REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Authorize the Use of City Water and Sewer Utility Forces at Various Locations to Implement Water Main Replacement Projects, Including Projects Scheduled for Construction in Calendar Year 2026 and Ratification of Completed Projects
Report
BACKGROUND
For approximately the last 30 years, the City’s Water and Sewer Utility Department (Department) has been engaged in replacing dilapidated water mains nearing the end of their useful life or with a history of leaks. Since this effort began, about 2 miles of pipeline have been replaced each year. Historically, water main replacement projects have been implemented using City labor forces under the “maintenance and repair” exception to competitive bidding for public works under Santa Clara City Charter Section 1310. However, because the scope of the replacement work is similar to other projects brought forth for council authorization for City use of labor forces, the Department seeks ratification of replacement work completed within the last three years and scheduled for Calendar Year (CY) 2026. In addition, as a best practice moving forward, the Department will request Council authorization at least annually for the use of City forces on future water main replacement work.
City Charter Section 1310 titled “Contracts on Public Works” states, in part that, “every contract involving an expenditure of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for the construction or improvement, excluding maintenance and repair, of public buildings, works, streets, drains, sewers, utilities, parks and playgrounds shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder.” The City Charter further states that “the City Council may declare and determine that, in its opinion, the work in question may be performed better or more economically by the City with its own employees, and after the adoption of a resolution to this effect by at least four affirmative votes, it may proceed to have said work done in the manner stated, without further observance of the provisions of this section.”
DISCUSSION
Staff believes that the work described below is best and most efficiently performed with City Utility Forces based upon the following factors: (1) City Utility Forces have in-house knowledge and training in operating and maintaining the water distribution system that can be leveraged to more economically perform this work; and (2) bidding out the work and contracting with a private entity would not likely result in a lower overall cost or time savings. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council find that City Utility Forces can better perform water main replacement projects and ratify the use of City Utility Forces on the following completed projects and projects scheduled for CY 2026:
Completed Projects:
CIP 0101: White Drive (from Hayward Street to Arroyo Drive), Arroyo Drive (from White Drive to Las Palmas Drive), Buchanan Drive (from Arroyo Drive to El Camino Real), and Las Palmas Drive (from Arroyo Drive to El Camino Real)
Description of Work: Replace 3,600 linear feet (LF) of 6” and 8” cast iron (CI) water main with new 8” ductile iron (DI) water main
Estimated Cost: $1,102,182
Completion Date: March 2023
CIP 0102: Benton Street (from White Drive to San Thomas Expressway), Blackfield Court, Loyola Court, and Buchanan Court
Description of Work: Replace 1,340 LF of 10” CI water main with new 12” DI water main, 280 LF of 6” CI water main with new 6” DI water main, and 600 LF of 4” CI water main with new 6” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $969,780
Completion Date: October 2023
CIP 0103: Las Palmas Drive (from Benton Street to El Camino Real)
Description of Work: Replace 2,230 linear feet (LF) of 8” cast iron (CI) water main with new 8” ductile iron (DI) water main
Estimated Cost: $1,032,630
Completion Date: October 2023
CIP 0104: Loyola Drive (from Benton Street to Arroyo Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 1,680 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $852,375
Completion Date: November 17, 2023
CIP 0105: Buchanan Drive (from Benton Street to El Camino Real) and Encina Way (from White Drive to Loyola Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 2,167 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $1,115,288
Completion Date: January 4, 2024
CIP 0106: Chromite Drive (from Monroe Street to Bowers Ave)
Description of Work: Replace 1,615 LF of 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $820,350
Completion Date: March 27, 2024
CIP 0108: Glade Drive (from Monroe Street to Agate Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 1,160 LF of 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $517,448
Completion Date: April 3, 2024
CIP 0112: Agate Drive (from Glade Drive to Moraine Drive), Icefield Court, and Landslide Court
Description of Work: Replace 1,465 LF of 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main, 165 LF of 6” CI water main with new 6” DI water main, and 100 LF of 4” CI water main with new 6” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $865,121
Completion Date: June 5, 2024
CIP 0107: Meadowbrook Drive (from Monroe St to Agate Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 1,295 LF of 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $592,489
Completion Date: July 17, 2024
CIP 0111: Crystal Drive (from Glade Drive to Chromite Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 1,795 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $844,114
Completion Date: August 28, 2024
CIP 0110: Borax Drive (from Glade Drive to Chromite Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 2,140 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $1,011,015
Completion Date: December 3, 2024
CIP 0109: Amethyst Drive (from Glade Drive to Chromite Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 2,420 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $1,134,929
Completion Date: March 18, 2025
CIP 0113: Pruneridge Avenue (east) (from Lawrence Expressway to Giannini Drive)
Description of Work: Replace 1,950 LF of 10” CI water main with new 12” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $923,003
Completion Date: July 18, 2025
CIP 0114: Hillsdale Ave (from Pruneridge Avenue to Carlysle Ave) and Hillsdale Court
Description of Work: Replace 1,150 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main, and 200 LF of 6” CI water main with new 6” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $621,863
Completion Date: June 17, 2025
CIP 0115: Giannini Drive (from Pruneridge Avenue to Carlysle Ave), Carlysle Ave (from Giannini Drive to Hillsdale Avenue), and Hudson Drive (from Pruneridge Avenue to Hillsdale Avenue)
Description of Work: Replace 680 LF of 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main, and 1,270 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $851,663
Completion Date: August 2, 2025
CIP 0116: Pruneridge Avenue (west) (from Hubbard Ave to Meadow Avenue), Meadow Avenue (from Pruneridge Ave to Hubbard Avenue), and Hubbard Avenue (from Meadow Avenue to Pruneridge Avenue)
Description of Work: Replace 710 LF of 10” CI water main with new 12” DI water main, and 1,310 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $957,990
Completion Date: December 12, 2025
Projects Scheduled for Construction in CY 2026:
CIP 0117: Meadow Avenue (from Pruneridge Avenue to Melody Lane), Hubbard Avenue (from Pruneridge Avenue to Melody Lane), Melody Lane (from Meadow Avenue to Hubbard Avenue), and Shasta Drive (from Meadow Avenue to Hubbard Avenue)
Description of Work: Replace 690 LF of 10” CI water main with new 12” DI water main, 540 LF of 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main, and 1,580 LF of 6” CI water main with new 8" DI water main
Estimated Cost: $1,360,058
Expected Completion: March 2026
CIP 0118: Larsen Court, De Vos Court, Thrush Court, and 2499 Homestead Road (Utility Easement)
Description of Work: Replace 590 LF of 6“ CI water main with new 8” DI water main, 370 LF of 4” CI water main with new 8” DI water main, and 230 LF of 4” CI water main with new 6” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $294,920
Expected Start: March 2026
CIP 0119: La Herran Drive, Hillsdale Avenue, La Salle Avenue, De Soto, Randolph Avenue, Magellan Avenue, Daniel, Montclair Drive, Montclair Court, Fulton Court, and Cody Court
Description of Work: Replace 8,140 LF of 6” and 8” CI water main with new 8” DI water main
Estimated Cost: $2,632,440
Expected Start: May 2026
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The actions being considered are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15302(c) (Class 2 - Replacement or Reconstruction) because they involve the replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible expansion of capacity.
FISCAL IMPACT
The funds to support staff time and related construction material costs for completed, ongoing, and upcoming projects, detailed in this report, total $18,499,658. These projects are part of the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate or replace water utility mains in the five-year Water and Recycled Water Utilities capital improvement program. Past projects were budgeted in the Department’s capital improvement program, with the staff costs budgeted in the operating budget. Future projects will be part of the annual capital improvement program budget process and operating budget to be considered by the City Council. Funding for projects currently underway is appropriated from the Department’s existing capital project budgets and the operating budget for City staff costs.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Determine that the proposed actions are exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15302(c) (Class 2 - Replacement or Reconstruction) of Title 1 of California Code of Regulations; and
2. Declare and determine in accordance with Section 1310 of the City Charter that the public works described in this report and generally located at White Drive, Benton Street, Las Palmas Drive, Loyola Drive, Buchanan Drive, Chromite Drive, Glad Drive, Agate Drive, Meadowbrook Drive, Crystal Drive, Borax Drive, Amethyst Drive, Pruneridge Drive, Hillsdale Drive, Giannini Drive, Pruneridge Avenue (West), Meadow Avenue, Larsen Court, La Herran Drive, Hillsdale Avenue, La Salle Avenue, De Soto Avenue, Randolph Avenue, Magellan Avenue, Daniel Way, Montclair Drive, Fulton Court, and Cody Court, are better performed by the City with its own employees based on the information set forth in this Report to Council and authorize the performance of these public works consistent with this authorization, including ratification of completed projects.
Staff
Reviewed by: John Ramirez, Director of Water & Sewer Utilities
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager