Agenda Item Wording:
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Ponding Basin Change Order Request - Consideration and action related to Groundwater Recharge Basin G at the East Side Regional Park Site: 1. Approve Change Order No. 8 for an HDPE Bore related to Landscape & Irrigation Improvements, in the amount of $188,228.
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Deadline for Action: 2/20/2024
Submitting Department : Engineering & Building Department
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Rebecca Keenan, Senior Civil Engineer, Rebecca.Keenan@visalia.city, 713-4541
Alvin Dias, Parks & Facilities Manager, Alvin.Dias@visalia.city, 713-4564
Lupe Garcia, Acting City Engineer, Lupe.Garcia@visalia.city, 713-4197
Jason Huckleberry, Eng. & Bldg. Director, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.city, 713-4495
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council consider and take the following actions related to Groundwater Recharge Basin G at the East Side Regional Park:
1. Approve Change Order No. 8 for and HDPE Bore related to Landscape & Irrigation Improvements, in the amount of $188,228.
Summary:
On December 19, 2023, the City Council awarded a contract to Emmett’s Excavation, Inc. for the construction of Groundwater Recharge Basin G at the East Side Regional Park (ESRP), consisting of the Base Bid + Alternate Bid 2 + Alternate Bid 3 + Alternate Bid 4 in the amount of $5,150,913.50 and approved Change Order No. 1, a reduction amount of $582,069.00. The construction contract does not include the grant required Landscape & Irrigation (L&I) of the Basin. The civil construction is nearing completion, and the City’s Purchasing Division will soon issue the Request for Bids (RFB) related to the L&I. If approved, this change order will allow the current contractor, Emmett’s Excavation to install a needed HDPE Bore underneath the Packwood Creek. The bore is necessary to supply water from Well No. 1, located north of the creek, to Basin G, which is located south of creek.
Background Discussion:
Several years ago, our City’s leaders began proactively planning a project to develop solutions to the area’s receding groundwater table. One of those projects includes the Eastside Regional Park (ESRP) & Groundwater Recharge Project. The master planned Eastside Regional Park & Groundwater Recharge Project consists of approximately 286 acres, including 40 acres of planned street & infrastructure improvements. The project will include Road 148 as a new north/south arterial roadway; and improvements to Houston Avenue, Road 152, and E. Mineral King Avenue. The project will also allocate approximately 148 acres for park use, while the dedicated groundwater recharge elements will encompass approximately 100 acres. The basins are planned to receive allotted water deliveries to help replenish the area’s groundwater. Construction of Basin G is the first step to help manage the area’s local groundwater resource.
The City was awarded a Proposition 1, Urban Rivers Grant (URG) from the State for this project in the amount of $1,568,708, to construct a groundwater recharge basin with habitat improvements. The scope of work for the URG grant includes a contoured 20-acre recharge basin, swales along Mineral King Avenue and Road 152, approximately 50,732 square feet of granite trail, native, low water use trees and shrubs, a point source irrigation system, a thick layer of landscape mulch, and two funding acknowledgement signs.
The existing contract is for construction of the civil portion of the project and includes the work of outfitting the two existing agricultural wells with new pumps and pump stations. The contract does not include the landscape & irrigation construction. Approval of this change order will allow the HDPE bore under Packwood Creek to be completed in preparation for the upcoming landscape & irrigation construction (as a separate contract), which the City’s Purchasing Division will be issuing for Bids soon.
Change Order No. 8 {Owner Requested Change In Scope}:
The City of Visalia Change Order Committee reviewed and approved Change Order No. 8 on January 31, 2024. The following is the description of the proposed work related to Change Order No. 8.
Item 1. HDPE Bore under Packwood Creek:
This item will bore an 8” HDPE casing under the Packwood Creek, with a 4” HDPE irrigation main inside. There will also be a second bore of a 12” HDPE casing under Packwood Creek, with four (4) HDPE dry conduits inside. Staff reviewed various options with the Contractor, and found that installing two separate bores, one for the wet pipe and one for the dry conduit would be most efficient and cost effective. Although only one conduit is needed now, for irrigation control, staff recommends installing the three spare conduits for future use. Installing them now will be less expensive than installing them separately in the future and the dry conduit would be distributed as follows: One dry conduit will serve the upcoming irrigation control wires. Two other dry conduits will be used for a future communication system and possibly SCADA wires. SCADA is an acronym that means Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. It is a technology that allows monitoring and management of storm water systems, including basins, to optimize drainage, minimize flood hazards, and handle infiltration/inflow effectively. The City does not currently have a plan to commence a SCADA system, but is something that could be pursued as the City continues to build more basins around Visalia. The fourth dry conduit may be used for park needs, such as running wire for lighting. Change Order no. 8 also includes traffic rated locking boxes at each end of the conduit run. There will be a total of two large boxes, and four medium boxes installed.
