DATE: 08/20/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
2025-336
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH MARK THOMAS & COMPANY, INC., FOR ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES
FOR THE ONTARIO AVENUE WIDENING AT LINCOLN AVENUE, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. ST-2021-03
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., for the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Capital Improvement Project. Doing so will allow them to continue providing engineering design services for additional work requested by the City, and will increase the total contractual fee by $105,594.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Approve the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., increasing the compensation amount by $105,594, and a term extension through April 4, 2028, to continue to provide engineering design services for additional work for the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2021-03.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., to increase the total contractual fee by $105,594 for a total compensation amount of $854,923, and include any non-substantive extensions, change orders, purchase orders, and amendments up to the amount authorized in Corona Municipal Code
3.08.070(I), which is equivalent up to 10% of the revised agreement amount or $85,492.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In 2022, the City of Corona (City) identified Ontario Avenue between Oak Avenue and South Vicentia Avenue as a priority for widening to address its safety and mobility to be consistent with the City’s General Plan. The Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project (Project) would improve accessibility, reduce congestion, and provide safer passage for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Accordingly, the City made a collaborative effort to initiate the Project and began planning improvements to address the shortfalls of the corridor.
On June 21, 2023, the City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., to provide design and engineering services for the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project, No. 2022-12, in the amount of $749,329. While the agreement itself did not reference a project number, the accompanying staff report cited an old project number, Project No. 2022-12. For clarity, and as a result of the FY 2024 budget process citywide CIP revamp, the correct Capital Improvement Project number is ST-2021-03.
On September 4, 2024, the City Council requested that landscape center medians be considered along Ontario Avenue from Oak Avenue to Lincoln Avenue to increase safety among motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Additionally, the City’s engineering team identified an opportunity to enhance the corridor by extending the resurfacing limits of the pavement along Ontario Avenue from Via Pacifica Avenue to Oak Avenue. Furthermore, after discussions with the property owners, the City’s engineering team agreed to include retaining walls in the design for the properties on the south side of Ontario Avenue directly impacted by the widening. The retaining walls would help address the property owners’ concerns of property frontage grades, safety, and reduce noise levels.
The project is currently in the 60% design phase. To move forward with the right-of-way phase, exhibits for a minor land acquisition and temporary construction easements are being finalized. Once the right-of-way and design phases are completed by Fall 2026, the project is expected to be ready for advertisement.
ANALYSIS:
On March 17, 2025, Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., and staff discussed the additional design services that were to be included in the scope of work for the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project.
On July 18, 2025, after considerable negotiations, the City received the final cost proposal from Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., in the amount of $105,594, for the additional design services requested. These additional design services include the additional resurfacing from Via Pacifica to South Vicentia Avenue along Ontario Avenue; the design of raised median islands along Ontario Avenue from Oak Avenue to South Vicentia Avenue; and the design of retaining walls at the property frontages affected by the Ontario Avenue widening. With the approval of the additional design services, the Project will improve the safety and mobility of motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
A breakdown of the additional work from Mark Thomas & Company, Inc. is provided in the following table:
Description Cost
Additional Supplemental Survey $7,346
60% PS&E Additional Plan Production $48,905
90% PS&E Additional Plan Production $30,713
100% PS&E Additional Plan Production $7,567
Final PS&E Additional Plan Production $3,545
Additional Bidding Phase Support $1,808
Additional Record Drawings $5,710
Total $105,594
Staff recommends proceeding with the approval of the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., per the additional services request.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended actions is available in the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2021-03 within the Public Works Grants/Agreement Fund 243. Mark Thomas & Company, Inc.'s original design contract for the project was $749,329. Including the estimated design cost increase of $105,594, the new total compensation amount is $854,923. The revised contingency amount is $85,492 bringing the revised total allocation to $940,415. This revised allocation is expected to cover the additional design services.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The recommended actions are to amend an existing design agreement and increase funding for the additional services, and there is no possibility that accepting the funding will have a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: LYNH NGUYEN, PROJECT MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – First Amendment Professional Services Agreement
2. Exhibit 2 – Additional Services Request No. 01
3. Exhibit 3 – Cost Detail – Additional Services Request No. 01