Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: October 17, 2023
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: STEPHEN BISE, public works director
PREPARED BY: DAVID GRANTHAM, PRINCIPAL CIVIL ENGINEER
Nick Esposito, ASSOCIATE ENGINEER
SUBJECT: KIMBERLY AVENUE SEWER RECONNECTION
SUMMARY
Award $249,250 construction contract to Big Ben, Inc. for the Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve plans and specifications for the Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection Project.
Approve $294,000 budget transfer and Sewer Enterprise Funds (Fund 47) appropriation from Project 51419 Annual Sewer Replacement Project to Project 51031 Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection Project (Fund 47).
Award $249,250 construction contract to Big Ben, Inc. for the Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection Project through informal bid procedures 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.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statement:
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Fiscal Year 2023-24 CIP Budget has sufficient funding for the project from Sewer Enterprise Funds. Staff recommends a $294,000 budget transfer from Project 51419 Annual Sewer Replacement Project to 51031 Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection Project.
Staff attached a Budget Data Sheet / Summary of Bids and the Contractor’s Bid Schedule for reference (Attachments 1 and 2 respectively).
DISCUSSION
This project would reconnect an existing sewer line underneath the Kimberly 1A PFAS Treatment plant located at 1350 Kimberly Avenue. The City removed the sewer pipe during the Kimberly 1A PFAS treatment plant construction as existing records showed it as out of use and examination of the pipe did not show active use. The property located at 1409 Orangethorpe Avenue reported sewer problems after construction. Staff determined that this property had remained connected to the sewer pipe. This property generates a very small volume of sewer waste resulting in the appearance of a non-active pipe. Sewer Division staff has manually maintained sewer service to 1409 Orangethorpe since the property reported the problem.
Engineering and Sewer Division staff determined the City needs to reconnect the abandoned line to re-establish sewer service to 1409 Orangethorpe. The works includes installing a new section of sewer pipe by directional drilling, installing a new manhole to improve maintenance access and removing and replacing a section of water main to facilitate the directional drilling operation. The Project Location Map shows the limits of the construction work (Attachment 3).
Staff estimated the construction would cost less than $200,000, based on recent project construction cost and informally bid the project in accordance with Public Contract Code Sections 22000 - 22045. Staff released the project to ten contractors on the City’s list to receive informal project proposals that could perform the project scope of work.
Staff received three bids on October 6, 2023 for the Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection Project. Big Ben, Inc. from Irvine submitted the lowest responsible bid totaling $249,250. Staff evaluated the bid and found it acceptable. The low bid, as submitted, is approximately 42% above the engineer’s $175,000 estimate. A combination of small project quantities, relatively specialized scope of work and increasing labor and material costs attribute for the increased cost. The low bid is above the $200,000 limit for informal bidding. However, staff does not expect a formal project bid would yield more favorable results due to the number of contractors notified of the bid (ten), the relatively specialized scope of work and small project quantities. Staff requests City Council waive formal bidding and recommends awarding the project to Big Ben, Inc. Staff anticipates construction completed by winter 2023.
Staff prepared an environmental assessment in accordance with California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines and has 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
Kimberly Avenue Sewer Reconnection
October 17, 2023 - Page 2