Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: Landscape Rehabilitation for Altman Acres and Adjacent City Maintained Streetscape fronting Old Redwood Highway
Date: November 08, 2022
Written by: Craig Scott, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Recommendation
It is recommended the City of Cotati City Council approve by Motion a standard services agreement with LandCare for remediating landscape along Old Redwood Highway within both the Altman Acres Lighting and Landscape Assessment District for a total amount not to exceed $30,745 and the adjacent portion within City Right-of-Way for an amount not to exceed $13,868.
Background
The Altman Acres Landscape and Lighting Assessment District (Zone 10) was established in 2002, to provide funds for the maintenance of landscaping and street lighting within the Altman Acres Subdivision, in accordance with the Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972. The Zone maintains landscaping in the Altman Acres Subdivision City Right of Way and along Old Redwood Highway Right of Way fronting Lots 1 through 7. The 2021/22 Engineer’s Report includes a Capital Project to cleanup and replace planting and irrigation tubing in the streetscape fronting Old Redwood Highway for Fiscal Year 2022/23.
Analysis/Discussion
The City has solicited bids for the landscaping work from PJM, Alfaro Construction, and LandCare and LandCare was the only company to submit a bid. The bid is in two parts; one for the LLAD (11,750 sf) and the other for City ROW (2,653 sf) for amounts of $28,600 and $12,900, respectively. City Staff has reviewed the quotes for landscape services and finds them to be fair and reasonable and recommends approval plus a 7.5 percent contingency for each.
Since installation in 2002, the landscapes have only received routine maintenance including removal of dead plants, including trees. Over time, the mulch has dissipated exposing the weed fabric which is visible and torn throughout. The irrigation system is no longer working effectively as emitters have popped off and plants have choked the lines preventing water from reaching plants from that point forward. The proposed landscape remediation work will scrape off the mulch and fabric and remove the flexible irrigation tubing. Established and healthy plant will remain. The work will then include remediating the soil, installing new plants in the gaps, installing new irrigation piping, weed fabric and mulch. The contractor will then work with the City Public Works staff to schedule the irrigation controller. There are separate controllers for the City maintained area and the area maintained by Zone 10.
Financial Considerations
The requested amount for approval is for the quoted amounts plus a 7.5 percent contingency for each portion (Zone 10 and City maintained). This results in a budget of $30,745 for Zone 10 and $13,868 for the City maintained portion.
The unaudited fund balance for Zone 10 as of June 30, 2022, is $34,962 as of June 30, 2022. This is sufficient to fully pay for the LandCare, LLC services for the Zone 10 portion of the work.
From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, the Zone 10 reserves, exclusive of this project, is budgeted to increase by approximately $3,200, leaving an estimated fund balance of $7,417 for the end of fiscal year 2022/23. The Assessments for Zone 10 can be adjusted for inflation every year to match the needs of the Zone and the City monitors this with completion of the annual Engineer’s Report.
For the City’s part of the landscaping project, the City has budgeted $35,000 for maintenance of street landscaping within its streets department general contract services account. That amount is sufficient to fully pay for City’s property improvement. No appropriation of funds is being requested.
Environmental Issues
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.
Attachments:
Landscape Remediation City ROW (PDF)
Landscape Remediation Altman Acres LLAD (PDF)