REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on an Agreement with CSG Consultants, Inc. for Design Professional Services for the Santa Clara School Access Improvements Project [Council Pillar: Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure]
Report
BACKGROUND
Since 2011, the City of Santa Clara has administered a Safe Routes To School (SRTS) program to promote bicycling and walking to school. Twelve of Santa Clara’s public schools participate in the program: Bowers, Briarwood, Haman, Juan Cabrillo Middle School, Montague, Scott Lane, Sutter, Bracher, Hughes, Washington, Westwood, and Don Callejon. Bicycling and walking to school are promoted through both non-infrastructure methods such as education, encouragement, and enforcement, and through physical infrastructure improvements.
The City has implemented several capital improvement projects to improve the public infrastructure for routes to schools, with recent examples being the Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements project completed in 2019, the Lick Mill-East River Parkway Crosswalk Improvements project currently in the bid and award phase, and the Uncontrolled Crosswalk Improvements project currently in the final stages of design.
As part of the continuing efforts to make infrastructure investments in safer routes to schools, the City applied for and obtained federal grant funding for the Santa Clara School Access Improvements project. Similar to past improvement projects, this project will also enhance connectivity for students walking, biking, and scootering to school by designing and constructing various infrastructure improvements. The improvements contemplated in this project are along the routes to Central Park Elementary, Haman Elementary, Scott Lane Elementary, and Sutter Elementary. A location map is attached to this report for reference (Attachment 1).
Improvements that will be reviewed and considered under the project may include upgrading traffic signal equipment for pedestrians at signalized intersections, construction of concrete bulb-outs at intersection corners and pedestrian street crossings, construction of ADA accessible curb ramps, and installation of rectangular rapid flash beacons (RRFB) at uncontrolled crosswalks, among other improvements. The improvements are subject to refinement and change based upon preliminary engineering studies and available budgets. In order to prepare the project design, the City will need to hire a consultant to provide design professional services.
DISCUSSION
A formal Request for Proposal (RFP) selection process was utilized to solicit proposals from consultants to provide the required design professional services. Eight proposals were received and evaluated by a selection panel consisting of staff from the Public Works Traffic Engineering and Design divisions and an interview was held with the top ranked proposer. The evaluation criteria included proposal responsiveness (pass/fail), qualifications and experience of the firm, qualifications, experience and availability of key staff, project approach, project schedule and design completion date. Following the evaluation process, CSG Consultants, Inc. (CSG) was the highest ranked proposer.
The following considerations contributed to CSG’s top place ranking by the selection panel according to the evaluation criteria. For the project schedule and design completion date criteria, CSG presented a detailed project schedule that identified all tasks to be completed, their relationships and dependence on each other, and reasonable durations for each task to ensure that the project would be completed within the federal grant deadlines. For the project approach criteria, CSG presented detailed engineering exhibits that displayed the project locations, proposed improvements and described the design considerations for the key project elements at each location. In addition, CSG committed to actively participate in stakeholder coordination for the project to ensure project acceptance from all parties and foster a collaborative approach to the project design. Finally, for the qualifications and experience of key staff and availability criteria, CSG committed a project manager with over 20 years of experience specifically involving federally funded pedestrian and transportation improvement projects. CSG also committed key support staff experienced in and specific to securing project approvals according to the federal-aid project processes administered by Caltrans.
The proposed agreement (Attachment 2) includes a refined scope of services based upon negotiations and the understanding of the work to be performed. The scope of services generally includes project management and coordination, preliminary engineering and evaluation (including a lighting study of the crosswalks), agency coordination and approval with Caltrans for the federal funding, construction documents (plans, specifications, and estimates) for public works construction bidding, bidding support, and engineering support services during construction.
Staff recommends entering into the Agreement for Design Professional Services with CSG Consultants, Inc. for the Santa Clara School Access Improvement Project. Approval of this agreement will provide the design professional services necessary to complete the design of the project and to satisfy the federal grant deadlines in a timely manner. Construction of the project is anticipated to occur between mid to late 2022. The Agreement includes prevailing wage requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This Agreement is for design professional services and the action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") Guidelines section 15378 as the action being considered does not commit the City to undertake the project and future discretionary approvals are required by the City to approve the project for construction. However, it is expected that the CEQA determination for this project will be a categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301(c) Existing Facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed agreement is for a total not-to-exceed amount $195,712. This amount includes $177,920 for basic services, and $17,792 for additional services. Funds for the agreement are available in the FY 2020/21 and FY 2021/22 Adopted Capital Improvement Program Budget in the Santa Clara School Access Improvements Project.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and the 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 <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov>.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with CSG Consultants, Inc., for the Santa Clara School Access Improvements Project in the amount not-to-exceed $195,712; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to make minor, non-substantive modifications, including time extensions, to the agreement, if needed.
Staff
Reviewed by: Craig Mobeck, Director of Public Works
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map
2. Agreement