Agenda Item Wording:
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Carollo Engineers Contract Amendment & Fund Appropriation - Authorize a contract amendment with Carollo Engineers in the amount of $115,700 for additional storm master plan services and appropriate funds from the Storm Sewer Deficiency Fund.
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Prepared by: Katherine Woodhull-Fuget, Associate Engineer, Katherine.Woodhull-Fuget@visalia.city, (559) 713-4447; Chris Crawford, City Engineer, Chris.Crawford@visalia.city, (559) 713-4331; Jason Huckleberry, Engineering & Building Director, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.city, (559) 713-4495
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends City Council authorize contract Amendment No. 3 with Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $115,700 for additional storm master plan services and authorize the appropriation of $116,000 from Fund 222 (Storm Sewer Deficiency).
Summary:
Carollo Engineers, Inc. was contracted by the City in 2018 to update the storm and sewer master plans. This contract amendment and staff report focuses on the Storm Master Plan.
After years of work, Carollo and their subconsultant CWE provided the storm water models, draft storm master plan, and project cost estimates to city staff in 2023. Engineering staff determined while Carollo and CWE’s deliverables met their contracted scope, the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP’s) developed by CWE would result in unacceptable increases in storm service charges and impact fees and elected to explore design alternatives to reduce project costs. Storm Amendment No. 3 requests an additional $115,700 to revise the draft Storm Master Plan based on a revised drainage approach proposed by the City. This contract amendment will enable engineering staff and Carollo to finalize the update to the Storm Master Plan. Carollo expects to finalize the update later this summer. Once updated, the environmental clearance phase (CEQA) will begin with an anticipated completion in 2026. After CEQA has been completed the nexus and rate studies will commence, with an adoption anticipated in late 2026 or early 2027 by Council.
Background Discussion:
The City of Visalia entered a contract with Carollo Engineers, Inc to update the City’s public facility master plans for stormwater and sanitary sewer collection in September 2018. The update to the master plans was competitively bid with a total amount of $605,900 awarded to Carollo Engineers, Inc, with CWE as a subconsultant.
The contract was split into two phases with separate CIP numbers for tracking purposes. The update to the Stormwater Master Plan (CP9067) had a cost not to exceed $326,700. The update to the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan (CP0015) had a cost not to exceed $279,200.
The update to the Stormwater Master Plan (CP9067) has since had two amendments for $132,543 and $97,070, bringing the storm contract amount to $556,313.
The first storm contract amendment (Amendment #1) in August 2021 increased the amount of the storm contract by $132,543 due to unexpected efforts to meet project deliverables. This change order accounted for the deficiencies in the existing conditions model prepared by Boyle Engineering Corporation in 2007 and provided by the City to Carollo as a starting point.
The second storm contract amendment (Amendment #2) in December 2022 increased the amount of the storm contract by $97,070 due to additional Capital Improvement Projects (CIP’s). During development of the draft master plan, Carollo’s subconsultant CWE was directed by City staff to develop over twice as many CIPs as they had initially budgeted for.
Storm Amendment No. 3 Justification:
After years of work and the issuance of the previous storm contract amendments, CWE provided the storm water models and draft master plan to City staff in 2023.
CWE developed CIP’s to address both future growth and deficiencies within the existing system. The projected cost of the CIP’s was far beyond what engineering staff had expected and would result in unpalatable increases in storm service charges and impact fees. In order to reduce CIP costs and the associated fee increases, engineering staff did a deep dive into the model and into Visalia’s previous storm master plans.
Upon detailed review of the deliverables provided, a number of significant discrepancies from the City’s current Storm Master Plan (adopted in 1994) and Engineering Standards became apparent. Regrettably, the original contract scope of work was poorly worded and left many of the design minutiae out. Carollo and CWE provided what prior City staff had asked for, but unfortunately the specificity of what was requested was lacking.
Current City staff utilized the models provided by CWE to conduct additional research and explore design alternatives. This included extensive modification to CWE’s models.
Now that the City has explored design alternatives and settled on revised design parameters to utilize moving forward, the City intends to provide Carollo with the revised models and associated documentation.
The following task items are requested as part of contract amendment no. 3 in order to bring the Storm Master Plan project to completion:
Task SD-1 - Model Review
Under this task, Carollo will review the City-revised storm models and associated documentation for sound engineering practice and modify them as needed to meet industry standards. This will provide validation of the design approach by a licensed professional.
Net Increase: $33,700
Task SD-2 - Master Plan Redevelopment
Under this task, Carollo will revise the draft storm master plan previously developed by their subconsultant CWE based on the results of Task SD-1 and to meet the detailed criteria provided by the City.
Net Increase: $58,100
Task SD-3 - CEQA Assistance - Optional or Not-to-Exceed
This optional, not-to-exceed task is to provide assistance and master plan revision if needed as the City works with Dudek, the City’s environmental consultant, through the CEQA process.
Net Increase: $8,000
Task SD-4 - Storm Nexus Study Additional Work
This task accounts for impact fee nexus study work needed beyond the scope outlined in Task 4 Nexus Study subtask 4.1 Impact Fees of the original contract. This additional work will include updating the nexus approach to meet the requirements of recent California legislation such as AB 602 from 2021.
