CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: May 17, 2022
Subject
Consider supplemental information for Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Study Session.
Recommended Action
Consider incorporating additional information into the deliberations on the CIP.
Background
On May 3, the City Council began discussions on the CIP. Based on the content of that discussion, staff is providing the following supplemental information. Several important project specific clarifications are provided in this report.
Discussion
The City Council has had some discussion on the inclusion of CIP projects on the Work Program. Generally, both the Work Program and the CIP identify the priorities of the Council, the first more focused on policy or administrative efforts and the second on implementation phases of construction project. There is not a functional need to include CIP projects on the Work Program and the City Council could omit them from the CIP list should the Council choose to do so without losing the emphasis on the projects.
The following provides clarifying information on projects discussed during the May 3 Study Session:
Memorial Park Ponds and Master Plan
The funding and direction to infill the ponds was provided with the last CIP and is in progress, with bids due on May 12 (after the publishing of this report). Staff anticipates bringing a recommendation of award of contract to the City Council shortly thereafter. In designing the ponds project, staff was cognizant of potential future changes and kept this project to the basics – removing the concrete ponds, infilling with soil, adjusting the irrigation, and adding turf. Of these, the turf is the only item that will be impacted by upcoming design work.
As the City Council is aware, the Specific Plan process is also in progress. The timeline for having a Specific Plan complete is at least twelve months from the date a contract for services is executed. The timeline is key to allowing for adequate outreach and engagement. Once a Specific Plan is complete and adopted by the City Council, a phased implementation plan would likely need to move forward over the course of several years. This could result in the ponds being in place for two years or more from today. The Council may wish to consider this two-year timeline and the ultimate need to remove the ponds anyway. The addition of useable park space for those two years might be beneficial to the community should the current project proceed. The removal of the ponds and replacement with turf will also reduce the potential liability to the city for any potential injuries that may occur within the currently drained ponds.
Blackberry Farm Pool, Slide, and Splash Pad
The slide at Blackberry Farm has exceeded its serviceable life, requiring high levels of maintenance and staffing to operate. The concept of adding a splash pad would allow for replacing one amenity with another and would not impact the available pools (two pools exist). The splash pad concept is included in the Parks and Recreation System Master Plan and this implementation could provide the opportunity for understanding the operational needs for future installations and could inform the master planning process for Memorial Park. Should the City Council not wish to pursue a Splash Pad at Blackberry Farm, staff would proceed with removal of the slide due to its age, condition, and operational costs.
Dog Off Leash Areas
Dog off leash areas are policy decisions recommended to be addressed through the Work Program. City staff is currently implementing amenities, including hydration stations with dog bowls, that will serve the dog off leash areas.
Citywide Lighting and LED Improvements
During the May 3 Study Session, a Councilmember expressed concern with proceeding on this project without first reviewing the feasibility report that is in progress. From a process perspective, it is typical to fund the next stage of a project prior to completion of the previous phase so that the project can continue should that be the direction. Otherwise, it could be a full year before funding for a project is allocated creating a delay in implementation of this project. Staff believes that there is a reasonably good chance the Council will want to proceed with this project as the project addresses “dark sky” compliance and likely provides long term energy and financial savings. The final report is anticipated within the next several weeks. Once the report is complete, staff will provide it to the Council with potential next steps. Should the Council wish to provide alternate direction, such as not proceeding, that could occur at the Council’s discretion once the report is complete.
City Hall Renovation/ Replacement and Library Parking Garage At the May 3 Council Study Session, this project received a fair amount of discussion. Council comments appeared to indicate a preference for renovation of the existing 24,000 square foot City Hall over replacement of City Hall with a larger building. Council comments also indicated a preference to omit the proposed Library Parking Garage. Therefore, Council could consider a City Hall Renovation Project with selected elements of the following scope (provided with costs):
Seismic Retrofit - $7M – This is the starting point for the project necessary to make the facility safe. The building will need to be fully vacated to undertake this work.
ADA Accessibility - $4M – Seismic upgrades trigger ADA improvements, which will also make the facility more accessible to the public.
Aged Infrastructure - $10M – Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and IT systems have exceeded their serviceable life and need to be replaced.
Interior Space Needs – $9M - Interior renovations are required to provide the most efficient and functional layout of the interior space.
The project scope outlined above is estimated at $30M for construction and $2.5M for design and planning, for a total project cost of $32.5M.
Library Parking Garage - $24M ($21.6M + $2.4M for design and construction planning services). The previous parking study indicates that the Civic Center needs approximately 200 additional spaces. However, Council can decide to not address parking issues at Civic Center at this time. Council can direct staff to remove the proposed parking structure from the CIP and to work on alternatives for future consideration based on Council input.
Staff recommends City Hall Replacement and Library Parking Structure project ($79.6M) project as previously presented. However, Council may wish to consider the City Hall Renovation Project without a parking structure.
Next Steps
This report is developed to facilitate further discussion on the CIP at the Study Session.
Sustainability Impact
There are no sustainability impacts from this study session item. Individual projects may create future sustainability impacts.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
This report is ministerial in nature with no environmental impact. Each approved project will undergo its individual environmental assessment.
Fiscal Impact
No fiscal impact.
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Prepared by: Matt Morley, Director of Public Works
Reviewed by: Dianne Thompson, Assistant City Manager
Approved for Submission by: Jim Throop, City Manager
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