Title
Adopt City Council Resolution Accepting the Bid of Akeff Construction Services, Inc. as the Lowest Responsive Bid, Awarding the Contract for the Green Alley Project, City Project 2013-07 to Akeff Construction Services, Inc. and Authorizing City Manager to Execute Contract (Amount not to Exceed $289,195.50; Account No. 409-5011-0731)
Summary
City staff prepared a grant proposal in 2012 for the Proposition 84 Storm Water Grant Program. On June 12, 2013, the City executed Agreement #12-437-550 with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) for the Fort Bragg Green Alley Project in the amount of $649,905. The project is to install permeable pavements within the 20-foot wide Right-of-Way (ROW) along Alley S100G (between Whipple and Harrison and between Oak and Madrone) and Alley N200E (behind Purity) which includes one demonstration Rain Garden to be installed on the north end of the alley. Three existing storm drain inlet catch basins along Whipple Street and two in the Fire Department parking lot will be retrofitted. This project was funded to treat, infiltrate and restore hydrological conditions to improve storm water quality that reaches Alder Creek and associated wetlands (Mill Pond). All monitoring and data entry, stakeholder meetings, construction, and reporting must be completed by April 1, 2016. The bid for the Project must be awarded by March 31, 2015.
The engineer's estimate was $588,379 for construction of three alleys in the original proposal. During design, soil concentrations of vanadium and arsenic were found resulting in design modifications. Shallow water and sewer lines under alley N200G (running from Redwood Avenue to Alder Street, east of N. Harrison Street) made this alley infeasible since insufficient funds were available to relocate these pipes in the Wastewater Enterprise and the work is outside of the scope of the grant. Subsequently, the City proposed and SWRCB approved a modification to the original Agreement in order to withdraw alley N200G and substitute installation of five catch basin retrofits.
The project was advertised for bid on March 12, 2015 and bids were due on March 24, 2015. 5 bids were received, and Akeff Construction was determined to be the lowest responsive bidder at $289,195.50. Staff has reviewed all bid schedules and is satisfied that Akeff Construction Services, Inc. has the proper license and experience and meets the requirements necessary to complete the project as bid.
Alley treatments and catch basin retrofits demonstrate Low Impact Development (LID) concepts that filter urban storm water pollutants through paving block interstices, subsurface drain rock, and native soils beneath during percolation. This project has been determined to be exempt under CEQA (Section 15301(c), Repair and maintenance to existing streets, gutters and similar facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing use). No further environmental review is required. Staff recommends the award of bid and contract to Akeff Construction Services Inc. including the bid alternate (two monitoring wells hidden beneath pavers to observe performance of the structure without any necessary reporting).