Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 5.B
Meeting Date: December 10, 2025
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Award Contracts for HSIP Cycle 11B: Signalized Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades (C08755)
RECOMMENDATION:
To:
Award a construction contract to Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc., in the amount of $785,362 for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11B Project – Signalized Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades (C08755); and,
Award a professional services agreement to SPECS Engineering Group, in the amount of $120,638 for professional construction engineering support services for this project; and,
Approve a fifteen percent (15%) contingency in the amount of $135,900 for unforeseeable construction costs and project changes; thereby bringing the total construction budget for this project to $1,041,900; and, Authorize the City Manager to execute both contract documents; and, Authorize the City Engineer to request bonds and insurance for the project and issue the Notice to Proceed.
BACKGROUND:
The HSIP is a core Federal-aid program with the purpose of achieving significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including non-State-owned public roads and roads on tribal land. The HSIP is one of the programs in the Federal Surface Transportation Act, established in August 2005.
The California local HSIP program funds local highway safety improvement projects on a biennial call-for-projects cycle. The timing and size of the call is determined by program apportionments, current HSIP Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) capacity and delivery of the existing HSIP Projects.
The Division of Local Assistance (DLA) manages California’s local agency share of HSIP funds. California’s Local HSIP prioritizes infrastructure projects with nationally recognized crash reduction factors (CRF). Local HSIP projects are ranked on the basis of crash severity, crash potential, crash rate, or other data-supported means.
On June 25, 2021, the city completed the final Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) which provides a framework for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing roadway safety improvements on local roads. A local agency must have an LRSP or an equivalent safety plan to apply for HSIP grants.
In August 2022, the City Council approved a task order with the city’s on-call traffic engineering consultant, STC Traffic Inc., to prepare four (4) grant applications for the HSIP Cycle 11 Call-for-Projects. In September 2022, the applications were completed and submitted to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
The HSIP Cycle 11 grant follows a 90/10 reimbursement structure, whereby ninety percent (90%) of eligible project costs are funded by the HSIP, and the remaining ten percent (10%) is required as a local match. For the HSIP 11B – Signalized Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades Project (C08755), the total estimated project cost was $1,066,300. Of this amount, the city was awarded $959,670 (90%) in HSIP grant funding, with the remaining $106,630 (10%) to be provided as the city’s required local match. The grant includes funding for both the preliminary engineering (PE) and construction (CON) phases of the project.
The proposed improvements include installing two high intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian crossings with beacons, LED safety lighting, high visibility crosswalks, pavement markings, and advanced warning signs. The project also includes constructing curb bulb-outs and ADA complaint curb ramps, at the intersection of 30 th Avenue and Avenida La Paz and the intersection of Cathedral Canyon Drive and Ortega Road. A vicinity map is included as Attachment 1.
In February 2024, Caltrans assigned a Federal Project Number for the HSIP 11B Project and approved the Authorization/Agreement Summary (E-76) for funding the preliminary engineering (PE) phase of the project.
In June 2024, the City Council awarded a professional services agreement to STC Traffic, Inc. (STC), to prepare the plans, specifications, right-of-way, and environmental documents to complete the PE phase of the project.
The Request for Funding Allocation (RFA) for construction funding was submitted to Caltrans on July 28, 2025, and approved on August 7, 2025.
In October 2025, the preliminary engineering phase of the project, including the preparation of plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) was completed.
DISCUSSION:
Request for Qualifications/Proposals for Construction Engineering Support Services The HSIP Cycle 11 grant application included funds for Construction Engineering (CE) to ensure the project complies with all State-funded requirements during construction. The CE support services tasks include construction management, labor compliance monitoring and enforcement, inspection, and material testing.
Staff issued the Request for Qualifications/ Proposals (RFQ/P) for Construction Engineering Support Services for the HSIP 11B Project. The RFQ/P was advertised in the Desert Sun and the city’s website on September 28, 2025. Consultant companies were given until October 13, 2025, fifteen (15) days, to submit their proposals.
No proposals were received. City staff subsequently contacted the city’s on-call construction engineering support consultants, all of which indicated that current staffing limitations prevented them from reviewing the RFQ/P or submitting a proposal.
Staff re-issued the RFQ/P for Construction Engineering Support Services for the HSIP 11B Project. The RFQ/P was advertised in the Desert Sun and the city’s website on October 19, 2025. Consultant companies were given until October 29, 2025, ten (10) days, to submit their proposals.
Proposals for CE support services for the HSIP 11B Project were received from the following two (2) consultant companies:
SPECS Engineering Group Ontario, CA
TKE Engineering, Inc. Palm Desert, CA
Proposals were evaluated following the selection process required for federally and state- funded projects.
The proposals were reviewed by a panel consisting of two staff members from the Engineering Division and a staff member from the Finance Department. The panel found that all companies provided proposals that were responsive, qualified, and knowledgeable about the requirements for the project and the requirements for working in Cathedral City.
