construction Engineering $ 165,700
HSIP Grant Total $ 1,030,500
City staff is proposing to include a 10% contingency to Z&K’s cost proposal for CE for a total amount of $230,036 as shown below.
Z&K (Selected CE Consultant) $ 209,124
10% Contingency $ 20,912
CE Total $ 230,036
Additional funds, in the amount of $64,336, will be required to complete the construction engineering of this Project.
CE Total $ 230,036
HSIP Grant Total $ 165,700
Additional Funds Required $ 64,336
To complete the construction o f this Project, city staff is proposing to allocate Measure A Funds (account 243 -100-150-156-8800-8802), in the amount of $64,336. By allocating the amount of $64,336 from Measure A Funds, the city will meet the local match requirements for this Project and the Project will not impact the General Fund.
City staff recommends City Council authorize a budget allocation in the amount of $64,336 from available Measure A Funds (account 243-100-150-156-8800-8802).
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B: Community Investment
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other city infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed, and maintained.