TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Amber Shah, Parks & Public Works Director/City Engineer DATE: November 13, 2024
SUBJECT: AWARD OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT TO
NICHOLS CONSULTING ENGINEERS FOR THE
PREPARATION OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS AND COST
ESTIMATES FOR THE DESIGN OF COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) FUNDED FY 2024-
25 ADA SIDEWALK CURB RAMP PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT
OF $47,195
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Fiscally Responsible and Transparent City Government
Safe Community
Well-Maintained Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is a program that supports community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities. CDBG’s primary objectives are to fund projects or programs that benefit low and moderate income individuals as well as aid in preventing neighborhood deterioration. Public improvements to infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, etc. are also eligible provided that they provide assistance to those with special needs, including making the improvements accessible to persons with disabilities.
Each funding cycle, HUD provides funds to the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), who in turn provides funds to municipalities for eligible projects. Over the past few years, the City has worked with LACDA Steven W. Huang, DDS, Mayor
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Vice Mayor
Tony Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
Steve Talt, Council Member
to identify eligible projects for CDBG funding. While a small portion of CDBG funding (approximately $10,000) is utilized by the Community Services Department for Senior Outreach Programs, the City has $350,406 in funds available for an eligible project that are required to be spent prior to the funds’ expiration on June 30, 2025.
Staff have identified an eligible project to utilize the CDBG funds. The City has numerous sidewalk curb ramps that are in poor condition and/or currently out of compliance with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards. As such, the City has identified a project to construct twenty-one (21) ADA-compliant curb ramps to provide accessible paths of travel for pedestrians with disabilities. All of the identified curb ramps are located along Huntington Drive, which incurs frequent pedestrian traffic. LACDA has approved the use of CDBG funds for this specific project.
DISCUSSION
The first step of the process to complete the project is to select a firm to design the project and complete the project’s plans, specifications, and cost estimates. As such, on October 4, 2024, the Department invited qualified, interested firms via the City’s electronic procurement platform to submit proposals for professional civil engineering services to prepare plans and specifications for the CDBG ADA-Compliant Sidewalk Curb Ramp Project.
The City received two (2) proposals for the engineering and design of the project on October 24, 2024. California Government Code 4526 prescribes selection of architectural and engineering services to be based on demonstrated competence and professional qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the services required and does not authorize the selection of professional architectural and engineering services based on cost.
After carefully reviewing the qualifications, experience, and understanding of our scope of work, as well as completing interviews with both firms that submitted proposals, the Department recommends awarding a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE) in the amount of $47,195. NCE has extensive experience working on capital improvement projects for municipalities, including numerous curb/sidewalk ramp projects and several projects involving ADA compliant construction and/or projects utilizing CDBG funds. Furthermore, NCE also has experience working with the City, as they have provided design and construction support services for multiple cycles of the City’s Street Rehabilitation Program. Given their experience level and qualifications, as well as their familiarity with San Marino, staff believes they are the most well-suited firm for this project.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
The adopted FY 2024-25 Capital Improvement Program budget includes $217,000 in CDBG funds for the totality of the project, including both the design and construction phases of the work. Following the budget’s adoption, staff was informed the City would receive an additional $133,406 in CDBG funding eligible for use on this project thereby increasing the total available budget to $350,406.
The cost for NCE’s design work for this project is $47,195. Sufficient funds are available in the project account to complete this portion of the work.
Additionally, staff has confirmed with the City’s liaison at LACDA that the entirety of the project design cost is eligible to be paid for with CDBG funds.
The Finance Director has reviewed the staff report for compliance with San Marino City Code §02.06.05.B.5.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council award a Professional Services Agreement to NCE in the amount of $47,195 to prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates for the Community Development Block Grant funded FY 2024-25 ADA Sidewalk Curb Ramp Project. Staff also recommends the budget appropriations to account for the additional CDBG funding expected in FY 2024-25 for this project. The budget appropriations necessary are an increase to revenue account #204-00-3201-0650 in the amount of $133,406 and an increase to expenditure account #204-48-4600-9272 in the amount of $133,406. If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
“I move to award a Professional Services Agreement to NCE in the amount of $47,195 to prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates for the Community Development Block Grant funded FY 2024-25 ADA Sidewalk Curb Ramp Project, authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement on behalf of the City, and approve budget appropriations necessary.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposal from NCE
2. List/Map of ADA Sidewalk Ramp Locations
3. Draft Professional Design Services Agreement with NCE