Item Number: 15
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: June 17, 2025
Submitted By:
Fredy Bonilla, City Engineer
Subject:
Approval of Consultant/Professional Services Provider Agreement for Santa Fe Wash Sewer Realignment, Project BM20-076-1
Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council approve a Consultant/Professional Services Provider Agreement with Albert A. Webb Associates, in the amount of $538,497.78, for the Santa Fe Wash Sewer Realignment Project.
Fiscal Impact:
The recommended action will result in a fiscal impact of $538,497.78. There are sufficient funds in the budget to cover the planned expenses. The agreement will be funded by Sewer, Fund 425. The Fiscal Year (FY) 24/25 budget included this Capital Improvement Project (CIP). No additional appropriations are necessary. Please refer to the table below that shows the fund account number, account description and available budget.
Account Number Account Description Amount Available
4254500–55315–77439 Santa Fe Wash Sewer
Realignment
$611,050.81
Strategic Plan Goal:
This project aligns with Goal E: Invest in Infrastructure, as outlined in the City of Victorville Strategic Plan 2023-2026. It supports a healthy and livable community by replacing approximately one mile of aging sewer pipeline with a new sewer main and manholes, thereby enhancing the longevity of the City’s sewer infrastructure.
Background:
A critical 15-inch diameter main sewer trunk pipeline runs along the west side of the Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) Railroad, extending from Bear Valley Road to just north of Seneca Road, within a major drainage channel known as the Santa Fe Wash. 4 1
7 4
The most vulnerable segment, located between Coad Road and Ottawa Street, lies entirely within BNSF’s right-of-way and lacks a City easement. This has made it increasingly susceptible to erosion and difficult to access for repairs and ongoing maintenance. In 2017, the City’s Public Works Department urged the Engineering Department to develop a plan to protect this vital asset, prompting Engineering staff to begin exploring solutions.
A Request for Proposal was issued in April of 2020 and three (3) proposals were received on May 19, 2020. Albert A. Webb Associates (WEBB) was selected as the most qualified consultant by staff to provide the City with the Engineering services required to design a new sewer pipeline. On October 6, 2020, staff recommended that the City Council approve the Consultant/Professional Services Provider Agreement with WEBB, and the Council subsequently approved the initial agreement in the amount of $420,400.00 for the design of this project. The agreement included an expiration date of June 30, 2024, with one (1) option for a one-year extension.
On February 7, 2023, the City Council approved Amendment No. 1 to the contract to extend coverage to additional downstream areas (1,500 feet north of Coad Road), and to incorporate full-scale channel improvements on the western slope of the channel. The contract amount was increased by $483,039.00 bringing the total not-to-exceed amount to $903,039.00.
On September 18, 2024, Amendment No. 2 to the contract was executed to exercise the one-year extension option through June 30, 2025, and to correct a $400 mathematical error in Amendment No. 1, revising the total compensation to the correct value of $903,439.00.
To date, WEBB has conducted investigations, performed field surveys, initiated environmental studies, prepared interim slope protection plans, and begun coordination with private property owners to acquire sewer easements.
Discussion:
In late 2023, the City discovered that the channel improvement would require significantly more effort than initially anticipated. This was due to severe erosion caused by recent storms, which resulted in substantial soil loss along the slope. This now necessitates a massive amount of imported fill to rebuild the western slope of the wash.
In addition, it was found that large boulders and construction debris (primarily broken concrete), had been placed along the slope of the wash by property owners as erosion protection, and must now be removed. This work will require extensive and costly grading and excavation efforts to clear the site before any imported fill can be placed to reconstruct the channel. These additional efforts will also expand the project’s environmental impact area and will increase the associated regulatory requirements.
During the review of the utility license agreement between the City and BNSF, it was determined that the City is not responsible for maintaining the channel, including the 4 1
7 4
implementation and maintenance of slope protection. As a result, the City may abandon the existing sewer pipe located within the western slope of the wash in place.
Given these findings, the City requested that WEBB revise the project scope to eliminate all channel improvement work, except at key confluence areas.
The revised project scope is as follows:
•Exclude proposed channel improvement plan, hydrology/hydraulic model for Santa Fe Wash.
•Incorporate the new development of Ottawa Development. •Rescope environmental and permitting related tasks to accommodate the revised Scope changes.
On May 15, 2025, WEBB provided a proposal for the revised scope of work, which Engineering Department staff have reviewed. The cost of the revised scope represents a net increase of $102,000.00.
The current contract with WEBB will end on June 30, 2025, with no further extensions available. Based on the advice of the City Attorney, the Engineering Department recommends proceeding with a new three-year agreement. The remaining contract balance of $436,497.78 will be carried over and supplemented with an additional $102,000.00, establishing the total amount for the new contract.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Consultant/Professional Services Provider Agreement with Albert A. Webb Associates for Santa Fe Wash Sewer Realignment, Project BM20-076-1, in the amount of $538,497.78 to complete the design of the Santa Fe Wash Sewer Realignment Project.
Staff is available for any questions Council may have.
Prepared By:
Sylvia Severson, Management Technician
Attachments: A. Location Map
B. Agreement