City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Utilities
Meeting Date: November 3, 2025
Report #:2506-4867
TITLE
Approval of Professional Services Contract Number C26194191 with TJC and Associates, Inc. in the Amount Not-to-Exceed $242,483 for Dahl & Park Reservoirs Structural Evaluation and Condition Assessment. CEQA Status – Exempt Under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(2) and (b)(3).
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Contract Number C26194191 (Attachment A) with TJC and Associates Inc. for Dahl & Park Reservoirs Structural Evaluation and Condition Assessment for a term of three years and a total, not-to-exceed amount of $242,483, including $232,483 for basic services and $10,000 for additional services.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Palo Alto’s Water Tank Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation (WS-09000) projects provide proactive rehabilitation, seismic upgrades, and replacement of the City’s aging water storage tank infrastructure. Since 2010, five of the City’s seven drinking water storage reservoirs have been seismically retrofitted, rehabilitated, or newly constructed. The two remaining tanks, Dahl Reservoir and Park Reservoir, are currently included in the Water Tank Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation (WS-09000) budget for engineering inspections and seismic assessment, with potential replacements planned for FY 2029 and FY 2030. To support the upcoming design phase for the Dahl and Park Tank project and a pending grant application, staff seek to retain professional services to perform a condition assessment, which includes seismic assessment and conceptual level improvements with estimated construction costs. The contract with TJC and Associates, Inc. includes the necessary engineering seismic analysis to inform you of the full design and provide the information required by the state’s 2025 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which may provide up to $6,000,000 in grant funding for the project.
BACKGROUND
The City of Palo Alto (City) owns and maintains two welded steel, potable water storage tanks called Park Reservoir and Dahl Reservoir, located in the Palo Alto foothills area near Page Mill
Road. The tanks are 61 years old and require seismic retrofits, roof replacement, new coating, modifications to vents, and other miscellaneous improvements and repairs. Both reservoirs are one million gallon tanks, serving residential customers on Page Mill Road and in the Los Trancos area. The tank sites are located in the Palo Alto Foothills, approximately 4.5 miles south of Interstate 280 off Page Mill Road. While both tanks have been tentatively programmed for full replacement in FY 2029 and FY 2030, seismic retrofitting or other rehabilitation may be feasible, instead of a full tank replacement.
On January 18, 2025, the California Office of Emergency Services invited the City to submit a grant application for this project under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This contract with TJC and Associates provides necessary condition assessment and seismic analysis for the first phase of design for the Dahl and Park Reservoir Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation project and for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application for up to a $6,000,000 grant.
ANALYSIS
The Dahl and Park Water Storage Reservoirs are the last two drinking water storage tanks in the water utility system that have not been rebuilt, rehabilitated, or seismically retrofitted, under the Water Tank Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation (WS-09000) projects. Both tanks were designed prior to modern seismic design codes and require a seismic analysis and hazard evaluation to support grant funding opportunities and future retrofit or replacement.
Solicitation Process
On November 6, 2023, staff posted a formal request for proposals (RFP) for the project on OpenGov, the City’s eProcurement platform, for professional consulting services for the Engineering Design of Park & Dahl Tank, PR# 1890411. The project consisted of three phases: 1) Condition Assessment; 2) Design; and 3) Engineering Services During Construction. The solicitation period was posted for 102 days. 47 proposal packages were downloaded however no proposals were received. Four potential proposers attended a pre-proposal meeting, some expressed concerns to deliver the complexity of the scope with their current staffing. The solicitation closed on February 16, 2024.
Therefore, Staff solicited a negotiated scope and fee with TJC and Associates, as permitted by section 2.30.360(c) of the City’s municipal code, to complete the condition assessment for the project to support grant funding and identify cost saving opportunities. Staff evaluated TJC and Associates’ qualifications and determined the firm qualified for the first phase of the project with sufficient capacity and proper engineering licenses to render the services. Results of the Condition Assessment Project Phase (1) will inform the final design and improvements phases of the Water Tank Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation (WS-09000) project. 1 Public Link to Solicitation: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo-alto-ca/projects/67117/
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for the contract is funded through the Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Water Tank Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation (WS-09000) Capital Project.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The key stakeholders for this project include the Utilities Department, Fire Department, Office of Emergency Services, and Administrative Services. Engagement strategies include coordination meetings among various City departments and working groups involved with hazard mitigation, grant funding, and infrastructure planning.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review under sections 15061(b)(2) and (b)(3) because the proposed actions to assess conditions and prepare a seismic analysis have no potential to result in physical impacts on the environment and because the Dahl and Park Tanks project, which the proposed action relates to, was previously evaluated under CEQA prior to approval and was found to be categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing public facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use) and Section 15302 (replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of capacity).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: TJC and Associates, Contract C26194191
APPROVED BY:
Alan Kurotori, Director Utilities
Staff: Patrick LaBruzzo P.E., Principal Engineer, Water, Gas and Wastewater Engineering