Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, August 01, 2023
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER AMENDMENT NO. 3 TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH RKA CONSULTING GROUP INC., FOR PROJECT NO.675 - SEPULVEDA BOULEVARD WIDENING FROM ALAMEDA STREET TO THE EAST CITY LIMIT IN THE AMOUNT OF $221,195.00. (CITY COUNCIL).
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I. SUMMARY
These actions would approve a Third Amendment to a Professional Services Agreement with RKA Consulting Group Inc. (RKA) for design services and engineering support during construction of Project No. 675 - Sepulveda Boulevard Widening from Alameda Street to the East City Limit (Exhibit No. 1). The City received grant funds from the LA Metro Board in the amount of $11,708,014 for the design and construction of the project.
The design phase of the project is nearing completion which will provide plans and specifications ready for construction. Due to the requirements imposed by Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Storm Water Engineering Division (SWED), additional elements identified during the final plan check need to be incorporated into the final design as a change order in order to allow completion of the PS&E. SWED requires the modeling of the Dominguez Channel to include analysis of a 100-year storm event and associated channel breach. In addition, SCE also requires additional space for the relocation of their utility lines.
On April 20, 2021, the City Council approved the Second Amendment to the Agreement with RKA for an additional $223,950 which was issued after the project was shelved in 2017 due to lack of funding available to complete the project (Exhibit No. 2). By utilizing the original design team the City is able to retain project history and significant original work which significantly reduces the cost of design efforts.
Additional design work which includes the completion of the HEC-RAS model, Historical Review Services by Chambers Group, and Engineering support during construction requires additional professional fees of $221,195.00 and the Amendment to the existing agreement to complete the final design. Staff, therefore, is requesting the City Council to approve the Third Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with RKA for an additional fee of not-to-exceed $211,195.00. The Third Amendment brings the design cost to a not-to-exceed amount of $877,438.00 which is within industry standard of this project size. The total project cost including a $22,119.50 10% contingency from the third amendment will be $899,557.50.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. APPROVE the Third Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with RKA consulting Group Inc. to reflect an increase in the scope of work and increase in compensation in the amount of $221,195.00, resulting in a total contract sum of not-to-exceed $877,438.00.
2. AUTHORIZE a 10% design contingency in the amount of $22,119.50 to cover any additional design and consultation cost necessary associated with unforeseen conditions of the project during the construction phase.
3. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the Third Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with RKA Consulting Group, Inc. following approval as to form by the City Attorney.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. DO NOT APPROVE the Third Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement.
2. Take another action the City Council deems appropriate and consistent with the requirements of the law, however, untimely completion of the project will result in the de-obligation of the $11,708,014.00 grant funding from Metro.
IV. BACKGROUND
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) calls for the design and construction of Project No. 675: Sepulveda Boulevard Widening from Alameda Street to the East City Limit (Exhibit No. 3) The project involves the widening and improvement of the roadway and bridge along Sepulveda Boulevard to provide three lanes of traffic in both directions, construction of new sidewalk, and the modification of the existing traffic signal.
On January 15, 2013, the City entered into the original Agreement with RKA in the amount of $187,600.00, for the preparation of PS&E (Exhibit No. 4). On May 17, 2016, the City and RKA entered into the First Amendment, which included an expanded scope of work for the design of roadway and structural components of the bridge and permit procurement from various agencies for an additional fee of $244,693.00 (Exhibit No. 5).
Due to insufficient funding to construct the project, the project was halted in 2017 and some of the approved grant funds lapsed. In October 2019, staff submitted a grant application through SBCCOG for Measure “M” Multi-Year Sub-Regional Program (M-MSP) and on August 19, 2020, the City received notification that the grant application was approved. LA Metro Board approved the grant fund in the amount of $6,019,999 for the completion of the Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) and construction of said project.
Based on the approval from LA Metro, staff reached out to RKA to reactivate the plans. Given that the project was inactive for more than 4 years and taking into consideration the changes in the code and requirements including more stringent seismic requirements, as well as significant changes in environmental codes and requirements, the PS&E must be updated. On April 20, 2021, the City and RKA entered into the Second Amendment to the Agreement with RKA for an additional $223,950 which was issued after the project was shelved in 2017 due to lack of funding available to complete the project. It was the intention of City and RKA to establish through the Second Amendment that the Agreement term would continue until all RKA’s obligations under the Agreement were completed to City’s satisfaction.
On April 19, 2022, City Council awarded a Professional Services Agreement with EXP US Services Inc. (EXP) to provide construction management services for Project No. 675. EXP conducted a constructability review of the plans and provided feedback to the design team. The items that EXP located during constructability review have been addressed by the design team.
Due to existence of multiple utility lines and other improvements needed to be relocated as part of this complex project, as well as the adjustment for inflation in labor and material cost, staff submitted a grant application for additional funding through SBCCOG for Measure “M” Multi-Year Sub-Regional Program (M-MSP); on September 22, 2022, the LA Metro Board accepted a request to increase funding for this project to the total amount of $11,708,014. This increase was granted based on the revised engineer’s estimated labor and material cost.
The outstanding items the design team needs to address to complete the final design as a change order and release the construction plans are the following:
a. Provide a HEC-RAS Model to Los Angeles County of Public Works (LACDPW).
b. Provide a historical review of the current bridge to the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
c. Address the utility conflicts with SCE and the multiple Oil and Gas companies.
The HEC-RAS Model is required by the Storm Water Engineering Division of LACDPW. This model provides estimates and study on how the expansion of the existing bridge affects the upstream channel flow during storm events.
The USACE is requesting information to evaluate the historical significance of the bridge and a surrounding 0.25-mile radius.
The design team and the construction management team continue to work with SCE and the various Oil and Gas companies in the area to refine both schedule and responsibility of any utility conflicts that may arise during construction.
Staff requested RKA to submit a proposal to complete the above items and provide support during construction. A proposal was submitted and reviewed by staff (Exhibit No. 6). Staff, therefore, is requesting the City Council to approve the Third Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with RKA for an additional fee of not-to-exceed $211,195.00. The Third Amendment will also provide a finite end date to the Agreement at December 31, 2026.V. FISCAL IMPACT
None. Funds in the amount of $500,000.00 were included in the approved 5-year CIP budget for FY23-24 along with continued appropriations from FY22/23. There are sufficient funds within the total budget account to meet the Change Order Request.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. RKA Third Amendment (pgs. 5-16)
2. RKA Second Amendment (pgs. 17-31)
3. Location Map (pg. 32)
4. RKA Original Agreement (pgs. 33-64)
5. RKA First Amendment (pgs. 65-87)
6. RKA Proposal (pgs. 88-93)
Prepared by: Gilbert Marquez, P.E, City Engineer & Kenneth Young, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer