DATE:
July 5, 2022
TO:
Christine Daniel, City Manager
FROM:
Mohamed Alaoui, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Authorizing The City Engineer To Advertise For Public Bidding For The Storm Drain Large Trash Separators Project, EPW 107-18, And To Purchase Any And All Equipment And Materials Necessary for the Construction of the Project (CIP #18475009); CEQA Determination: Exempt Pursuant To State CEQA Guidelines 15061(b)(3) Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the above-entitled resolution.
BACKGROUND
The City of Emeryville must reduce the amount of trash entering the San Francisco Bay through its storm drain system as part of its Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) administered by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board. The trash reduction amounts required by the MRP include a 90% reduction by July 2023 and 100% reduction, or no visual impact, by July 2025. The installation of a hydrodynamic separator in the City’s storm drain system is an essential step towards reaching these trash reduction targets.
The City has developed a Long-Term Trash Reduction Plan that identifies trash generating areas of the City and specifies actions to be implemented to address specific areas. The plan calls for installation of trash recovery units in the stormwater system for full trash capture. This project will help the City reach its targets by strategically capturing and cleaning stormwater flowing from areas within the City’s highest trash generation area.
On September 28, 2018, the City accepted a bid and subsequently entered into a contract with Schaaf and Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers to perform feasibility studies for implementing large trash separators in Emeryville. A site near the intersection of Emery Street and West MacArthur Boulevard has been identified for this project, as shown in Exhibit A.
Additionally, on June 15, 2021, the City Council approved a Cooperative Implementation Agreement (CIA) for project funding from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), whereby Caltrans will provide $680,000 in funding for this project. Caltrans is subject to a similar MRP and also needs trash capture credit in order to stay in compliance. Caltrans has a program in which the agency funds municipalities building stormwater treatment facilities that treat stormwater running off Caltrans’ right of way. Emeryville’s project will treat stormwater run-off from Caltrans’ right of way on San Pablo Avenue, a high trash generating area. That agreement requires construction to be complete and Caltrans to be fully invoiced by May 1, 2023. For this reason, we have set a goal of December 31, 2022 for the completion of this project.
Staff also seeks approval to purchase the equipment and materials needed for the project in conjunction with public bidding and contracting efforts. Supply chain issues have significantly lengthened the lead time for procurement of these materials, and in order to meet the Caltrans funding deadlines, it is prudent to begin the purchase sooner rather than at the conclusion of the City’s bidding and contracting timeline.
Discussion
The aim of this project is to place a hydrodynamic separator in the City’s storm sewer system. Hydrodynamic separators (HDS) are stormwater management devices that use cyclonic separation to control pollution in stormwater. They are designed as flow-through structures with a settling or separation unit to remove trash, sediment, and other pollutants. A HDS unit boasts excellent pollutant removal and retention and eliminates the need for numerous additional structures.
HDS systems are very low maintenance. Various studies have shown that, while HDS units have a relatively high initial cost, their low maintenance costs means that, over time, they are better investments than connector trash screens, which are simple and inexpensive to install, but clog easily. Connector trash screens must be cleaned after every storm event, and even more often during the fall. Given the staffing limitations for the City’s maintenance crew, installing an HDS unit offers an effective way to maintain compliance with the City’s MRP without overloading City staff.
The planned HDS will be constructed below ground in the area west of Emery Street on the north side of West MacArthur Boulevard.
Fiscal Impact
Initial funding for this project was included in the Capital Improvement Program adopted by the City Council in June 2016 and has been allocated into the account shown below. The Caltrans funding will be allocated to this account as well:
Project
Fund
Amount
Source
18475009
475
$530,000
City
18475009
To be allocated
$680,000
Caltrans CIA
The Cooperative Implementation Funding Agreement with Caltrans was authorized by the City Council on June 15, 2021, and executed on June 18, 2021. A copy of the approved Resolution 21-67 is attached as Exhibit B and the executed agreement number D43CIAEME0001 is attached as Exhibit C.
The cost of the equipment and materials to be purchased directly by the City is estimated at $250,000, construction cost at $830,000, and a contingency of $130,000 totaling $1,210,000.
Annual operations and maintenance costs for the HDS is estimated at approximately $1,200 per year and would be required to be included in annual operating budgets starting in fiscal year 2023-2024.
CEQA DETERMINATION
This proposal is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the “common sense exemption” at Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.
Staff Communication with the Public
There has been no staff communication with the public as of this time.
Conflict of Interest
No conflict of interest is reported at this time.
Conclusion
The City must capture trash entering our storm drain system as mandated by the MRP. In order to reach the required 90% trash capture level by 2023, the City must take action. Public Works staff has done its due diligence in researching various methods by which this can be achieved and have concluded that installing a hydrodynamic separator in the City’s storm drain system is the best long-term, cost-effective solution and will guarantee that the stormwater being released into the tidal shores from the drainage area is free of trash and debris.
This project is designed and ready for construction, and therefore staff request that the City Council authorize the City Engineer to advertise the project for public bid, and to purchase any and all equipment and materials necessary for construction of the project at a cost not to exceed $250,000.
PREPARED BY: Nancy Humphrey, Environmental Programs Supervisor – Public Works Approved and Forwarded to the
City Council of the City of Emeryville:
Christine Daniel, City Manager
Attachments
Draft Resolution
Exhibit A – Map of Project Location
Exhibit B – Resolution 21-67
Exhibit C - CIA Agreement D43CIAEME0001
Trash Capture Unit Purchase and Advertisement
City Council Meeting | July 5, 2022
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM