CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: June 15, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
TITLE: ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. __-26 REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR THE
CITY HALL POND AND FOUNTAIN REHABILITATION PROJECT,
PROJECT NO. 01-24; AND DIRECTING STAFF TO MODIFY THE BID DOCUMENTS AND RE-BID THE PROJECT USING DESIGN OPTION 1
SYNOPSIS
City staff recently opened bids for the City Hill Pond and Fountain Rehabilitation Project, Project No. 01-24. The responsive low bidder was over three times greater than the construction budget.
The purpose of this item is to consider adopting a resolution rejecting all bids; and directing staff to modify the bid documents and re-bid the project.
DISCUSSION
Background
Constructed in 1991, the Pleasant Hill City Hall consists of three structures, including a two-story office building, council chamber, a single-story community room, and a water feature. In 2018, the City hired an outside consultant to perform a building assessment study and several components of City Hall have been selected for renovation and/or replacement; including the existing pond, fountain, and walkway.
The existing concrete lined pond was last serviced in 2010 and currently suffers from poor water quality, proliferation of algae and sediment. Additionally, the mechanical equipment needs to either be serviced, cleaned and/or replaced. The existing fountain conveys hard and abrasive well water that has caused extensive damage to the fountain’s tile by removing most of the grout and protective coating of the tiles, creating an unattractive appearance to the water feature. The original plaza/donor memorial walkway is comprised of concrete and decorative tiles and overtime the elastomeric seal along the tile edges has failed, allowing water to settle beneath the tiles causing them to crack/break, creating a tripping hazard.
The City Hall Pond and Fountain Rehabilitation Project is an approved project in the FY 2024/2029 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
On October 2, 2023, per Resolution No. 70-23, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute a Design Professional Services agreement with Robert Nebolon Architects (consultant) for several different conceptual renovation proposals that would illustrate needed updates to the pond and fountain area based on project cost. On February 26, 2024, at a regularly scheduled meeting, the City Council reviewed the below conceptual design options (see Attachment B):
Design Option 1: Includes fountain and plaza tile replacement, minor fountain plumbing upgrades and replacement. The koi fish, turtles, and marine life will remain in current locations, the presence of which continues to present ongoing challenges relative to degradation of plumbing systems and general maintenance.
Design Option 2: Includes the design features and improvements from Option 1 above, though Option 2 separates the koi fish, turtle, and marine life into a split system where the existing pond will become an urban ornamental “lake” and the marine life will be transferred to the new “koi pond.” The separation of these elements will improve water quality, extend the life of plumbing infrastructure, and address some of the existing maintenance challenges.
The City Council expressed interest in separating the water bodies into two systems and directed staff to pursue the PS&E services for Design Option 2 and appointed an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee consisting of Councilmember Susan Noack and Councilmember Zac Shess to assist staff in finalizing the project design.
On April 15, 2024, per Resolution No. 26-24 the City Council awarded a Design Professional Services Agreement to Robert Nebolon Architects for the PS&E for the City Hall Pond and Fountain Rehabilitation Project. The project was put out to public bid in August 2024. Three bids were received and publicly read on October 9, 2024, and the project was awarded to the contractor with the lowest bid at the December 2, 2024 City Council meeting. The chosen contractor declined to execute the project agreement, which required legal action that prevented staff from rebidding the project until this time.
Analysis
The Notice Inviting Bids was sent to the construction exchanges on May 1, 2026, and the Project was advertised in the Contra Costa Times newspaper on May 8, 2026. One bid was received and publicly read on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Engineering Division Counter at City Hall.
Per project bid documents, the City will base the project award on the lowest responsive, responsible bid, or reject all bids. The following table summarizes the bid amounts. The low bid is marked in bold.
Company Total Base Bid
1. Buhler Commercial $8,698,744
The bid received by the lowest responsive bidder, Buhler Commercial, is approximately three times greater than the construction budget.
Several unit prices received were very high, especially those involving concrete work. The items that consumed most of the bid were concrete work, the new pedestrian walkway, water features, chlorination, and selective demolition. Additionally, the demolition and excavation associated with creating the new koi pond area were more expensive than expected. It was also noted that the aquatics subcontractor costs were particularly high, indicating that the specialized water feature equipment and installation represent a significant portion of the project budget.
City staff met with the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on May 28, 2026, to discuss next steps in response to the bid results and the current condition of the pond and fountain. Based on the current project budget and bid received on May 27, staff and the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee are recommending that the City reject all bids, reduce the project scope, and rebid the project under Design Option 1. If this approach is approved, the project will go out to bid in August of this year.
Staff met with Robert Nebolon Architects on June 4, 2026, to discuss a path forward with Design Option 1. Robert Nebolon concluded that the costs associated with separating the two ponds entirely added a significant cost to the project, and that removing this portion from the scope will help ensure that future bids will land within the $2.2 million budget. This revised concept also anticipates additional cost savings through the reduction of fountain-related improvements.
FISCAL IMPACT
The FY 2024/2029 CIP approved a total construction budget of $2,188.697. The project is funded by ARPA funds, ADA Improvement Program, the Sidewalk Maintenance Program, and Measure K dollars. Awarding the construction contract to Buhler Commercial for $8,698,744 would result in a substantial funding gap that cannot be accommodated within the approved CIP budget.
If the project is rebid using Design Option 1, staff anticipates that construction costs will align with the available project budget.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public Contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department. The agenda and staff report are posted on the City’s web page.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Move to adopt the proposed resolution rejecting all bids for the City Hall Pond and Fountain Rehabilitation Project, Project No. 01-24; and direct staff to modify the bid documents and re-bid the project using Design Option 1.
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDED ACTION
Council may wish to direct staff to keep the current scope of work, re-bid at a later time, and identify other available funding.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Proposed Resolution
Attachment A Site Review and Concept Proposal
Prepared by: Laetitia Porta, Senior Civil Engineer
Reviewed by: Ann James, Public Works Director
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager