CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Agreement Amendment with Southstar Engineering & Consulting, Inc., for Construction Management Services for the Holland Road/I-215 Overcrossing Project
MEETING DATE: October 15, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Jenny McConville, Management Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Nick Fidler, Public Works Director
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 5 to the Professional Services Agreement with Southstar Engineering & Consulting, Inc. increasing the compensation by $120,000 for a total agreement amount not-to-exceed $5,448,401.80 and extending the term of services to June 30, 2026, for the Holland Road / I-215 Overcrossing Project, Capital Improvement Program Project No. CIP 13-03.
DISCUSSION
The Holland Road / I-215 Overcrossing, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project No. 13-03 (Project), constructed a new four-lane bridge over Interstate 215 (I-215) from Haun Road to Hanover Lane, providing a connection between the City’s east and west sides. Construction efforts included installation of sidewalks, bicycle lanes, mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls on the east side, improvements to drainage, irrigation, landscaping, and the installation of traffic signals on Holland Road at Haun Road and Hanover Lane.
On November 3, 2021, the City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement (Agreement) with Southstar Engineering and Consulting Inc. (Southstar) to provide construction management (CM) and inspection services for the Project. Since the approval of the original Agreement, four additional amendments have been approved by City Council, or under administrative authority, to increase the total compensation and/or extend the Agreement term.
The prior amendments were necessary to cover additional services resulting from Project schedule delays due to unforeseen field conditions, unknown utilities encountered during the installation of sewer and water mains, and weather delays.
City of Menifee Staff Report
CIP 13-03 Southstar Amendment No. 5
October 15, 2025
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The Project is now complete, and the bridge structure is fully operational and open to the public.
The final efforts to complete the Project included landscaping and irrigation work. As part of these efforts, coordination with Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) has been ongoing and resulted in several revisions to the landscaping plans. These plan modifications are required to comply with EMWD’s standards and have resulted in additional working days that were not previously anticipated. To allow for continued CM and inspection services, Southstar’s Agreement must also be extended, and their compensation increased to allow for the additional oversight efforts. The time extension and increased compensation under Amendment No. 5 are necessary to ensure that the City meets its obligations to complete all necessary administrative requirements to properly close out the Project with all external agencies, including California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), EMWD, Southern California Edison, and Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District (Valley-Wide).
Proposed Amendment No. 5 would increase Southstar’s agreement by $120,000, bringing the total not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement to $5,448,401.80. Southstar’s amendment history for the Project is summarized in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 – SOUTHSTAR AGREEMENT HISTORY
Agreement Activity Approval Date Summary of Changes Value Original Contract 11/3/2021 Construction Management services $3,248,237.43 Amendment No. 1 11/15/2023 Additional CM Services due to unforeseen conditions $1,152,405.31
Amendment No. 2 9/4/2024 Additional CM Services due
resolution of disputed time delays $228,000.00
Amendment No. 3 4/2/2025 Additional CM Services due to
unanticipated delays $699,759.06
Amendment No. 4 9/10/2025 Term extension only
(administrative) -
Amendment No. 5 Pending
Additional delays related to
EMWD landscaping plan
modifications. Term extension
for project closeout.
$120,000.00
TOTAL $5,448,401.80
The construction work for the Project is now completed. There are remaining items required for Project close-out including a 90-day plant establishment period and inspection for landscaping installed within the Project area, which would be maintained collectively by Valley-Wide and the City. Additional close-out tasks also include preparation as-built plans and addressing administrative requirements within Caltrans’ right-of-way through completion of required forms, submittals, and finalizing Project costs. The City must receive Caltrans’ approval on these items and formal authorizations to present the Project to the City Council for acceptance and filing of the Notice of Completion.
Pursuant to Menifee Municipal Code §3.12.090, amendments or change orders in the amount greater than 10% of the original agreement amount, or that exceed the City Manager’s signing authority, shall be approved by the City Council.
City of Menifee Staff Report
CIP 13-03 Southstar Amendment No. 5
October 15, 2025
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STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Connectivity and Mobility
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of the proposed Amendment No. 5 to Southstar’s Agreement for construction management services is $120,000, for a total not-to-exceed Agreement amount of $5,448,401.80.
Funding for the proposed increase is available in the existing Fiscal Year 2025/2026 CIP project budget within the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) Fund, as summarized in Table 2 below.
TABLE 2 – EXISTING PROJECT BUDGET
Fund Project Account String Available Budget Amount Requested TUMF CIP13-03.2310.CMG.CAE $760,334.25 $120,000.00
Total $760,334.25 $120,000.00
No additional budget appropriation action(s) is required.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Project Location Map
2. Amendment No. 5
3. Original Agreement