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DISCUSSION
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: October 18, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Charles E. McNeely; Interim City Manager;
Ernesto Salinas, Acting Director of Public Works, Operations, and Maintenance
Department: Public Works
Subject: Amendment No. 1 to Memorandum of Understanding for Temporary License between the City of San Bernardino
and the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and Southern California Gas Company; and Approve a Task
Order for Design Services for the Cross Street Bridge
Emergency Replacement (Ward 2)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for the Temporary License between the City of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino City Unified School District and Southern California Gas Company (“SoCal Gas”) for use of property on Fairfax Elementary School; and
2. Authorize the Agency Director of Administrative Services to approve a task order for design services to the City’s on-call consultant, IMEG Consultants Corp., in the amount of $190,190 for the Cross Street Bridge Emergency Replacement project.
Executive Summary
There are two actions requested in this staff report.
(1) Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the current MOU is a crucial step as it allows for the temporary use of Fairfax Elementary School's property for the installation of a temporary utility gas line. This is a required step before the demolition of the Cross Street Bridge.
(2) Authorize the Agency Director of Administrative Servies to approve a task order for design services by IMEG Consultants Corp., the City's on-call consultant, for the final design and permitting activities for the new Cross Street bridge 1 6
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construction.
These two actions will ensure successful completion of the project, with efficient temporary utility services and a seamless transition to bridge construction, benefiting the City of San Bernardino and its residents.
Background
In late February 2023, the vehicular bridge located at 1367 Cross Street was condemned due to fire damage. Subsequently, the bridge was closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Given the emergency nature of the situation, the City's on-call consultant, IMEG, was promptly issued a task order for conducting structural assessments and preliminary design work, in accordance with City Municipal Code, Section 3.04.030.
The bridge is situated over the flood control channel and serves as the sole access point to a small residential neighborhood. The condemnation of the bridge following the fire incident resulted in a total loss of access, including for emergency services, to the neighborhood, creating an urgent situation. In response to these conditions, the City evaluated available options and determined that the open field within the northeastern part of the adjacent property belonging to Fairfax Elementary School, could be utilized to establish a temporary access route from East 17th Street to North Fairfax Drive. With the cooperation of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), a temporary access road was constructed that connects North Fairfax Drive to East 17th Street through the school property. Access was promptly provided upon the bridge's closure.
On April 19, 2023, the City Council officially approved an MOU between the SBCUSD and the City to allow temporary access until the restoration of the bridge.
Discussion
The Cross Street Bridge spans the Del Rosa Channel, which is operated and maintained by the San Bernardino County Flood Control District (SBCFCD).
Consequently, the City is required to obtain a permit for the construction of the newly proposed bridge. The City has collaborated with the (SBCFCD) and has submitted the proposed plans for permit issuance.
The bridge replacement requires the removal and replacement of utilities currently situated within the existing bridge. The City has coordinated efforts with the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department (SBMWD) and the SoCal Gas Company to facilitate the relocation of their existing utilities from the bridge. To meet the permit requirements set forth by the San Bernardino County Fire Department (SBCFD), the existing gas line must be relocated before proceeding with the demolition.
A task order in the amount of $190,190 is being requested with IMEG Consultants Corp., the City's on-call consultant, for the final design and permitting activities for 1 6
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the new Cross Street bridge construction under the City Manger’s authority.
Proposed Plan to Address the Bridge
As part of their initial scope, IMEG conducted a review of the site conditions and presented a two-phase strategy for establishing a permanent access solution to the neighborhood served by the Cross Street Bridge.
Originally, IMEG was authorized to proceed with an analysis aimed at rehabilitating the existing bridge. However, after conducting field inspections and in-depth structural investigations, it became evident that replacing the bridge would be a more cost-effective solution than attempting to rehabilitate the aging bridge.
The design for the bridge replacement includes additional elements that were not initially covered in IMEG's original scope and the associated fee of $88,750.
IMEG will be responsible for developing construction plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) for the planned bridge replacement. Furthermore, their scope of work will encompass bid support and construction assistance as well.
SoCal Gas will oversee the design and replacement of the gas line separately. This necessitates an amendment to the existing MOU between the City and the SBCUSD to include SoCal Gas. The City has worked in cooperation with SoCal Gas, and they have agreed to enter into an MOU with both the City and the SBCUSD.
To minimize ongoing disruption to Fairfax Elementary School and to return the school property to its original state, staff and IMEG are working to complete the bridge design and permitting so that the construction phase can begin as soon as possible.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
This project is consistent with Key Strategic Target and Goal No. 2b: Focused, Aligned Leadership and Unified Community - Evaluate operations and performance, investment in resources, technology, and tools to continually improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Approval of this amendment will assist the City with establishing multiagency partnerships and restructure governmental relationships to meet shared goals while appropriately utilizing public school spaces for educational and community purposes.
Fiscal Impact
There is no additional fiscal impact to the General Fund with this action. Sufficient funding is available in the project budget to complete design services. The Mayor and City Council approved a $1,000,000 budget amendment for the project construction in FY 2022/23 and this amount will be carried over into FY 2023/24. 1 6
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Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for the Temporary License between the City of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino City Unified School District and Southern California Gas Company (“SoCal Gas”) for use of property on Fairfax Elementary School; and
1. Authorize the Agency Director of Administrative Services to approve a task order for design services to the City’s on-call consultant, IMEG Consultants Corp., in the amount of $190,190 for Cross Street Bridge Emergency Replacement project.
Attachments
Attachment 1 MOU with SBCUSD Amendment No. 1
Attachment 2 Original MOU with SBCUSD
Attachment 3 Design Services Agreement with IMEG
Attachment 4 Scope of Work, IMEG
Ward:
Second Ward
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
April 19, 2023 Ratify Memorandum of Understanding for Temporary License between the City of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino City Unified School District and Southern California Gas Company.