DATE: May 18, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Andrew Brozyna, Public Works Director
Laura Galli, Engineering Manager
Ryan Marquez, Senior Civil Engineer
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE LAGOON PUMP STATION SEISMIC
REHABILITATION AND CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
(CIP 301-717)
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing staff to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a General Contractor for the construction of the Lagoon Pump Station Seismic Rehabilitation and Capacity Enhancement Project (CIP 301-717).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Lagoon Pump Station Seismic Rehabilitation and Capacity Enhancement Project (CIP 301-717) (Project) will renovate and upgrade Foster City’s lagoon pump station, which is the sole facility responsible for controlling lagoon levels by pumping the stormwater collected throughout the city to the San Francisco Bay.
The Project includes structural rehabilitation, seismic upgrades, mechanical and electrical system replacements, and installation of two new high-capacity pumps. The current construction estimate is approximately $14–$15 million.
Design is nearing 90 percent completion, with the bid-ready package anticipated in fall 2026. The prequalification of contractors helps to ensure that only qualified contractors with demonstrated experience in complex pump station construction, seismic retrofit, marine structural work, and large-capacity mechanical systems are eligible to bid. This process will help screen out contractors who lack relevant experience on similar projects, have insufficient bonding capacity, or have a history of safety violations, performance failures, or other deficiencies. This will be the first CIP project bid under the City’s newly adopted Project Labor Agreement (PLA). The RFQ will assess prospective bidders’ readiness to comply with the PLA requirements.
BACKGROUND
On June 20, 2023, the City Council adopted City Resolution No. 2022-79, adopting the City Budget and thereby establishing both the Lagoon Pump Station Building Rehabilitation Project (CIP 301-718) and the Add Third and Fourth Lagoon Pump and Related Infrastructure Project (CIP 301-717).
On June 2, 2025, the City Council adopted City Resolution No. 2025-38, approving the merger of CIPs 301-718 and 301-717, renaming the combined CIP as the Lagoon Pump Station Seismic Rehabilitation and Capacity Enhancement Project (CIP 301- 717), and authorizing a Task Order with Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $992,045 for engineering design services related to the Project with Schaaf & Wheeler, Inc.
Design is currently nearing 90% completion. The construction documents are anticipated to be finalized in Fall 2026, at which point the prequalified contractor list will be used to solicit competitive bids.
ANALYSIS
The purpose of the prequalification process is to ensure that prospective bidders have demonstrated the quality, capacity, financial soundness, bonding ability, safety record, and technical experience needed to successfully complete the construction of a complex public works infrastructure project of this magnitude and risk profile.
Prequalification is very common on major projects and was previously utilized on both the Levee Improvements Project (CIP301-657) and the Community Center Rebuild Project (CIP301-678).
The prequalification will assist in finding a contractor with proven experience in working on:
Large-capacity pump installations and related mechanical systems; Seismic rehabilitation and structural retrofit work;
Marine reinforced concrete construction;
Successful delivery of similarly scaled public works projects.
The RFQ for a General Contractor (Attachment 2) contains the Notice to Bidders, required California Class “A” contractor license, bonding and insurance requirements, financial capacity, and a detailed Prequalification Questionnaire that prospective bidders must complete. This will also be the first CIP project that will be bid under the City’s newly adopted PLA. The RFQ will additionally assess prospective bidders’ readiness to comply with the PLA requirements.
Submittals will be due on June 18, 2026.
An evaluation panel comprised of Public Works staff and representatives from Schaaf & Wheeler will review and evaluate the prequalification submittals in accordance with the criteria set forth in the RFQ. Only prequalified contractors will be eligible to submit bids when the Project is formally advertised.
Following evaluation, the City will issue Notices of Determination to all contractors who submitted complete responses. A list of prequalified contractors will be made available and will serve as the eligible bidders for the construction phase. The formal construction bid period is expected to occur in Fall 2026, with a subsequent recommendation to award a construction contract based on the competitive bid results.
CEQA
A Notice of Exemption (NOE) citing section 15301, 15302 and 15311 exemptions for the project was filed with the County of San Mateo on January 29, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact from this action.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Infrastructure and Facilities
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Qualifications Package