The rating summary of the panel’s review is included in this report as Attachment 2.
The proposal provided by SPECS Engineering Group (SEG) received the highest ratings from the panel. SEG submitted a work proposal providing assurance that, if selected, the performance of CE support tasks would be completed efficiently.
Following the evaluation and scoring of the consultant companies, the cost proposal submitted by SEG was opened and reviewed in accordance with State requirements to complete the RFQ/P evaluation process. SEG submitted a cost proposal that aligns with current market rates, the city’s expectations for the scope of services, and the original cost estimates included in the 2022 HSIP Cycle 11 application.
Construction Bid Process
On October 19, 2025, the city advertised the invitation to bid, requesting qualified contractors to perform the scope of work described in Bid No. B25-107E, which includes the PS&E for this project.
The bid solicitation was made available to contractors for twenty-four (24) calendar days and advertised in the following locations:
Desert Sun – published on October 19, 2025, and November 3, 2025 PlanIt Print Works – from October 19, 2025, until November 12, 2025 City’s Website – from October 19, 2025, until November 12, 2025 On November 12, 2025, the city received five (5) bid proposals for this project. The following table ranks each qualified bidder by the total base bid amount.
RANK CONTRACTOR AMOUNT
1 Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc. $ 785,362.00
2 DBX, Inc. $ 843,300.00
3 California Professional Engineering, Inc. $ 909,616.40 4 Calpromax Engineering, Inc. $ 915,050.00
5 Marjani Builders, Inc. $1,064,340.00
The bid tabulation prepared by the Engineering Division is included in this report as Attachment 3.
Based on the bids received, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, which yields the lowest contract price, is Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc. from Chino, CA.
City staff recommend that the City Council:
Award a construction contract to Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc., in the amount of $785,362 for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11B Project – Signalized Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades (C08755); and, Award a professional services agreement to SPECS Engineering Group, in the amount of $120,638 for professional construction engineering support services for this project; and,
Approve a fifteen percent (15%) contingency in the amount of $135,900 for unforeseeable construction costs and project changes; thereby bringing the total construction budget for this project to $1,041,900; and, Authorize the City Manager to execute both contract documents; and, Authorize the City Engineer to request bonds and insurance for the project and issue the Notice to Proceed.
All work will be performed within the existing city right-of-way. Construction is expected to start in June 2026 and is estimated to be completed by September 2026.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This project is categorically excluded under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for federally funded projects per 24CFR58.35 (a)(1) and categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Section 15301 for existing facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
HSIP Grant Balance
The HSIP Cycle 11B grant includes funds for PE, CE and CON, in the amount of $959,670.
The PE phase has been completed, leaving an HSIP grant balance in the amount of $865,170 for the CE and CON phases of the project as shown below.
Construction $ 752,670
Construction Engineering $ 112,500
HSIP Grant Balance $ 865,170
FY 2025-2026 CIP Biennial Budget
The project is listed in the FY 2025-2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) with an estimated total programmed budget in the amount of $1,086,745 as shown below:
HSIP Grant Balance $ 865,170
Traffic Safety Fund (Local Match) $ 221,575
Programmed CIP Budget $1,086,745
Construction Budget
The construction bid amount submitted by Belco is $785,362. The CE services, to be provided by SEG, are estimated at $120,638. This brings the total construction cost to $906,000, as shown below:
Construction Bid Amount (Belco) $785,362
Construction Engineering Cost (SEG) $120,638
Total Construction Cost $906,000
To account for potential unforeseen conditions or project changes, city staff are recommending a 15% contingency applied to the total construction cost, in the amount of $135,900. This results in a total construction budget of $1,041,900, as shown below:
Total Construction Cost $ 906,000
15% Contingency $ 135,900
Construction Budget $1,041,900
City staff propose allocating $865,170 in HSIP grant funds to the project’s construction. The remaining $176,730 required to fully fund the construction budget would be provided from available Traffic Safety Fund resources, consistent with the amount programmed in the CIP to fulfill the city’s local match requirement. A summary of the proposed construction budget allocations is provided in the table below.
FISCAL
YEAR
DESCRIPTION GENERAL LEDGER
ACCOUNT CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME
or
ONGOING
2025-2026 HSIP Funds
(Grant)
331-100-150-156-
8800-8802 C08755 $865,170 ONE TIME
2025-2026 Traffic Safety Funds
(Local Match)
233-100-150-156-
8800-8802 C08755 $176,730 ONE TIME
2025-2026 Total $1,041,900
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal-B: Community Investments
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other city infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed, and maintained.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. HSIP 11B – Project Vicinity Map
2. HSIP 11B – RFQ/P Rating Summary
3. HSIP 11B – Bid Tabulation
4. HSIP 11B – Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc. Contract
5. HSIP 11B – SEG Contract
6. HSIP 11B – SEG Proposal