CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 6 Section Name: CONSENT CALENDAR Account Number: 10-4662 File ID: 25-10583 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: December 01, 2025
SUBJECT:
Marina Lagoon Pump Station Physical Hydraulic Model Study — Agreement RECOMMENDATION:
Approve an agreement with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Ltd. to provide professional design services for the Marina Lagoon Pump Station Physical Hydraulic Model Study project in the amount of $233,010; establish a contingency reserve in the amount of $34,900; and authorize the Public Works Director to execute the agreement in substantially the form presented, and execute any future amendments within the contingency amount, including no-cost term extension amendments.
BACKGROUND:
Marina Lagoon, originally known as Seal Slough, is an approximately four-mile-long water body that meanders through the City and functions as both a flood control and recreational facility. Flows within the lagoon are regulated by tide gates along the southern end and by the Marina Lagoon Pump Station at the northern end. Constructed in the mid-1980s, the station consists of five pumps used to regulate lagoon levels between elevations 97.0 feet and 95.0 feet, with the ability to draw the lagoon down to elevation 93.4 feet for maintenance.
Pump/engine system failures that occurred during the New Year’s Eve 2022 storm event prompted staff to evaluate the operations of the Marina Lagoon Pump Station. According to the pump manufacturer, the pumps at Marina Lagoon are not recommended to operate below elevation 95.0 feet. Pumping below this level can result in avoidable wear and operational issues with the equipment. Historically, staff pumped the Marina Lagoon to levels below 95.0 feet to provide an annual period during which residents with docks could perform maintenance while the water level was low; staff has ceased this practice upon learning the pump manufacturer’s recommendations.
In order to preserve the long-term flood control capability and to continue providing a maintenance period for dock residents, staff are seeking qualified engineering firms to evaluate the performance of the existing pumps to assess their efficiency and identify potential improvements to system operations. Given the size of the Marina Lagoon pumps, a physical hydraulic model is necessary to assess intake flow patterns and identify potential improvements to optimize pump efficiency and performance and determine if pumping below 95.0 feet is advisable.
On July 3, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional design services to perform the physical hydraulic model study. Two proposals were received by the due date of July 31, 2025. After scoring the proposals and subsequently conducting interviews, City staff determined that Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Ltd. was the most qualified firm due to their technical expertise and relevant experience. Therefore, staff recommends awarding a professional design services agreement to Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Ltd.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
BUDGET IMPACT:
Sufficient funds are available in the Storm Drain Condition Assessment (46w002) Project to award this agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This Project is categorically exempt from CEQA as an ”existing facility,” because it consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Agreement
STAFF CONTACT
Dominic Boneno, Associate Engineer
[email protected]
(650) 522-7341