Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 21, 2023
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: Meg mcwade, public works director
PREPARED BY: STEPHEN BISE, CITY ENGINEER
DAVID GRANTHAM, PRINCIPAL CIVIL ENGINEER
SUBJECT: BASTANCHURY ROAD WATER MAIN BREAK EMERGENCY REPAIR
SUMMARY
The City received a report of a water main break on Bastanchury Road on January 17, 2023. The break significantly damaged Bastanchury Road and required immediate repair. This item requests ratification of emergency actions taken to initiate repairs and authorization to use Water Funds for the emergency repair costs.
RECOMMENDATION
Ratify selection of Big Ben, Inc. (Big Ben), R. J. Noble and Traffic Management, Inc. (TMI) to provide materials and services related to the Bastanchury Road water main break emergency repairs, waiving formal bidding procedures.
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to issue purchase orders to Big Ben, Inc., R. J. Noble and TMI for payment of materials and services related to the Bastanchury Road water main break emergency repairs.
Approve budget appropriation not to exceed $150,000 from Water Fund reserves (Fund 44) to Project 53052 Bastanchury Road Water Main Break Repair (Fund 44).
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The City Manager declared an emergency to authorize expedited repairs. This action requires City Council ratification.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Public Safety
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City deemed this project an emergency and did not factor the cost of repairs in the FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget. Staff recommends a budget appropriation not to exceed $150,000 from Water Fund reserves to Project 53052 Bastanchury Road Water Main Break Repair. The Water Fund has adequate funds to support this appropriation.
The attached Budget Data Sheet (Attachment 1) shows repair costs.
DISCUSSION
This item reports on the Public Works emergency related to a water main break on Bastanchury Road in accordance with Fullerton Municipal Code 2.64.090.
Staff received notification of a water main break and roadway damage on Bastanchury Road, east of Harbor Boulevard, adjacent to St. Jude Hospital on the morning of Tuesday, January 17, 2023. The Public Works Water Division staff arrived at the site and found a break in a major 12” diameter cast iron water distribution pipeline. This break created significant damage to the roadway, similar to a sinkhole. Site conditions prompted Public Works Street Division, in coordination with the Police Department, to close westbound traffic on Bastanchury Road and immediately initiate repairs to the water pipe including shutting down the broken segment of water pipe.
The extent of the damage to the westbound roadway and adjacent slopes became evident after shutting down the water main. The break rendered the roadway unusable and unsafe for public traffic, damaged and uplifted concrete curb, gutter and sidewalk and created significant erosion on adjacent slopes. The City Manager declared an emergency based on these conditions to authorize expedited purchase of critical services to repair the roadway.
Public Works Engineering Division activated Big Ben to immediately start emergency repairs to the roadway while Public Works Water Division staff repaired the water main pipe. Big Ben arrived on site late Tuesday afternoon and worked throughout the night and following Wednesday to remove all damaged curb, gutter, sidewalk and roadway pavement, construct new curb and gutter and prepare the roadway for new pavement that staff scheduled with R. J. Noble for Thursday morning.
Public Works Traffic Division also activated emergency services of TMI on Tuesday afternoon to install City-directed traffic control to keep westbound Bastanchury Road closed and provide detour signage for the public.
Engineering staff met with the City’s on-call geotechnical consultant, Twining Inc., on Wednesday morning to review the roadway conditions and confirm staff recommendations for roadway repair. Twining confirmed the staff recommendations, thereby allowing the repair work to continue without delay. Twining provided this service at no cost to the City.
R. J. Noble constructed the roadway pavement on Thursday, with sidewalk construction and slope repair completed by Big Ben on Friday. The City reopened the roadway to the public at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Public Works Street Division completed the final roadway striping.
The City must report emergency repairs exceeding $50,000 to City Council for ratification, in accordance with Fullerton Municipal Code 2.64.090. City Council approval of the recommended actions authorizes appropriation and approval of payments to vendors that provided emergency repairs with waiver of formal bidding requirements necessary to activate repair services as well as any internal costs expended to address the emergency.
Staff established a separate Capital Improvement Project, Project 53052 Bastanchury Road Water Main Break Repair (Fund 44), to track all costs due to the scope of the emergency repairs. Staff estimates that emergency repair costs will total $136,000 and will not exceed $150,000. Staff will process the necessary paperwork to effectuate payment upon approval of this item.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Budget Data Sheet
Attachment 2 – Project Location Map
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Emergency Repair of Water Main Break on Bastanchury Road February 21, 2023 - Page 2