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1 DATE: February 17, 2026
TO: President and Members of the Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) Board of Directors
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, District Manager
Marlene, Assistant District Manager
FROM: Andrew Brozyna, Public Works Director/District Engineer Laura Galli, Engineering Manager
Justin Lai, Senior Civil Engineer
Kareem Arabi, Associate Engineer
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT: TASK ORDER WITH FREYER & LAURETA, INC. FOR
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT
OF $374,100 FOR CIP 455-710 SHELL BRIDGE FORCE MAIN
REPLACEMENT PROJECT AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
$56,000 CONTINGENCY
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the EMID Board of Directors adopt the attached resolution authorizing:
1. The President to execute Task Order FL-2026-01 with Freyer & Laureta, Inc. in the amount of $374,100 to provide engineering design services for CIP 455-710 Shell Bridge Force Main Replacement Project under the Master Professional Water and Wastewater Engineering Services Agreement; and
2. The establishment of a contingency in the amount of $56,000 with authorization given to the District Manager or his designee, to execute contract amendments up to the contingency amount.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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1 CIP 455-710 consists of the replacement of the existing 16-inch cast iron force main located on Shell Bridge with a new parallel force main under the lagoon, using trenchless (horizontal directional drilling) methodologies. Staff requested proposals from two of the City’s on-call water and wastewater engineering firms. Freyer and Lauretta, Inc. (F&L) was selected as the most qualified firm. Based on the scope of services, the proposed fees have been reviewed by staff, negotiated, and deemed appropriate. Funding in the amount of $1,500,000 has been budgeted and is available in the City CIP for this project. Design is anticipated to be completed in December 2026, followed by construction in March 2027.
BACKGROUND
An existing 16-inch cast iron force main was originally constructed in the 1960’s and is a critical facility which delivers over 500,000 gallons of sewage (approximately one-third of the wastewater generated in the City) daily to the San Mateo Wastewater Treatment Plant. The force main is attached to the Shell Boulevard bridge crossing the lagoon.
During a routine maintenance inspection, a small crack was identified on the top side of the force main that further deteriorated into a 12-inch diameter hole during repair.
Repair was completed in 2021. The localized failure of the pipe is attributed to the corrosive environment of wastewater and repeated exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas.
The District engaged BKF, one of the City’s on-call consultants, to perform a condition assessment and subsequent feasibility study of the force main to determine its overall condition and remaining useful life. The condition assessment identified other areas of the force main interior to be corroded and concluded that the recent failure observed by the City was not an isolated event and rehabilitation or replacement would be required to extend useful life.
On January 21, 2025, the EMID Board adopted EMID Resolution No. 3791 and approved a Master Professional Water and Wastewater Engineering Services Agreement with F&L. under which the City/District can access on-call professional engineering services to carry out specific tasks with the approval of a Task Order by the City/District Manager or City Council/EMID Board (depending on the scope of the task) from January 21, 2025, through January 20, 2028. F&L was selected through a competitive process, in accordance with the City’s purchasing policy, and was selected to provide on-call Professional Engineering Services along with three other firms. F&L is a Bay Area civil engineering firm with extensive experience in municipal infrastructure projects, including sanitary sewer and force main design. F&L has provided engineering services for numerous public agencies in the region and has worked on several projects with Foster City. F&L is fully qualified to manage, design, and support this project.
ANALYSIS
Based on the feasibility study completed by BKF Engineers, staff has determined that installing a new force main parallel to the existing pipe using horizontal directional 4 3
1 drilling (HDD) is the preferred approach for this critical infrastructure project. The new force main will be installed beneath the lagoon. The existing bridge-mounted force main will remain in service during construction.
F&L will provide professional engineering design services including:
1. Preliminary design and basis of design report with geotechnical investigation, development of an HDD alignment, and 30% design drawings
2. Final design at 60%, 90%, and 100% completion with bid-ready documents
3. Bid support services
4. Construction support including submittal review, RFI responses, and preparation of record drawings
The anticipated design schedule is approximately 10 months from notice to proceed to completion of bid documents. Following completion of design, in the spring the project will be brought back to the EMID Board of Directors for advertising and to award a construction contract.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
Categorically Exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) and 15301(c) – Existing Facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of the proposed resolution is $430,100 including (a) $374,100 for a task order with Freyer and Laureta to provide engineering design services for CIP 455- 710 Shell Bridge Force Main Replacement Project, and (b), a project contingency in the amount of $56,000 or approximately 15% of the contract amount. The fee has been deemed by staff as reasonable based on the scope of services. The project is currently funded with a budget of $1,500,000.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Facilities and Infrastructure
Public Safety and Social Equity
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Task Order