STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of June 24, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Glenn Dombeck, Public Works Director/City Engineer SUBJECT: Acceptance of the Sycamore Avenue Trunk Sewer Replacement Project RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution accepting the Sycamore Avenue Trunk Sewer Replacement Project as complete and authorizing the filing of the Notice of Completion with the Contra Costa County Recorder’s Office and final payment to the contractor.
BACKGROUND:
The Sycamore Avenue Trunk Sewer Replacement Project was awarded at the December 13, 2022, City Council meeting to Cratus, Inc. (Cratus) for the low bid amount of $11,615,866 with provisions for a 10 percent contingency of up to $1,161,587 for a total authorized expenditure amount of $12,777,453. Cratus began work shortly thereafter. The scope of work consisted of replacement of 5,500 feet of the City’s primary 24-inch trunk sewer main with 30-inch piping, beginning at Duck Pond Park and ending at the influent intake to the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Pinole.
ANALYSIS:
Cratus completed installation of the trunk sewer at the beginning of 2025. The pipeline alignment included tunneling under the railroad tracks, a siphon crossing under Pinole Creek, and work at depths of over 35 feet with a variable water table and changing soils. A 469-linear foot segment of 12-inch overflow piping was unable to be installed due to utility conflicts and will be addressed in a future capital project. The work was completed in accordance with the plans and specifications to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. The final cost to complete the project was $12,641,622.58.
With the installation of 5,500 feet of 30-inch piping leading to the influent intake to the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Pinole, the project addressed surcharged conditions and eliminated the risk of overflows in peak wet weather flow conditions. The project has also created a safe pedestrian connection on the Bay Trail between Hercules and Pinole.
It is recommended that the Sycamore Avenue Trunk Sewer Replacement Project be approved at this time so the Notice of Completion can be filed with the Contra Costa County Recorder’s Office to allow final payment to be made to the contractor.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The project was funded entirely through the City’s Sewer Fund, which maintained sufficient resources due to a rate increase in 2009. The anticipated passage of the 2025 rate increase is expected to restore the fund’s capacity for future projects.
To complete the project, change orders totaling $1,402,166.58 were necessary. Two significant change orders emerged during the course of the project: the first, amounting to $610,375.00, addressed the extensive additional flagging requirements in the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way; the second, totaling $589,220.11, accounted for delay costs incurred due to the nesting of a protected bird species (White-Tailed Kite) on the job site, which mandated a project shutdown.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attach 1- Resolution
Attach 2- Notice of Completion
Attach 3- Project Location Map