DATE: September 16, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
2026-046
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
CONTRACT CHANGE ORDER NO. 4, WITH DIAMOND CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN, IN THE AMOUNT OF $149,976, FOR THE
TRAFFIC SIGNAL INSTALLATION AT BEDFORD CANYON ROAD AND GEORGETOWN DRIVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (ST-2019-02)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report requests that the City Council authorize Contract Change Order No. 4, in the amount of $149,976, to Diamond Construction and Design, for additional open trenching and signal pole costs due to unforeseen utilities, change in power source location, and the relocation of traffic poles.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue a Contract Change Order No. 4 in the amount of $149,976 to Diamond Construction and Design for additional open trenching, traffic signal pole alteration, and conduit costs. b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a Contract Change Order No. 4 with Diamond Construction and Design to increase the contract amount by $149,976, amending the total contract amount to $1,219,070, including any non-substantive extensions, change orders, purchase orders, and amendments up to $121,907 which is equivalent to 10% of the revised contract amount.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Traffic Signal Installation at Bedford Canyon Road and Georgetown Drive, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2019-02 includes the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Beford Canyon Road and Georgetown Drive. The project includes improvements to the existing pedestrian curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, pavement rehabilitation, and roadway striping within the project limits, and connection to the City’s Advanced Traffic Management System.
The City awarded the Construction Contract to Diamond Construction and Design (the “Contractor”) on April 1, 2026, in the amount of $1,028,269.
On June 4, 2026, Contract Change Order No. 1 was authorized for an additional $9,237 to facilitate extra potholing required to identify the precise locations of the traffic signal poles due to uncertainties related to underground utility conflicts.
On July 2, 2026, Contract Change Order No. 2 was authorized for an additional $25,608 to permit the installation of a temporary light pole following the removal of the existing streetlight pole to accommodate the new signal pole foundation.
On July 8, 2026, Contract Change Order No. 3 was authorized for an additional $5,980 to include two additional pothole locations to verify further the absence of utility conflicts for the new signal pole foundation.
ANALYSIS:
On July 22, 2026, after new locations were verified, SoCalGas Company reported that they were unable to locate their utility lines, which included both a two-inch and an eight-inch gas pipeline. This unidentified utility presents new safety challenges for the Contractor, as they planned to install the traffic signal conduit using the horizontal boring method.
The Contractor and City staff determined that horizontal boring, as initially proposed, posed considerable risk to existing underground infrastructure due to dense utilities at conduit crossing locations and the existing flood control channel.
This decision necessitated an open trench installation of 220 feet of conduit. The process involves saw-cutting, asphalt/concrete demolition, trench excavation, backfilling, compaction, plate installation, and pavement repair. The additional cost for the open trench installation is $116,524.
As the final location for the signal pole was selected, it became necessary to revise the initial traffic signal pole specified in the original design plans to accommodate the new location. The change required an additional pedestrian push button post to ensure compliance with ADA standards. The price difference between the revised traffic signal poles and the new pedestrian push-button poles resulted in an associated cost of $16,213.
Lastly, coordination with Southern California Edison (SCE) led to a different service point location than what was described in the traffic signal plans. The new service point location from SCE is farther away and will require an additional 200 feet of conduit, increasing the cost by $17,239.
The Contractor submitted a detailed cost proposal totaling $149,976, covering labor and materials for the open trench for conduit installation, the revised traffic signal poles, and the additional conduit for the SCE service connection.
This change order brings together unavoidable expenditures required for safe and compliant construction.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended actions is available in the Traffic Signal Installation at Bedford Canyon / Georgetown Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2019-02 within the Public Works Streets and Traffic Signals Fund (FD_1211).
The revised construction cost for this project is outlined as follows:
Construction ................................................................................................. $1,028,269 Change Order No. 1 .............................................................................................. $9,237 Change Order No. 2 ............................................................................................ $25,608 Change Order No. 3 .............................................................................................. $5,980 Change Order No. 4 .......................................................................................... $149,976 Total Construction Costs Up to Change Order No. 4 ................................... $1,219,070 Amended Construction Contract .................................................................... $1,219,070 Amended Contingency (10%) ............................................................................ $121,907 Adjusted Total Construction Cost ............................................................. $1,340,977 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301(d) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt if the project involves negligible or no expansion of use to the existing facility.
PREPARED BY: ROSALVA URENO, TRANSPORTATION MANAGER/CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER REVIEWED BY: JAVIER LUNA, ACTING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Contract Change Order No. 4