City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: October 20, 2025
Report #:2506-4891
TITLE
Approval of Five Items to Support the Fire Station 4 Replacement Project PE-18004: 1) Construction Contract Number No. C26194287 with Beals Martin and Associates, Inc. in an Amount Not to Exceed $11,530,676 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their Designee to Negotiate and Execute Change Orders to the Contract up to a Not-to-Exceed Amount $1,153,067; 2) Contract Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. S24188865 with Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers to Extend the Contract Term Through April 30, 2027; 3) Contract Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. S23185811 with Earth Systems Pacific, Inc. to Extend the Contract Term Through February 28, 2027; 4) Amendment No. 1 to Contract C21179569 with Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc. to Add $41,366, Increasing the Not-to-Exceed Amount to $838,514 and Extend the Contract Term Through June 30, 2027 for Construction Support Services; and (5) Amendment No. 1 to Contract C24189293A with Cumming Management Group, Inc. to Extend the Contract Term Through August 31, 2027; CEQA Status - Exempt under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15302 and 15303
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Approve and Authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Construction Contract Number No. C26194287 with Beals Martin and Associates, Inc. in an Amount Not to Exceed $11,530,676 for the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project, Capital Improvement Project PE-18004;
2. Authorize the City Manager or their designee to negotiate and execute one or more change orders to the contract with Beals Martin and Associates, Inc. for related, additional but unforeseen work that may develop during the project, the total value of which shall not exceed $1,153,067;
3. Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to Contract S24188865 with Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers to extend the contract term through April 30, 2027 for construction support services;
4. Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to Contract S23185811 with Earth Systems Pacific to extend the contract term through June 30, 2027 for construction support services;
5. Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to Contract C21179569 with Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc. to add $41,366, increasing the not-to-exceed amount of $838,514 and extend the contract term through June 30, 2027 for construction support services; and
6. Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to Contract C24189293A with Cumming Management Group, Inc. to extend the contract term through August 31, 2027 for construction management services.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of the attached construction contact and amendments to consultant agreements is the next step in the delivery of a new Fire Station No. 4. The requested authorizations of amendments are due to the added scope of including infrastructure for future Level 3 electric vehicle chargers for fire apparatus.
BACKGROUND
Fire Station No. 4 is located at 3600 Middlefield Road. The fire station was built in 1953, does not meet the Fire Department’s current or future needs, and does not effectively use the current 0.6-acre portion of the property. The City Council included the replacement of Fire Station No. 4 in the 2014 Council Infrastructure Plan.
Brown Reynolds Watford Architects (BRW Architects) was contracted to design the new station in May 20221 and received Architectural Review Board (ARB) approval in September 2023. The new station will be 8,011 square feet and will house a crew of five personnel and the following apparatus: a fire engine, an ambulance, and a reserve engine. The design includes two drive- through apparatus bays and a separate reserve bay, living quarters, five bedrooms for the crew, exercise room, Captain’s office, and training room. The building will be a one-story, LEED- certified, all-electric building and meet current seismic, accessibility, and regulatory code requirements that are required to meet the Essential Services Buildings Seismic Safety Act (ESBSSA).
In December 2024, the City expanded the project scope to include Level 3 electric vehicle charger infrastructure. This update aligns with the City’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) “80×30” goal—an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the year 2030. The addition of EV charging stations prepares the facility for future electric fire and emergency vehicles, including an electric ambulance and fire engine. BRW Architects 1 City Council, May 23, 2022; Agenda Item #2; SR #11691, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=59470&repo=r-704298fc conducted a feasibility study and submitted revised plans for permitting in March 2025.
Construction is expected to begin in October 2025 and be completed by Spring 2027.
In preparation for construction of the new fire station, the City completed a pre-qualification process for potential contractors for Fire Station No. 4 in Fall 2024. Nine submissions were received, and five bidders were qualified to bid. The City Council also approved the project to be “substantially complex” under Public Contract Code Section 7201, resulting in the construction contract including a higher retention amount of 10%.3
ANALYSIS
Staff recommends approval of Contract No. C261942874 for the construction of the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project.
Solicitation Process
On June 30, 2025, a notice inviting formal bids for the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project was posted on OpenGov, the City’s eProcurement platform. The bidding period was 59 calendar days. Bids were received from two contractors on August 29, 2025. The bid details are listed on the attached Bid Summary (Attachment A).