This change order will provide two separate bores with casing and pipe. One will be for the irrigation water (wet), and the other will be for the dry conduits. The Tulare Irrigation District requires that any pipes/conduit crossing their right of way be placed in a casing to protect the main from potential damage that may result from standard maintenance.
As such, a bore was previously included in the Landscape & Irrigation (L&I) phase of the project, meaning that this work is currently funded, and not a contingency item. The item was to be included with the L&I request for bids that will be issued soon, however this change order will accelerate it to be done now, by the general contractor. The reason for accelerating it is that the irrigation bore is a specialty item that would be more challenging for the irrigation contractor. The current general contractor will work in conjunction with a subcontractor to provide the pit set-up, installation, and coordination needed, while the subcontractor performs the actual bore. As quoted, the work required is split between Emmett's 52% and the subcontractor 47% (before markups). As a general contractor, Emmett's has the expertise to provide the trenching and support services needed for the bore, while the Landscape & Irrigation contractor typically works to just below 3-feet underground. Having the current contractor install the irrigation bore will also accelerate the landscape & irrigation schedule and capture the pricing before the upcoming industry increases.
Other Alternatives: In an effort to identify savings, the following alternatives were considered and discarded:
A. Bore & Jack a steel casing under Packwood Creek: This option would require deep pits with trench shoring set up to protect workers. The steel casing is bored in a straight line, from one side to the other. This would require detailed shoring plans, extra work to provide the shoring, and OSHA review. The contractor provided a cost for this option in the amount of $299,360.
B. Construct a truss over Packwood Creek: This option would require additional compensation for the design of a new truss over Packwood Creek. The truss would then support the pipes and conduits, which would be strapped to the truss. This option is not recommended due to security concerns. The truss and pipes would be vulnerable to vandalism & theft, and pedestrians might attempt to cross the creek by climbing the truss, which could expose the City to unintended liability.
C. Attach the required landscape & irrigation pipes & conduit to the existing box culvert crossing over Road 152. This option would require additional compensation for a design engineer to conduct a structural review of the existing culvert, which was built in 1951, to determine its adequacy to support the new pipe loads. They would also be required to provide a design to secure the new pipe & conduits to the culvert. Another consideration with this option is that at the culvert, Road 152 is a 26-foot wide, 2-lane, county road that will be upgraded to an 84-foot wide collector street in the future. As the park develops, the existing culvert will be modified or replaced (depending on its condition) in order to fit the wider collector street, with the needed curb, gutter, and sidewalks. If installed on the existing culvert, the pipes & conduit would have to be relocated for the future street widening.
Fiscal Impact:
Excluding the miscellaneous pipe materials which total $20,888, each bore will cost $83,670. The cost is the same between the two because the same amount of work effort and equipment is needed, regardless of the casing diameter size. The current CIP budget, which was approved by City Council at the award of construction in December 2022, includes $172,800 for this purpose, as estimated by the engineer at that time. The item was included in the Landscape & Irrigation Estimate for the project and was allocated to the various funds that are contributing to the project, with the majority coming from the Park Impact Fee. The percentages used in the preliminary estimate will be applied to the contingency calculation below, as it will cover the $15,488 difference between $188,228 and $172,800. Staff will return later this spring to Award the Landscape & Irrigation RFB, and will request any additional appropriations at that time.
Budget Summary:
This project is multi-funded, with various funds contributing to their proportionate share of project items. The HDPE bore will predominately benefit the landscape & irrigation of the site, however since there are some empty dry conduits being installed with this bore, a portion of Change Order No. 8 will be funded with other Funds as follows:
Measure R Trails (15%), Groundwater Recharge (11%), and Park Impact (74%).
Following is the funding source summary for the Basin G project. Staff will provide an overall budget update in the future when the project is closed out.
TABLE 1
|
Funding Source: |
Existing Appropriation |
|
Prop 1 Grant Funding |
$ 1,568,708.00 |
|
132 Measure R Trails |
$ 517,937.00 |
|
211 Rec Facilities Park Impact Fund |
$ 1,896,451.00 |
|
224 Groundwater Recharge Fund |
$ 2,913,347.00 |
|
261 Waterways Capital Fund |
$ 54,383.00 |
|
TOTAL |
$ 6,950,826.00 |
The current project budget (after Change Order No. 1) includes a 10% construction contingency of $456,884, which is split between the funds as follows:
TABLE 2
|
Funding Source: |
Budgeted Contribution |
Change Order 2-7 Amounts |
CONTINGENCY Balance after CCO7 |
Change Order 8 Amount |
BALANCE after Allocation |
|
|
|
|
|
$188,228.00 |
|
|
L&I Budgeted Amount |
$172,800 |
|
|
($172,800) |
$0 |
|
Contingency Amounts: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prop 1 Grant Funding |
$158,493 |
($99,950) |
$58,543 |
$0 |
$58,543 |
|
132 Measure R Trails |
$27,493 |
*$6,588 |
$34,081 |
($7,498) |
$26,583 |
|
211 Rec Facilities Park Impact Fund |
$262,265 |
($268,649) |
($6,384) |
$7,798 |
$1,414 |
|
224 Groundwater Recharge Fund |
$183,348 |
*$27,522 |
$210,870 |
($17,456) |
$193,414 |
|
261 Waterways Capital Fund |
$992 |
$0 |
$992 |
$1,728 |
$2,720 |
|
TOTAL |
$632,591 |
($334,489) |
$298,102 |
($188,228) |
$282,674 |
* Indicates a credit to the City.
