TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Clifford G. Finley, Public Works Director
DATE:April 8, 2025
SUBJECT: Unit W Wastewater Interceptor Improvements (CI 5445) RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve Ninth Amendment to Professional Services Contract No. 12186-2019 with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) of Bakersfield, CA, for Professional Landscape Architecture Design Services for the Hill Canyon Treatment Plan (HCTP) Unit W Wastewater Interceptor Improvements Project (CI 5445) in the amount of $72,400, for a revised not-to-exceed amount of $550,649, plus extra services of $7,200.
2. Approve budget appropriation in the amount of $79,600 from A/C #624-0000- 341-9900 (Wastewater Fund, Net Position) to A/C #624-8220-682-8300 (Unit W Interceptor Improvements Project CI 5445).
3. Authorize expense in the amount of $79,600 ($72,400 for the Ninth Amendment plus extra services of $7,200) from A/C #624-8220-682-8300 (Wastewater Capital Fund Improvements, CI 5445).
4. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was approved for this project by City Council on February 22, 2022.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: Yes
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
$79,600 Increase to Adopted FY 2024-25 Wastewater Fund Capital Budget. A $79,600 budget increase is requested for the Unit W Interceptor Improvements Project (CI 5445). $4,974,587 in total carryover budget is included in FY 2024-25 Wastewater Capital Fund Budget. Additional funding for future habitat restoration costs will be requested at the time of habitat restoration contract award depending on bids received.
Unit W Wastewater Interceptor Improvements (CI 5445)
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BACKGROUND:
The City’s HCTP provides tertiary-level wastewater treatment for the community. As part of the overall wastewater collection and treatment system, large-diameter wastewater interceptor pipelines were installed to transport the wastewater from the community and deliver it to the HCTP. The Unit W Wastewater Interceptor is a gravity collection pipeline that originates near the Oaks Mall and transports a large volume of wastewater along the Arroyo Conejo Creek to the HCTP (Attachment #1).
The Unit W pipeline was installed in the 1960s, and improvements have been made over the decades. In the lower portion of the interceptor, the original 1960s Unit W pipeline consisted of a 30-inch diameter pressurized pipeline with two major wastewater access structures (Structure W-1 and Structure W/F). The structures enable staff to control and access the wastewater interceptors. The CI 5445 project involves important rehabilitation of Unit W, some of the City’s largest and most essential wastewater interceptor pipelines. The improvements will help prolong the life of current assets and reduce overall risks and maintenance costs for these critical pipelines. This portion of wastewater interceptor pipeline is nearing the end of its service life, is located deep in the canyon, and is difficult to access.
The project’s scope of work includes exposing and reviewing the existing condition of the two main pipelines towards the south headworks at the HCTP, which includes approximately 5,000 feet of 20- to 42-inch diameter pipes. This project also includes replacing non-functioning isolation valves, installation of several additional new structures to gain access to the existing pipelines, installation of a temporary bypass pipeline, and closed-circuit television work inside the existing pipelines to evaluate their condition. The condition assessment of the existing facilities included with this project is the first phase of a potential two-phase project.
After completing this phase and obtaining the necessary pipeline information, staff will evaluate the need for the second phase, which involves replacing any identified defective lining as part of CI 5681.
In May 2019, City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Padre Associates, Inc. (Padre) to prepare the required project regulatory permit applications as well as perform the environmental analysis for the project impacts and the CEQA compliant Initial Study/MND. As part of the regulatory permit process, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has required compensatory mitigation of the impacts associated with the project as described below. Preparation of a construction ready set of plans and specifications for the mitigation planting needs to be prepared.
Padre prepared the required project regulatory permit application packages from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, CDFW, and the US Army Corps of Unit W Wastewater Interceptor Improvements (CI 5445)
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Engineers. These regulatory permits are required due to the environmentally sensitive area of the project and the required construction work within the creek channel crossings and banks. In the CDFW permit, compensatory mitigation was required to offset the impacts of the construction project. The mitigation plan prepared by Padre consisted of planting native plant species in specific areas of the canyon and providing temporary irrigation for these plantings until they were established.
On August 27, 2019, City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with AECOM, a professional engineering firm, in the amount of $75,000 after a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the preparation of an initial asset assessment of the Unit W Pipeline Project. The initial asset assessment was the first part of a larger overall scope of design and engineering work that was included in the RFP, which included a progressive design package release approach, and was therefore followed by larger and more detailed design and engineering packages.
To date, a total of eight amendments have been processed for progressive releases of design and construction phases, as well as time extensions for a current revised not-to-exceed amount of $478,249, plus extra services of $43,860 In May 2020, a first amendment was approved as a time extension by the City Manager. A second amendment was approved by City Council on January 26, 2021, to add $178,500 for the main design phase services. The third amendment was approved in October 2021 by the City Manager to extend the agreement to June 30, 2022. A fourth amendment was approved by the City Manager in June 2022 to add $13,249 for additional design services. A fifth amendment was approved in May 2023 by the City Manager to extend the agreement to December 31, 2024, as a result of the need to re-bid the project. A sixth amendment was approved by City Council on July 11, 2023, to add $31,000 for value engineering and design modifications to help improve pricing for construction bids. A seventh amendment was approved by City Council on February 27, 2024, to add construction phase services in the amount of $133,600. The eighth amendment was approved by City Council on February 11, 2025, to add additional construction phase services in the amount of $46,900.
On February 11, 2025, City Council awarded the construction contract for the main condition assessment phase of the project to Toro Enterprises, Inc. in the amount of $3,440,000. The construction phase of the project will begin in April 2025, and is expected to be fully completed by late 2025.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Developing a set of construction ready plans and specifications for the landscape and habitat restoration is required to implement the conceptual mitigation Unit W Wastewater Interceptor Improvements (CI 5445)
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plan. The documents will specifically outline the plant material, planting plan, irrigation plan, materials, and products. Once completed, the compiled plans and specifications will be advertised for prospective contractors to bid and execute the required regulatory mitigation work to be performed right after the end of the construction phase of the project.
AECOM is the project engineer of record and will provide design support services during the construction of the project. AECOM is intimately familiar with the entire project and has available staff in their organization qualified to prepare the plans and specifications for the mitigation planting plan and irrigation system, which will help complete the work seamlessly. These design services will include the preparation of approximately 16 sheets of plans, technical specifications, and an opinion of probable construction cost. Deliverables will be submitted to the City for review at the 50 percent, 90 percent, and final stages. Additionally, the scope of work includes the following: responding to bid phase requests for information, preparing bid phase addenda, reviewing the landscape contractor bids, and providing a recommendation.
Staff recommends approval of the Ninth Amendment to Contract No. 12186-2019 with AECOM for $72,400 (Attachment #2), plus additional extra services of $7,200 for a revised not-to-exceed amount of $550,649. The estimated overall project cost breakdown is as follows:
Design and Environmental Support (previously approved) $ 514,817 Design and Engineering Extra Services (previously approved) $ 47,520 Engineering & Project Management Support (previously approved) $ 125,000 Isolation Valves Equipment (previously approved) $ 68,129 Unit W Construction Contract (previously approved) $3,440,000 Unit W Construction Contingency (previously approved) $ 344,000 Construction Phase Support Services (previously approved) $ 46,900 Const. Phase Support Extra Services (previously approved) $ 4,690 Construction Phase Environmental Monitoring (previously approved) $ 2,805 City Furnished Supplies and Materials (previously approved) $ 5,000 Bank LOC for CDFW Permit Obligations (previously approved) $ 550,000 Fee for Bank Letter of Credit for CDFW (previously approved) $ 22,000 Plug Valves Equipment Purchase (previously approved) $ 126,655 Habitat Restoration Mitigation Design Services (this action) $ 72,400 Habitat Restoration Mitigation Extra Services (this action) $ 7,200 Total Estimated Costs (through Current Actions) $5,377,116 Permitting and Inspection: CDFW (future) $ 25,000
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Habitat Restoration as required by CDFW (future) $ 550,000 Total Estimated Project Costs (including future actions) $5,952,116 The construction phase of the project is anticipated to start by early Summer 2025 and be completed by late 2025. The design of the habitat restoration mitigation plan and specifications is anticipated to be completed by Summer 2025 with the habitat restoration construction taking place from late 2025 through Spring 2026.
Environmental Review
As required under the provisions set forth in Section 15063 of the CEQA Guidelines, the City prepared an Initial Study for the Wastewater Interceptor Capital Improvement Project Unit W (CI 5445). The Initial Study evaluated the potential effects of this project on the environment. Although the Initial Study determined that the project could have a potentially significant impact on the environment for certain receptors, the project design will reduce potential impacts, and feasible mitigation measures have been identified that would either avoid or reduce impact to a level of insignificance or less than significant with mitigation. Based on these findings, a MND and Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Plan was prepared for the proposed project in compliance with the provisions set forth in Section 15070 of the CEQA Guidelines. On February 22, 2022, City Council adopted the construction project MND.
This project meets City Council’s Top Ten Priorities #7, “Public Works + Infrastructure Investments.”
Community Outreach: This project will be limited to work in the canyon adjacent to the HCTP where the Unit W pipelines are located and is not expected to impact neighboring residences. The work will be at the south end of the plant and will have limited impact to plant operation. Construction related impacts to hiking trail users will be minimal.
CIP PROJECT PRIORITY (as outlined in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 CIP Program Budget)
Priority Two – Necessary, but not essential, and there could be consequences if deferred.
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LEVINE ACT (California Government Code § 84308):
This item is subject to the Levine Act. City Councilmembers who have received a campaign contribution of more than $500 (aggregated) within the preceding 12 months from a party or their agent/representative, or a financially-interested participant involved in this proceeding may do either of the following: (1) disclose the contribution on the record and recuse themselves from this proceeding; or if applicable (2) return the portion of the contribution that exceeds $500 within 30 days from the time the official knew or should have known about the contribution, and participate in the proceeding.
All parties and their agents/representatives must disclose on the record of this proceeding any aggregated contribution of more than $500 made to any Councilmember within the preceding 12 months. Councilmembers are prohibited from accepting, soliciting, or directing a campaign contribution of more than $500 (aggregated) from a party, their agent/representative, or a financially-interested participant during a proceeding and for 12 months following the date a final decision is made. In addition, a party, their agent/representative, or a financially- interested participant is prohibited from contributing more than $500 (aggregated) to a Councilmember during a proceeding and for 12 months following the date a final decision is made. The updated Levine Act Form for AECOM is included as Exhibit C-1 to the Amendment (Attachment #2).
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
F. Provide and enhance essential infrastructure to ensure that the goals and policies of the Thousand Oaks General Plan are carried out and the City retains its role and reputation as a leader in protecting the environment and preserving limited natural resources.
PREPARED BY: Paul Weinstein, Associate Analyst
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Vicinity and Location Maps
Attachment #2 – Ninth Amendment to Contract No. 12186-2019 with AECOM Technical Services, Inc.
DPW: 850-20\ev\Council\2025\040825\CI 5445\ Unit W Interceptor Improvements staff report.docx