Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: May 2, 2023
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: RAUL GODINEZ, INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR PREPARED BY: DAVID GRANTHAM, principal civil engineer
Nick esposito, associate engineer
SUBJECT: MORELIA AVENUE AND JUANITA COOKE TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS CONTRACT AWARD
SUMMARY
Award $672,450 construction contract to Towo Enterprise, Inc. for the Morelia Avenue and Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project (Project 54044).
RECOMMENDATION
Approve plans and specifications for the Morelia Avenue Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project (Project 54044).
Approve $537,000 budget transfer and appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Replacement Funds from Project 44589 Residential Street Program to Project 54044 Morelia Avenue and Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project (Fund 74).
Approve $532,750 budget transfer and appropriation of Park Dwelling Funds from Project 54044 Morelia Avenue and Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project to Park Dwelling Fund balance (Fund 39).
Award $672,450 construction contract for the Morelia Avenue and Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project to Towo Enterprise, Inc. and authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute the contract, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
Authorize Public Works Director, or designee, to approve any future change orders for construction and professional engineering construction support services within the approved project budget.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The City Manager recommends approval of award of the project.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Public Safety
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
Recommendations 2 and 3 request a change in funding sources for this project with no net budgetary impact to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 CIP Budget. Staff recommends a $537,000 budget transfer and appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Replacement Funds (Fund 74) from Project 44589 Residential Street Program to Project 54044 Morelia Avenue Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project (Fund 74) to supplement the current $367,350 funding of developer fees.
Staff also recommends a budget adjustment to revert $532,750 back to the Park Dwelling Fund (Fund 39) as the City cannot use those funds for street maintenance or improvements.
Staff has attached a Budget Data Sheet / Summary of Bids and the Contractor’s Bid Schedule for reference (Attachments 1 and 2, respectively).
DISCUSSION
This project involves widening the Junita Cooke Trail between Bastanchury Road and Laguna Road. The trail is approximately five feet wide and located directly adjacent to a fill slope. The project would expand the trail to ten feet wide.
Background
The developer negotiated with the City to develop over an existing trail easement located within their property as part of the Oakmont development located at the corner of Bastanchury Road and Morelia Avenue. This trail easement is mostly slope area and therefore unusable and unneeded by the City. City Council approved the easement abandonment in exchange for $367,350 to close a 20-foot trail gap on the Juanita Cooke Trail located on the easterly side of Morelia Avenue, directly across from the Oakmont project. Staff programmed improvements to the Juanita Cooke Trail along Morelia Avenue, extending the improvements to Laguna Road, in the FY 2020-21 CIP budget utilizing $367,350 developer fees and $532,750 Park Dwelling Funds.
The original project improvements involved construction of significant retaining walls and slope grading to provide the additional width for the trail widening. The City prepared plans and bid these original plan improvements. However, staff recommended and City Council approved, rejection of all bids due to project costs exceeding available project funding at the May 3, 2022 Council meeting.
Proposed Improvements
Staff has revised the project scope to improve trail access within available funding as recommended by staff in the May 3, 2022 Agenda Letter. The improvements include narrowing Morelia Avenue by approximately four feet to provide the additional trail, while also significantly reducing the length and height of needed retaining walls. Morelia Avenue would reduce from a width of 40 feet to 36 feet from curb to curb. This narrowing would still allow parking on both sides of the street, thus maintaining the ability to drop off and pick up children attending Laguna Road School. The City Traffic Engineer has approved the proposed roadway narrowing.
City Council approved the rehabilitation of Morelia Avenue and the adjacent cul-de-sacs, Pinata Place and Fiesta Place on August 16, 2022. The rehabilitation will involve grinding and overlay of the existing pavement. Other rehabilitation work will include replacement of deteriorated curb, gutter, sidewalk and spandrel, as well as construction of ADA access ramps, funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Replacement Funds. See Attachment 3 for project limits.
The following table lists proposed street improvement segments with current Pavement Condition Index (PCI):
Street
Limits
PCI
Morelia Avenue
Bastanchury Road to Laguna Road
28 (Very Poor)
Pinata Place
Morelia Avenue to Cul-de-sac
69 (Fair)
Fiesta Place
Morelia Avenue to Cul-de-sac
63 (Fair)
Rehabilitation totals approximately 0.30 miles. All streets will involve grind and overlay of the existing pavement and PCI scores will reset to 100 (Very Good) upon completion of the improvements.
The City can return the originally budgeted $532,750 Park Dwelling Funds to fund balance as the developer fees provide sufficient funding for the trail improvement costs due to the revision in scope and the associated funding restrictions related to Park Dwelling funds which the City cannot use for street maintenance or improvements.
Staff received five bids on April 12, 2023 for the Morelia Avenue Juanita Cooke Trail Improvement Project. Towo Enterprise, Inc. of Fullerton submitted the lowest responsible base bid totaling $672,450. The low base bid, as submitted, is approximately 4.24% below the $702,200 engineer’s estimate. Staff evaluated the bid and found it acceptable. Staff recommends awarding the project to Towo Enterprise, Inc.
Construction would occur during the summer recess of the adjacent Laguna Road School with an anticipated project completion in August 2023.
Staff has prepared an environmental assessment in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines and determined that the project is categorically exempt.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Budget Data / Summary of Bids
Attachment 2 – Bid Schedule
Attachment 3 – Project Location Map
Attachment 4 – Standard Contract / Agreement
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Morelia Avenue and Juanita Cooke Trail Improvements
May 2, 2023 - Page 2