Change Orders 2 - 7 have added and subtracted various items which have adjusted the contingency amounts shown above. Other than Change Order No. 6, the previous change orders were reviewed and approved through the Change Order Committee, without City Council action required. At the February 5th, 2024, meeting, the City Council approved Change Order No. 6 for well improvements and voted to allocate $175,707, from the Park Impact Fund. Table 2, has now been updated to reflect the previous change orders, the amount budgeted in the Landscape & Irrigation estimate, the recent allocation, and the proposed Change Order No. 8. It should be noted that the amount budgeted for this item in the Landscape & Irrigation estimate included Measure R Trails, Groundwater Recharge, Waterways Capital, and Park Impact Funds contributions. For that reason, the table above shows increases to the Park Impact Fund and Waterways Capital fund after Change Order No. 8.
Staff is currently working with the contractor to quantify the final earthwork adjustments needed during the construction of the project. Since that item is ongoing, staff will return in the future with a potential change order and to request any additional appropriations that are outside the budgeted amount.
Prior Council Action:
• February 5, 2024 - Council voted to approve Change Order No. 6 for Well Improvements in the amount of $265,065.00 and appropriate $175,707.00 from Fund 211, for the Basin G at the East Side Regional Park (ESRP) Site Project.
• December 19, 2022 - City Council voted to award the construction contract for RFB 20-21-38 to Emmett’s Excavation, Inc. in the amount of $5,150,913.50; approve Change Order Number One for miscellaneous scope changes in the reduction amount of ($582,069.00); award the construction management services to Vanir Construction Management, Inc. in the amount of $122,190; award the material testing services to Moore Twining Associates, Inc. in the amount of $48,129.50; and appropriate $958,100 from the funds identified within the report, for the Basin G at the East Side Regional Park (ESRP) Site Project.
• May 2, 2022 - City Council received an update of Groundwater Recharge Basins G & F at the East Side Regional Park, and voted to appropriate $3,350,00 for groundwater Basin G (CP0185) from the City funds identified in the staff report; decline and release a 2019 grant offer from the National Park Service (NPS) Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the amount of approximately $2.4 million for the construction of Basin F (CP0371); and authorize staff to pursue appropriate grant funding for the construction of groundwater recharge Basin F.
• December 16, 2019 - City Council voted to award RFB 19-20-24 and authorize the City Manager to execute construction agreements related to RFB 19-20-24 for the removal of various orchards to the lowest responsible bidder, HD Matthews Demolition & Excavation, Inc., in the following amounts: 1. $85,000 for Basin G (CP0185); 2. $240,000 for Basin F (CP0371); located in the area surrounded by the future Tower Street, Mineral King, and Road 152.
• September 16, 2019 - City Council voted to appropriate funds for Basin G and F, as identified in that staff report, and to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement from the Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
• December 18, 2017 - City Council voted to authorize staff to submit a grant application for a Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant and approved Resolution 2017-83 for the East Side Regional Park Project.
• October 17, 2016 - City Council affirmed submission of a Proposition 1 Urban Rivers Grant application for a first phase project at the East Side Regional Park to construct groundwater recharge basin with habitat improvements for $1,743,420 and appropriate $1,568,708 of grant funding, if awarded, and advance appropriation of $174,712 from 2017/18 project CP0185 “East Side Regional Park Basins” if awarded (Resolution 2016-61 required).
Alternatives:
Reject the Change Order No. 8 and include the HDPE bore in the upcoming RFB for Landscape & Irrigation Services.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to approve Change Order No. 8 for an HDPE Bore related to Landscape & Irrigation Improvements, in the amount of $188,228 for the Basin G project at the East Side Regional Park (ESRP) Site.
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CEQA Review:
Initial Study and Notice of Determination (NOD) for a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) N. 2018-05.
Attachments:
1. Change Order No. 8
2. Exhibit showing bore layout & detail
3. Quote
4. HDD Spec
5. Vicinity Map