DATE: 04/02/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
2025-133
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH VENTURE CONSTRUCTION & MANAGEMENT
FOR THE CITY HALL VETERANS MEMORIAL IMPROVEMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to find David Ollis Landscape Development, Inc. non-responsive for the City Hall Veterans Memorial Improvements Project (Project), previously awarded on December 4, 2024, and approve a Construction Contract with Venture Construction & Management, in the amount of $488,635, resulting from the rebid process. This project will make several improvements to the Veterans Memorial at City Hall, including adding military flagpoles, removing existing archways, installing amphitheater seating, a granite monument, and additional landscaping and lighting.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Find David Ollis Landscape Development, Inc. non-responsive to Notice Inviting Bids 25-019AT and reject all other prior bids for reasons noted in this staff report, and cancel the existing contract.
b. Approve the Construction Contract with Venture Construction & Management for the City Hall Veterans Memorial Improvements Project Re-Bid, No. FC-2023-06, in the amount of $488,635.
c. Award Notice Inviting Bids 25-039AT to Venture Construction & Management, the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, for the total bid amount of $488,635, and waive all minor irregularities in the bidding document as submitted by the said bidder.
d. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Construction Contract with Venture Construction & Management in the amount of $488,635, including any non-substantive extensions, change orders, purchase orders, and amendments up to the amount authorized by Corona Municipal Code Section
3.08.050(H) which is equivalent to 10% or $48,863.
e. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $122,414 from Measure X Fund 120 to the City Hall Veterans Memorial Improvements Project, No. FC-2023-06.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The current City of Corona Veterans Memorial is located at the south side of City Hall.
On November 10, 2021, the Committee of the Whole (COTW) directed City staff to proceed with an enhancement project including granite monuments, taller flag poles, lighting, signage, landscaping, and seating. After a request for proposals process, the City executed an agreement and purchase order with IDS Group, Inc. in accordance with Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 3.08.070.
Three design concepts were developed and presented to the City Council for consideration at the July 19, 2023, meeting. Staff received direction to obtain feedback from the Corona veterans community and released online and printed surveys to collect input. The survey results were presented to the City Council on December 6, 2023, along with a recommendation to proceed with the Option B “Honor and Glory” design with a few modifications, including removing the free-standing archways adjacent to the memorial.
The Project was first advertised for bids on September 30, 2024, pursuant to CMC section
3.08.090, Public projects - formal bidding procedure, and the City’s purchasing policy through the City’s PlanetBids bidding portal. On November 7, 2024, four (4) bids were received through the PlanetBids bidding service. The lowest responsive, responsible bidder was determined to be David Ollis Landscape Development, Inc., and a contract was awarded at the City Council meeting on December 4, 2024.
City staff proceeded to send a Notice of Award to obtain the various required documents, including bonds and insurance, from David Ollis Landscape Development. However, after several attempts, David Ollis Landscape Development was not able to provide all of the insurance policies as required by the bid and contract documents. As a result, staff requests that the City Council find that David Ollis Landscape Development, Inc. failed to provide these documents and deem the contractor non-responsive. Unfortunately, staff also discovered issues with the bid documents, and thus, all other bids received needed to be rejected, and the project needed to be re-bid.
ANALYSIS:
The Project was re-advertised for bids on February 7, 2025, in the Sentinel Weekly, and the project was posted on the City’s PlanetBids website on January 30, 2025, pursuant to CMC section 3.08.090, Public projects - formal bidding procedure, and the City’s purchasing policy. A total of 380 registered vendors with the City of Corona were notified of the project, 30 prime contractors registered as prospective bidders, and six potential bidders attended a non-mandatory pre-bid job walk on February 11, 2025. On March 13, 2025, four (4) bids were received through the PlanetBids bidding service.
No. Contractor Location Bid Total
1 Venture Construction & Management Corona, CA $488,635 2 Elegant Construction Inc. Irvine, CA $699,550
3 US Builders and Consultants Irvine, CA $945,400
4 RG General Engineering Inc. Norco, CA $1,015,459
Staff has reviewed all bids and recommends awarding the contract to Venture Construction & Management as the lowest responsive, responsible bidder based on the Bid Schedule for a total contract amount of $488,635. City staff has reviewed and verified all licenses and documents for Venture Construction & Management, and all other documentation is in order.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This project is currently funded by Measure X Fund 120, with a balance of $507,976.
Upon City Council approval of the appropriation, funding to complete the construction and inspection of the City Hall Veterans Memorial Improvement Project will be available in the Capital Improvement Project No. FC-2023-06.
The estimated construction costs for the project are outlined as follows:
Construction
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
$488,635
Construction Inspection, Labor Compliance, and Staff Time ……………………………… $92,892
Contingency (10%)
……………………………………………………………………………………… $48,863
Total Project Cost
………………………………………………………………………………… $630,390
Staff recommends an appropriation as follows:
Project No. Fund Current
Balance
Requested
Appropriation
Revised
Balance
FC-2023-06
(City Hall
Veterans
Memorial
Improvements)
Measure X
Fund 120
$507,976 $127,414 $630,390
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The City Hall Veterans Memorial Improvement project action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the CEQA determination and is therefore exempt from CEQA.
Therefore, no environmental analysis is required and staff has filed a Notice of Exemption with the County of Riverside.
PREPARED BY: TRACY MARTIN, SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Location Map
2. Exhibit 2 – Construction Contract