October 17, 2023
Public Works
DATE: October 17, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works
Wendy Wellbrock, PE, Senior Civil Engineer
Subject:
Sole-Source Contract with The Watershed Project for the Flood Risk Reduction in the Rheem Creek Watershed
Project
FINANCIAL IMPACT: This contract is funded by a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency and the General Capital Fund
(Account strings: 20136031-400201-22A02 and
40623431-400201-22A02)
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
City Council adopted Resolution 83-21 on July 6, 2021,
approving the application for grant funds and authorizing the City Manager, or their designee, to execute
agreements with project partners to complete the project.
City Council adopted Resolution 81-23 on July 11, 2023, authorizing the award of a construction contract with UST Services, Inc. for the first phase of construction.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Watershed Project has been assisting the City with
the Rheem Creek project since 2019 and is uniquely
suited to carry out project management services for the re-vegetation phase of the Flood Risk Reduction in the
Rheem Creek Watershed Project.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a sole-source professional services contract
with The Watershed Project in an amount not to exceed
$364,183 to support the City in implementing the tasks
for the grant-funded Flood Risk Reduction in the Rheem
Creek Watershed Project, for a term beginning August 1, 2023, through November 15, 2026 – Public Works
Department (Daniel Chavarria/Wendy Wellbrock 510-
307-8108).
AGENDA
REPORT
October 17, 2023
For over 20 years, the Fairmede neighborhood of Richmond and adjacent unincorporated Rollingwood neighborhood have suffered from flooding related to overflows from Rheem Creek. In 2019, the City collaborated with American Rivers, the Watershed Project, Restoration Design Group, and other local partners to complete technical studies and prepare community-supported plans to solve flooding issues along Rheem Creek. That project, funded by a $274,515 grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy, included a topographic survey, 65 percent design drawings, a maintenance & monitoring plan, and permits submitted to the appropriate regulatory agencies. Project partners also did extensive community outreach to survey residents about their experience of the flooding and what they would like to see in the construction project. Due to COVID-19 closures, some of the in-person outreach was replaced with the creation of a “storybook” to visualize the history and future of the creek. This planning and design project made the City well prepared to seek implementation grants.
In June of 2020, the City, along with the above-mentioned partners, submitted an application to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) Urban Flood Protection Grant Program requesting grant funding for final design and project implementation for a restoration project. Construction of the proposed restoration project will reduce flooding by removing invasive species and excessive sediment, grading a geomorphically stable channel, and planting native riparian vegetation to improve creek habitat. The grant application defines the Project Team as the City, The Watershed Project, Restoration Design Group, and American Rivers.
On July 6, 2021, City Council adopted Resolution 83-21, approving the application for grant funds and authorizing the City Manager, or designee, to execute agreements with project partners to complete the project. On September 7, 2021, CNRA awarded the City grant funding in the amount of $1,598,844 for the Flood Risk Reduction in the Rheem Creek Watershed Project, and on April 19, 2022, the City received a fully executed Grant Agreement number UF8814-0 for the project.
The first phase of construction includes the removal of invasive species, clearing vegetation, excavating sediment and grading of approximately 1,200 lineal feet of the Rheem Creek channel; and replacement of two storm drain outfalls that convey street runoff to the creek. On July 11, 2023, City Council adopted Resolution 81-23, authorizing the award of a construction contract to UST Services, Inc. for this phase of construction. Construction is anticipated to commence in mid-September of 2023.
October 17, 2023
The second and final phase involves the installation and establishment of riparian trees and native planting along the regraded channel. The Watershed Project (TWP) will assist with project management for this re-vegetation scope of work of the Flood Risk Reduction in the Rheem Creek Watershed Project. TWP will execute subcontracts with Urban Tilth, a project partner named in the grant application, for riparian plant propagation, installation, and plant establishment (Attachment 4). From the CNRA Grant, $306,889 is reserved for the re-vegetation scope of work and $57,294 will be funded from the General Capital Fund.
The Watershed Project is uniquely suited to this work due to their previous and ongoing participation in the project, as well as their extensive experience in the restoration and preservation of the distinctive ecosystems that make up the San Francisco Bay. TWP has the local expertise, and they are familiar with the specific grant requirements.
Therefore, City staff is requesting the City Council authorize a sole-source contract with TWP.
Environmental Documentation
The proposed project was determined to be categorically exempt per CEQA Guidelines Section 15333, Small Habitat Restoration Project. The project area is less than one acre and would not pose an adverse impact to endangered, rare, or threatened species or their habitat, will not disturb hazardous materials, and will not result in significant impacts.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Contract
Attachment 3 – Sole Source Justification
Attachment 4 – Scope of Work