RESOLUTION NO. (XX)
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI
APPROVING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH
MARK THOMAS & COMPANY, INC. FOR DESIGN SERVICES FOR
THE PROJECT, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE
SAID PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT AND APPROVE ANY
NEEDED AMENDMENTS UP TO THE APPROVED BUDGET AMOUNT,
AND APPROVING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS TO THE
PROJECT ACCOUNT
WHEREAS, the intersection of West Cotati Avenue and Highway 116 has long been a safety concern as it serves the West side of town and is off a busy two-lane highway, and the City continues to pursue grant funds to improve the intersection and is included in the City’s Traffic Impact Fee Program; and
WHEREAS, the intersection was included in the Caltrans Highway 116 Widening Project, for which plans were completed in 2009, and was to be improved with the South Sonoma Business Park, however, the Business Park did not get completed in its entirety and only improvements to the Lowes development were completed; and WHEREAS, improving the intersection remains a priority for the City, and in 2021, the City included the Project as one of five projects submitted to the Sonoma County Transportation Authority to prioritize for grant funding opportunities, additionally in 2021, the City completed its Local Road Safety Plan which identified the intersection improvements as a priority safety project, and, in 2024, the City adopted its Active Transportation Plan which also includes the Project as a high priority; and
WHEREAS, the improvements are envisioned to move ahead in tandem with the recently entitled Cotati Villages 1 and 2 development projects which are to add a total of 303 rental units including 31 affordable units for families in the very low-income bracket, and the private developments are dependent upon the proposed Project improvements being constructed and impact fees for those projects are to be applied to the Project, additionally, the City has been successful in obtaining Federal and State funds for Project construction; and WHEREAS, on October 25, 2022, City Council approved professional services agreements to complete the environmental review and 35 percent design for the Project, and those efforts are now complete and Staff is recommending City approval of the environmental review and approving an agreement to complete the design and obtain Caltrans approvals; and WHEREAS, City Engineering issued a Request for Qualifications and, in August, 2024 received qualifications from a number of engineering firms, and, upon review of the qualifications, Staff determined Mark Thomas & Company, Inc. to be the most qualified to provide the requested services for the Project; and
WHEREAS, the firm has extensive prior experience for similar projects that require navigating the Caltrans approval process and working with resource agencies, additionally, Mark Thomas was part of the consultant team that developed the 35 percent design drawings for the Project; therefore, Staff requested and Mark Thomas provided a proposal to complete design, obtain Caltrans project approvals including the encroachment permit, and prepare bid documents for the Project; and
WHEREAS, the proposed services include obtaining all foreseeable permits and clearances for construction including a property swap needed for the intersection, and, with the scope of services beginning this month, bidding is projected to occur sometime in early 2026; and
WHEREAS, the City completed an extensive Environmental Review concurrently with the 35 percent design effort, and the effort began in late 2022 and concluded in June of this year and included public outreach with informational presentations at both the Planning Commission and City Council, additionally, the Project has a public website containing the project description, timelines, background information, project plans, and a way to provide comments and reach City Staff; and
WHEREAS, the Mark Thomas proposed scope of services is attached and is to take the 35 percent design to 100 percent and obtain all necessary State and Federal project approvals, and
WHEREAS, upon completion of the scope of services, the Project would be cleared to be advertised for bidding and Caltrans approvals would have been obtained to allow construction to begin; and
WHEREAS, the City’s adopted FY24/25 Budget includes $362,000, to complete the design for the Project, and the proposed design cost is $1,206,756, which leaves a funding shortfall of $844,756; and
WHEREAS, the Table below lists the proposed other project reductions which will provide the sources of funding for this shortfall:
Project Proposed
Action
Available Funds
Putnam Park Phase 1 Project Savings Transfer
Unencumbered
Funds
$191,756
Trash Implementation Plan – Phase 1 Postpone $231,000
2025 Street Improvements Project – Construction* Use/Replenish $412,000 Gateway Signage Postpone $ 10,000
Total $844,756
; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 Street Improvements Project funds are not expected to be spent until construction is ready in the late Spring of 2025, and Staff proposes using those funds and replenishing them once the Rohnert Park traffic mitigation funds, for use by the City in mitigating traffic impacts from new development in Rohnert Park, are transferred to the City, and these funds are estimated to exceed the amount “borrowed” from the 2025 Street Improvements Project; and
WHEREAS, the Putnam Park Phase 1 construction bids came in under budget, allowing the transfer of some of the available funds to Highway 116/West Cotati Avenue Intersection Safety Improvements Project; and
WHEREAS the recommended action is to authorize the transfer of excess unencumbered funds from the Putnam Park Phase 1 construction project, postponement of the Trash Implementation Plan – Phase 1 Project, Gateway Signage Project and use the available 2025 Street Improvements Project construction funds with the intent to replenish those funds once Rohnert Park traffic mitigation funds are received by the City; and WHEREAS, on September 10, 2024, the City Council approved the Environmental Review for the Project which determined there would be no additional environmental impacts beyond those analyzed in the General Plan EIR, and therefore the project is exempt pursuant to California Public Resources Code Section 21083.3 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Cotati hereby determines:
1. The recitals stated above are true and correct, and
2. The Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc. for Design Services for the Highway 116/West Cotati Avenue Intersection Safety Improvements Project is approved, and
3. The City Manager is authorized to execute the aforementioned professional services agreement and any needed amendments up to the authorized Project budget, and
4. The City Manager or designee is authorized to transfer $191,756 in unencumbered funds from the Putnam Park Phase 1 construction project to the Highway 116/West Cotati Avenue Intersection Safety Improvements Project, postpone the Trash Implementation Plan – Phase 1, postpone the Gateway Signage Project and borrow funds from the 2025 Street Improvements Project for the subject Project until such time as those funds are replenished from other sources including the Rohnert Park Traffic Mitigation funds, and
5. Authorize the City Manager or designees to reappropriate funds from the postponed projects to the Project budget account.
IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Cotati held on September 24, 2024, by the following vote, to wit:
Approved:___________________________
Mayor
Attest:______________________________
Kevin Patterson, Deputy City Clerk
Approved as to form:______________________________
City Attorney