Table #1: Summary of Invitations for Bid
Project Bid Name/Number Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project (IFB 194287) Proposed Length of Project 18 months
# of Bid Packages Downloaded by Contractors 126
# of Bid Packages Downloaded by Builder’s
Exchanges
2 Total Days to Respond to Bid 59 calendar days
Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting? Yes
Number of Company Attendees at Pre-bid Meeting 28
Number of Bids Received 2
Bid Price Range $11,530,676 to $12,413,000
Public Link to Solicitation https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo-alto- ca/projects/180044
Bids ranged from $11,530,676 to $12,413,000 and from 4% to 10% below the engineer’s estimate of $12,872,324. Staff reviewed the bids submitted and recommends the acceptance of the base bid and allowances submitted by Beals Martin and Associates, Inc. in the amount of $11,530,676, and that Beals Martin and Associates, Inc. be declared the lowest responsible bidder. The construction contingency amount of $1,153,067, which equals 10% of the contract 3 City Council, June 10, 2024; Agenda Item #5; SR #2405-2973, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=72806&repo=r-704298fc 4 Beals Martin and Associates Inc. Construction Contract for Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project (C26194287) https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/public-works/engineering-services/cip-contracts/c26194287- beals-martin-inc-fire-station-4-cc-final.pdf
value, is requested for related, additional, but unforeseen work which may develop during the project, implemented via City-approved Change Order.
Contract Amendments
Due to the time required for re-design and permit approval as well as the need for continued services throughout construction, the following consultant contracts require time extensions:
Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers (Schaaf & Wheeler): the original contract term was set to end on December 31, 2025. Schaaf & Wheeler’s scope includes a final C.3 inspection after landscaping is completed by the general contractor, which is anticipated to be in Winter 2026.
An additional 46 weeks are needed for completion of their scope, resulting in a revised total contract duration of three years.
Earth Systems Pacific (Earth Systems): the original contract term was set to end on September 30, 2025. Earth Systems’ scope includes observation and testing during site grading and flatwork by the general contractor, which is now anticipated to be completed by Fall 2026. An additional 37 weeks are needed for completion of their scope, resulting in a revised total contract duration of four years.
Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc. (BRW Architects): the original contract term was set to end on March 4, 2027. BRW Architects’ scope includes construction administration support and support of LEED certification, which is now anticipated to be completed by Spring 2027. An additional eight weeks are needed for completion of their scope, resulting in a revised total contract duration of five years. In order to fund the inclusion of Level 3 electric vehicle charger infrastructure for future apparatus, BRW Architects used previously allocated construction administration funds in the contract. Amendment #1 includes the reallocated cost to provide the original contract amount allocated for construction administration, resulting in a revised total not-to-exceed amount of $838,514.
Cumming Management Group, Inc. (Cumming Group): the original contract term was set to end on December 17, 2026. Cumming Group’s scope includes continued construction management services including review of contractor submittals, RFIs, and project close-out. With construction being extended an additional six months due to the added scope of work, their scope is now anticipated to be completed by Summer 2027. An additional 37 weeks are needed for completion of their scope resulting in a revised total contract duration of over three years.
Staff recommends approval of contract amendments for Contract Nos. S24188865, S23185811, C21179569, and C24189293A (Attachments B, C, D, and E).
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for the contracts and amendments recommended in this report is available in the Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Capital Improvement Program Fire Station 4 Replacement project (PE- 18004). The project’s funding includes a state budget earmark in the amount of $5.2 million that was received in Fiscal Year 2023.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The City hosted several events for community engagement during schematic design prior to Architectural Review Board approval of the proposed design. Events included a virtual community meeting on April 6, 2023, a tabling event at the MSC Open House on July 15, 2023, and an online survey. A community meeting was also held for the construction of the temporary station at Cubberley Community Center on April 11, 2024. An email newsletter is available for the public to sign up for updates throughout design and eventual monthly construction updates.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review under section 15061(b)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines because the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project is categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15302 and 15303 and is not barred by one of the exceptions set forth in Section 15300.2. A notice of CEQA exemption was filed on October 26, 2023.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: IFB 194287 Bid Summary
Attachment B: Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers Contract No. S24188865, Amendment No. 1
Attachment C: Earth Systems Pacific, Inc. Contract No. S23185811, Amendment No. 1 Attachment D: Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc. Contract No. C21179569, Amendment No. 1
Attachment E: Cumming Management Group, Inc. Contract No. C24189293A, Amendment No. 1 APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer