8D
Date: September 15, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Alvin Papa, Public Works Director
By: Brenda Moun, Engineering Manager | [email protected] Subject: Public Works – Adopt Categorical Exemption Under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15301(c) - Existing Facilities (Class 1), Approve Specifications, Determine Lowest Bidder as Non-Responsive and Reject Bid, and Award Public Works Agreement for the Torrance School Safety and Accessibility Program, I-188 (Anza Elementary and Torrance Elementary). Expenditure:
$3,075,024 (Non-General Funds).
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Public Works Director that City Council:
1. Adopt a finding that the project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) – Existing Facilities (Class 1) and that there are no features that distinguish this project from others in exempt class, and therefore, there are no unusual circumstances; and
2. Approve specifications for the Torrance School Safety and Accessibility Program, I-188 (Anza Elementary and Torrance Elementary) (B2025-05); and
3. Determine that the bid received from the apparent low bidder PUB Construction, Inc. be deemed as non-responsive and reject bid; and
4. Accept the letter from the apparent second low bidder Environmental Construction, Inc. allowing them to withdraw their bid; and
5. Award a public works agreement to Gentry General Engineering, Inc., of Colton, CA (B2025-05) in the amount of $2,673,934 and authorize a 15% contingency in the amount of $401,090 for construction of the Torrance School Safety and Accessibility Program, I-188 (Anza Elementary and Torrance Elementary) for a two-year (2) period beginning September 15, 2026 and ending September 14, 2028.
FUNDING
Funding is available from the following Torrance School Safety and Accessibility Program, I-188 sources:
Funding Source Amount
Measure M Reimbursement Grant - Non-General Fund $ 2,642,675.57 Measure M Local Return - Non-General Fund $ 432,348.43 Total $ 3,075,024.00
1 City Council
September 15, 2026
DISCUSSION
Between 2019 and 2021, the City secured $7,185,000 in Measure M grant funds from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) for the Torrance School Safety and Accessibility Program, I-188. The City is required to provide $1,175,000 in matching funds (approximately 14%), which brings the total project budget to $8,360,000.
These funds will be used to make improvements in the neighborhoods surrounding six elementary schools: Anza Elementary, Carr Elementary, Fern Elementary, Seaside Elementary, Torrance Elementary, and Walteria Elementary. Each phase of the project will consist of two schools. The first phase focused on improvements near Fern Elementary School and Seaside Elementary School and construction was completed in May 2025.
The current second phase of the project focuses on the neighborhoods surrounding Anza Elementary School and Torrance Elementary School (Attachment 1). The work consists of improving the existing infrastructure to enhance safety and accessibility for students and other roadway users. More specifically, the improvements consist of localized replacement of damaged curb and gutter, sidewalks, driveways, cross-gutters, curb ramps, pruning parkway tree roots, removing and replacing parkway trees, signing and striping improvements, upgrading pedestrian pushbuttons and pedestrian signals, installing bicycle routes and updating signage, and installing bicycle racks.
The third phase will address the neighborhoods surrounding Carr Elementary School and Walteria Elementary School and is currently in design.
Categorical Exemption (CEQA)
Pursuant to CEQA Section 15301 (c), maintenance or repair of existing streets involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
Award of Public Works Agreement for Construction
The project was advertised for public bid on March 29, 2026 and April 1, 2026 in the Daily Breeze as B2025-05. A total of five (5) bids were received and opened via PlanetBids on April 29, 2026 with the following results:
Rank Vendor City State Bid Price
1 PUB Construction, Inc. ** Diamond Bar CA $2,346,767.28 2 Environmental Construction, Inc. *** Woodland Hills CA $2,590,992.00 3 Gentry General Engineering, Inc. * Colton CA $2,673,934.00 4 Calpromax Engineering Placentia CA $2,829,340.00
5 PALP dba Excel Paving Company Long Beach CA $3,578,861.00 *Lowest responsive bidder
**Non-responsive bidder
***Bid withdrawn
On April 30, 2026, the City received a letter from PUB Construction, Inc., requesting to withdraw its bid stating that, “it is in our best interested to withdraw our bid” and references “calculation errors in our demolition costs.” After review, the City did not accept the withdrawal as submitted 2 City Council
September 15, 2026
as it did not satisfy the requirements of Public Contract Code Section 5103: a bidder seeking relief from a bid after opening must establish, in writing and with sufficient detail, that an actual mistake occurred in the preparation of the bid, that the mistake was made in filling out the bid, that the mistake materially affected the bid, and that the mistake was not the result of error in judgment or carelessness. In addition, the City’s review did not identify any calculation error in the bid as submitted.
The City subsequently determined PUB Construction, Inc. should be considered non-responsive for the following reasons:
• PUB Construction, Inc. failed to include a licensed land surveyor in its subcontractor listing as required in the bidder’s submittal package;
• PUB Construction, Inc. submitted project references that did not demonstrate experience with projects of comparable magnitude, complexity, or scope as required in the bidder’s submittal package;
• PUB Construction, Inc. failed to meet the self-performance requirement that requires the contractor to perform more than 50 percent per the project specifications.
A letter informing PUB Construction, Inc. of the City’s determination was sent on May 27, 2026 (Attachment 2). No response has subsequently been received from PUB Construction, Inc.
Staff performed an evaluation of the apparent second lowest bidder, Environmental Construction, Inc. and confirmed them as the lowest responsive bidder. However, on August 6, 2026, five days prior to the scheduled award of contract, Environmental Construction, Inc. formally withdrew their bid since the City did not award the contract within the 60-day period per the Instructions to Bidders included in the Specifications (Attachment 3).
Staff performed an evaluation of the apparent third lowest bidder, Gentry General Engineering, Inc. and confirmed their bid documents, licensure, references, qualifications, performance history, and labor compliance records. Gentry General Engineering, Inc. has successfully completed several previous projects with the City of Torrance. Gentry General Engineering, Inc. is the confirmed lowest responsive bidder. Therefore, the Public Works Director recommends that the City Council award a Public Works Agreement (Attachment 4) to Gentry General Engineering, Inc. Staff received no bid protests from third parties about this bid.
It is anticipated that construction will begin in Fall 2026. Construction inspection services will be performed by the City’s Public Works Inspector.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map
2. Letter to PUB Construction, Inc.
3. Withdrawal Letter from Environmental Construction, Inc.
4. Public Works Agreement – Gentry General Engineering, Inc. 3 NTS
CITY OF TORRANCE
TORRANCE SCHOOL SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM
I-188
(ANZA ELEMENTARY)
N
ATTACHMENT 1
4 ATTACHMENT 1
NTS
CITY OF TORRANCE
TORRANCE SCHOOL SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM
I-188
(TORRANCE ELEMENTARY)
N
ATTACHMENT 1
5 ATTACHMENT 2
6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 ATTACHMENT 3
15 ATTACHMENT 4
16 ATTACHMENT 4
17 18
19 20
21 22
23 24
25 26
27 28
29 30
31 32
33 34
35 36
37 38
39 40
41 42
43 44
45 46
47 48
49 50
51 52
53 54
55 56
57 58
59