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CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: December 3, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Lynn Merrill, Director of Public Works
Department: Public Works
Subject: Amendment No. 1 to the Design Services Agreement with Bell Design Group for the Norman F. Feldheym Public
Library Improvement Project in the Amount of $78,700 with a $28,100 Contingency (Ward 1)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Approve Amendment No.1 to the Design Services Agreement with Bell Design Group in the amount of $78,700 for the Norman F. Feldheym Public Library Improvement Project (Project), increasing the not to exceed amount to $397,700; and
2. Authorize additional contingencies for unforeseen conditions in the total amount of $28,100; and
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents with Bell Design Group; and
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to expend the contingency fund, if necessary, to complete the project.
City Manager's Comments
The City Manager recommends approval. These funds would be expended from the California State Library Building Forward available funds.
Executive Summary
Amending the Design Services Agreement for the Project would provide funding for 3 0
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additional services required to complete the plans, specifications, and cost estimates necessary for construction. The additional services are necessary to address deficiencies in the facility's entire HVAC system, which will need to be upgraded to meet building code requirements. Funding will be provided by the previously allocated California State Library Building Forward.
Background
The Norman F. Feldheym Public Library, located at 555 West 6th Street, is a critical resource for the community, especially for residents facing economic and linguistic barriers. Since its construction in 1985, the facility has seen minimal upgrades, leading to structural and operational deficiencies. The library suffers from leaking windows, outdated electrical wiring, a deteriorating foundation, and an inefficient HVAC system that fails to regulate temperatures effectively. Additionally, inadequate lighting contributes to excessive heat and high energy costs. The Feldheym Library Revitalization Project will address these issues through essential maintenance, energy efficiency upgrades, and modernization efforts to improve both digital and physical accessibility.
On December 6, 2023, the Mayor and City Council accepted a grant from the California State Library Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program in the amount of $6,409,370.00 to help fund the proposed improvements. To assist with the Project, a Task Order was approved on January 17, 2024 for project management services from Transtech Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $197,600.
On February 19, 2025, Bell Design Group (BDG) was awarded a Design Services Agreement to provide conceptual design, construction design, and construction support services in the amount of $319,000. An additional $31,900 was also allocated for contingencies.
Discussion
Additional services are necessary to complete the HVAC upgrades for the Project. Bell Design Group discovered that the existing HVAC chiller system was severely out of compliance with current code requirements. The approved scope involved mechanical engineering for replacement of existing fan coil units and adjacent connections.
However, due to the quantity of fan coil replacements the entire system will need to be updated to meet current code requirements.
BDG has therefore requested the approval of an additional scope and fee to address the items listed below:
• Upgrades to the chilled and hot water piping
• Upgrades to both the intake air and supply air ducting • Increase of boiler capacity
• Added electrical scope to replace units that are now required to be supplied with higher voltage
• Fire protection systems design within the ducting
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• Retrofit of the existing energy management system
To minimize potential delays, a portion of the additional work has been authorized using the existing contingency budget. However, an additional funding allocation of $49,800 is needed to complete the construction drawings, specifications, and cost estimate.
The original design fee for BDG was $319,000. At the time of award an additional $31,900 was authorized for use as a contingency budget. To date BDG has been authorized to use $28,900 of the contingency budget for additional services to complete an accessibility report and a portion of the HVAC design, bringing their total contract sum to $347,900.
Adding the additional scope and fee would increase the total design cost to $397,700.
Design Costs
Original Design Fee $319,000
Accessibility Assessment – (Authorized Contingency Use) $6,600 Additional HVAC Partial Scope and Fee – (Authorized Contingency Use) $22,300 Additional HVAC and Electrical Design Fee $49,800
Total Design Costs $397,700
The original not to exceed contract amount would be increased from $319,000 to $397,700 ($78,700 increase) to account for previously authorized contingency use, and the additional design fee.
Since the original contingency budget has been mostly expended, an additional $28,100 is recommended to increase the total contingency budget. In addition to the BDG design costs, $197,600 is encumbered for project management by Transtech Engineers, Inc., and $3,000 was used to complete an investigation on site by Construction Applied Engineering.
Project Budget
Grant Amount $6,409,370
BDG Design Cost ($397,700)
Original Contingency Remaining ($3,000)
Additional Contingency ($28,100)
Project Management Services (Transtech) ($197,600)
Construction Applied Engineering ($3,000)
Remaining Project Budget $5,779,970
After the additional services are completed, the design will be finalized and submitted to the City’s Building and Safety Department for review and approval. Once approved, the construction of the project will be advertised for bidding and awarded within approximately 90 days.
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2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
This Project is consistent with the City’s Key Strategic Target and Goal No. 2a:
Focused, Aligned Leadership and Unified Community – Build a culture that attracts, retains, and motivates the highest qualify talent and Goal No. 3c: Improved Quality of Life. - Evaluate and enhance the quality of public safety services. This Design Services Agreement will improve public services by ensuring that the Feldheym Library continues to meet the evolving needs of San Bernardino’s residents.
Fiscal Impact
There is no General Fund impact associated with this action. There is sufficient budget in FY 25/26 CIP Budget within the Building Forward Grant funds for this Amendment.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Approve Amendment No.1 to the Design Services Agreement with Bell Design Group in the amount of $78,700 for the Norman F. Feldheym Public Library Improvement Project (Project), increasing the not to exceed amount to $397,700; and
2. Authorize additional contingencies for unforeseen conditions in the total amount of $28,100; and
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents with Bell Design Group; and
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to expend the contingency fund, if necessary, to complete the project.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Amendment No. 1 to the Design Services Agreement with Bell Design Group.
Attachment 2 Design Services Agreement with Bell Design Group Attachment 3 Location Map
Ward:
First Ward
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
December 6, 2023 Acceptance of the California State Library Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program Grant Award for the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library Revitalization Project 3 0
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January 7, 2024 Task Order Issued to Transtech Engineers for Project Management Services for the San Bernardino Hope Campus
Project (Navigation Center) and Norman F. Feldheym Library Revitalization Projects. (Ward 1)
December 6, 2023 Award a Design Services Agreement to Bell Design Group for the Norman F. Feldheym Public Library Improvement Project in the amount of $319,000. (Ward 1)
CC: Eric Levitt, City Manager