Net Increase: $7,200
Task SD-5 - Storm Rate Study Additional Work
This task accounts for service charge rate study work needed beyond the scope outlined in Task 4 Nexus Study subtask 4.2 Storm Sewer Service Charges. The original scope of Task 4.2 is somewhat limited and potentially unclear, and additional discussions with the Finance Department and the City Attorney have also modified the scope. This task overlaps with the scope of original task 5 Stakeholder Involvement, so no additional budget is requested for this task.
No Net Change
Task SD-6 - Project Management
This task accounts for project management activities associated with tasks SD-1 to SD-5.
Net Increase: $8,700
Engineering staff presented this proposed contract amendment to the Change Order Committee on June 4, 2025. The Change Order Committee is a non-appointed committee of technical staff who are not directly involved with the project under consideration. The Committee reviews the contract change order request for completeness, accuracy, constructability, objectivity, consistency, and overall insight. After reviewing the request and discussing the item, the Committee recommended approval of the amendment of the contract.
Fiscal Impact:
The Update to the Storm Master Plan is multi-funded by Storm Sewer Construction (221), Storm Sewer Deficiency (222), and Storm Sewer Maintenance (481) as shown in the following budget summary:
|
Storm Master Plan Update (CP9067) |
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|
Project Funding |
|
|
221 - Storm Sewer Construction |
$ 938,100.00 |
|
222 - Storm Sewer Deficiency |
$ 226,000.00 |
|
481 - Storm Sewer Maintenance |
$ 63,000.00 |
|
Total Project Funding |
$ 1,227,100.00 |
|
Project Expenditures & Encumbrances |
|
|
City Staff Project Management 2015 to March 2025 |
$ (208,796.80) |
|
Dudek Environmental Services Contract |
$ (341,632.50) |
|
Carollo Storm Current Contract |
$ (556,313.00) |
|
Amendment 3 |
$ (115,700.00) |
|
Anticipated MP Project Management April 2025 On |
$ (54,000.00) |
|
Anticipated CEQA Project Management April 2025 On |
$ (30,000.00) |
|
Anticipated Community Outreach (Prop 218) Expenditures |
$ (36,000.00) |
|
Total Estimated Project Expenditures |
$ (1,342,442.30) |
|
|
|
|
Anticipated Project Deficit |
$ (115,342.30) |
Staff recommends the appropriation of $116,000 from Fund 222 Storm Sewer Deficiency to address the anticipated budget deficit shown in the table above.
Prior Council Action:
February 18, 2025 - Council authorized Carollo Engineers, Inc. Sewer Amendment 1 in the amount of $238,900 for additional nexus study services, authorized the transfer of $150,000 from CP0728 Wastewater Rate Study to CP0015 Sewer Master Plan and Nexus Study, and authorized the appropriation of $24,000 from Fund 231 Wastewater Trunkline, $4,000 from Fund 431 Wastewater Operations, and $91,000 from Fund 232 Treatment Plant Expansion to CP0015.
August 19, 2024 - Council approved and adopted the Master Plan for the Water Reclamation Facility.
June 17, 2024 - Council received a report and presentation on the Final Master Plan for the Water Reclamation Facility.
February 20, 2024 - Council received a report and presentation on the Condition Assessment, Facility Plan, and Master Plan Update for the Water Reclamation Facility.
December 18, 2023 - Council authorized contract award to Dudek for the preparation of the Storm and Sewer Master Plan Environmental Impact Reports in the amount of $654,085 and the appropriation of $365,000 from Fund 231, $247,000 from Fund 221, $166,000 from Fund 222, and $3,000 from Fund 481.
April 3, 2023 - Council authorized award of an emergency contract to Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $515,400 for the Condition Assessment, Facility Plan, and Master Plan Update for the Water Reclamation Facility and the appropriation of $550,000 from Fund 431.
December 19, 2022 - Council received a presentation on the Status of the Storm and Sewer Master Plan Updates and Introduction to the Nexus Study.
December 5, 2022 - Council authorized Carollo Engineers, Inc. Contract Amendment #2 for the Update to the Stormwater Master Plan in the amount of $97,070 and the appropriation of $100,000 from the Storm Sewer Construction Fund (221) to CP9067.
August 16, 2021 - Council authorized Carollo Engineers, Inc. Contract Amendment #1 for the Update to the Stormwater Master Plan in the amount of $132,543 and the appropriation of $140,000 from Storm Sewer Construction Fund (221) to CP9067.
September 4, 2018 - Council authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement for RFP 17-18-29 to Update the City’s Public Facility Master Plans for Storm Water and Sanitary Sewer Collection with Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amounts of $326,700 (CP9067) and $279,200 (CP0015), authorized the appropriation of $155,285 from Fund 221 to CP9067, and authorized the appropriation of $12,000 from Fund 231 to CP0015.
June 6, 2016 - Work session to review key topics related to the City’s sewer system and storm water master plans and receive Council feedback for incorporation into the scope of work and authorize the advertising of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to update these master plans.
Other: None
Alternatives: None
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize Storm Amendment 3 with Carollo Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $115,700 for additional storm master plan services and authorize the appropriation of $116,000 from Fund 222 (Storm Sewer Deficiency).
Environmental Assessment Status: NEPA Environmental Assessment does not apply to this project.
CEQA Review: Dudek of Bakersfield, CA is under contract to prepare CEQA documents for the Sanitary Sewer and Storm Master Plans.
Deadline for Action: 6/16/2025
Attachments: Carollo Engineers, Inc. Contract Amendment Proposal