City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.E
1 of 5
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Architecture Services Subject: Award Bid SP2710 and Construction Agreement to RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. for Phase 1 of the 19th Street Community Garden Project
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award Bid #SP2710 to RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. for construction services for Phase 1 of the 19th Street Community Garden Project for the Department of Public Works; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $355,000 (including a 10% contingency).
Summary
Phase 1 of the 19th Street Community Garden Project (Project) would secure and prepare the City-owned vacant parcel located at 2018 19th Street for general accessibility, including grading, a new pathway, and new walls/fencing, before developing and integrating the community garden aspect in a future phase 2. Staff recommends awarding the contract for phase 1 construction of the Project to RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $355,000 (including a 10% contingency). The Project is funded with Council-approved FY 2023-24 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds. Construction would begin in spring 2025 and be completed within five months.
2 of 5
Discussion
The City of Santa Monica’s Community Garden Program includes five community garden locations with rental garden plots and/or communally grown gardens. The Pico Neighborhood is currently home to one communally-grown garden at Ishihara Park.
This Project would provide the Pico Neighborhood with its second communally-grown garden. Community Gardens are a source of pride for the community and provide active living opportunities for residents to engage in urban agriculture and create unique, biodiverse habitats that support efforts to be a Sustainable City through local food production, sustainable land stewardship, community composting, water conservation practices, and community engagement. This garden will ensure all residents in the area have an opportunity to participate in the urban agriculture as community volunteers.
Communally-grown gardens do not have individual rental garden plots and thus will not reduce our current rental waitlist.
Using a combination of FY 2019-20 General Funds and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds, the City purchased the vacant land parcel located at 2018 19th Street to develop the space into a beneficial resource informed by community engagement in service of Pico Neighborhood residents. On May 9, 2023, the City approved FY 2023-24 CDBG funds for phase 1 development (design and construction) of the Project. Currently fenced and inaccessible, phase 1 improvements focus on securing and preparing the site for general accessibility use, including but not limited to grading, water and sewer connections, a new pathway, and new walls/fencing, before developing and integrating the community garden aspect in a future phase 2. Phase 2 development, which will also be funded by CDBG, would include the necessary infrastructure to support a community garden, including raised garden beds, seating, Southern California Edison service connection, and lighting. With the completion of phase 2, the parcel would be transformed into a valuable amenity serving the Pico Neighborhood community while also adding an additional garden to the City's Community Garden Program.
Vendor Selection
3 of 5
Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Bid Price, Experience & Technical Competence, Added Value Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Submittals Received
Vendor Total
(base bid and alternate bids)
RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. $321,643.00 Bayview Construction, Inc. $343,406.55
GC Landscaping and General Construction $350,446.00
ADA General Engineering, Inc. $380,570.00
KASA Construction, Inc. $519,435.00
Bid Data
Date
Posted Posted On Advertise In(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
11/13/2024 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press 82 12/30/2024
Best Bidder Justification
On November 13, 2024, the City issued a formal Request for Bids (RFB) to obtain construction services for phase 1 of the Project. The City received a total of five construction bids. An evaluation team composed of Architecture Services and Office of Sustainability and the Environment staff evaluated the bids and recommend RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. as the best and lowest bidder for the price, training, experience, and efficiency consistent with City requirements.
Environmental Review
The bid award for phase 1 of the Project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15304 (Minor Alterations in Land) of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15304 provides exemption of minor public or private alterations in the condition of land and/or vegetation. The project would make minor improvements to the vacant parcel at 2018 19th Street, including grading, a new pathway, and new walls/fencing. Therefore, the project qualifies for exemption under Section 15304. In addition, none of the exceptions specified in Section 15300.2 of CEQA Guidelines would apply that preclude the use of this CEQA exemption. The project site is not located in a sensitive environment, would not have a significant effect on the environment, would not damage scenic resources, 4 of 5
would not be located on a hazardous waste site, and would not cause a change to historic resources. Therefore, this project is categorically exempt from CEQA.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
04/28/20
(Attachment A)
Approval of Master Services Agreement for Architectural, Structural Engineering, and Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Design Services
05/09/23
(Attachment B)
Approval of FY 2023-24 Annual Action Plan – 19th Street Parcel Development: Phase I
06/27/23
(Attachment C)
FY 23-25 Biennial Capital Improvement Program Budget –
Addendum to FY 22-24 CIP Budget – 19th Street Open Space Project - Phase 1
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the CDBG Fund to award a contract to RAMCO General Engineering Contractors, Inc. for construction services for phase 1 of the Project.
Funding Source FY 2024-25
Request Amount CIP Account #
Total Contract
Amount
CDBG Fund $355,000 C1908820.689000 $355,000
Total $355,000 $355,000
Prepared By: Yukiko Takahashi, Architectural Associate
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. April 28, 2020 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. May 9, 2023 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. June 27, 2023 Staff Report (Web Link)
5 of 5
D. RAMCO - Oaks
E. RAMCO - Levine Act