DATE: June 16, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
FROM: Andrew Brozyna, Public Works Director
Laura Galli, Engineering Manager
Justin Lai, Senior Civil Engineer
Amy Zhou, Assistant Engineer
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT: TASK ORDER WITH WILSEY HAM, INC. FOR ON-CALL
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT
OF $91,862 FOR THE CITY HALL REAR PARKING LOT
SECURITY GATES PROJECT (CIP 301-707)
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing:
1. The Mayor to execute Task Order WHM-2025-01 with Wilsey Ham, Inc. in the amount of $91,862 for professional engineering services for the City Hall Rear Parking Lot Security Gates Project CIP 301-707; and
2. The establishment of a contingency in the amount of $9,100 with authorization given to the City Manager or his designee, to execute Task Order amendments up to the contingency amount.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CIP 301-707 consists of the design and construction of security gates to serve the parking lot behind the Police Station/Fire Station/City Hall. There are two access points to the rear parking lot with existing signage prohibiting public entry; however, cut- through vehicular and pedestrian traffic is possible and occurs occasionally. The installation of security gates at the access points will reduce risk to City personnel, vehicles, and property while maintaining access to authorized vehicles only. Task Order
WHM-2025-01 will provide the City with the technical assistance needed to prepare the construction contract documents and support the project through construction. The proposed fees in the amount of $91,862 have been reviewed by staff, negotiated and deemed appropriate based on the scope of services and expedited timeline of the project.
Funding in the amount of $500,000 is available in the project budget. The City Council action will allow staff to award the project with the anticipation of construction starting in February 2026. The schedule is accelerated to reflect the prioritization of this project due to security and safety concerns.
BACKGROUND
The rear parking lot of City Hall is utilized by the Foster City Police Department (PD), City Hall Fleet, San Mateo Consolidated (SMC) Fire, and City Staff and City Council authorized vehicles. Additionally, the lot is regularly accessed by Recology solid waste and recycling collection services and delivery services. Public access to the rear lot is prohibited, with signage posted at both access points. However, the existing signage is insufficient in deterring cut-through vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Although there have been no incidents in the rear parking lot to date, recent events in nearby jurisdictions have indicated that security measures are warranted and overdue. The installation of security gates at the lot access points through CIP 301-707 will provide physical barriers to unauthorized cut-through traffic that pose risk to City personnel, vehicles, and property.
On July 18, 2022, the City Council/EMID Board adopted City Resolution No. 2022-87 and EMID Resolution No. 3665 and approved a Master Services Agreement with Wilsey Ham, Inc. under which the City/District can access on-call land surveying, mapping, right of way engineering services and related services through the issuance of Task Orders. Wilsey Ham was selected through a competitive process, in accordance with the City’s purchasing policy. Wilsey Ham completed a police station gate project in Daly City in 2019 and is fully qualified to manage, design, and support CIP 301-707.
ANALYSIS
The installation of the security gates intends to mitigate theft potential, staff safety concerns, and security risk. Construction will need to be coordinated to avoid conflict with emergency vehicle response times. Additionally, the security gates will need to be designed to have controls that are compatible with the City’s existing security access system. The coordination and design constraints are acknowledged in the Wilsey Ham proposal, included in Attachment 2.
During the design phase, Wilsey Ham will coordinate with key stakeholders including the PD, Public Works, Information Technology, and SMC Fire, to ensure the project meets the needs of users of the rear parking lot. Additionally, Wilsey Ham will conduct product data research, collect site data including topographic survey and existing electrical conditions, find qualified vendors for compatible access controls, and develop bid documents. Support throughout the bid, construction, and closeout periods of the project are also included in the task order.
The rear security gates project has been expedited due to recent events involving the safety of public personnel. The anticipated timeline for CIP 301-707 is indicated in the table below.
Preliminary Project Schedule
Research & Basis of Design Development June 2025 – July 2025 Plans, Specifications, and Estimate 60% August 2025 - September 2025 Plans, Specifications, and Estimate 90% September 2025 – October 2025 Plans, Specifications, and Estimate Final October 2025 – November 2025 Council Approval and Bid Period November 2025 – December 2025 Construction Begins February 2026
CEQA
Categorically Exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed fee for the scope of work is $91,862. Additionally, a project contingency in the amount of $9,100 or approximately 10% of the contract amount is recommended to pay for additional services to mitigate unforeseen tasks or for additional services that may be required. Current funding for CIP 301-707 consists of $500,000 from City CIP funds (Fund 301).
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Facilities and Infrastructure
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Task Order WHM-2025-01