Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Authorize the Department of Transportation Director to approve and sign Reimbursable Agreement DTFH68-15-E-00034, Modification 004, with the Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands Highway Division to extend the performance period from June 1, 2025 to December 15, 2025 and to add $200,000 to the agreement amount for a new amount of $25,453,000 for the Ice House Road Pavement Rehabilitation, Phase 2 Project, Capital Improvement Program number 72191/36105023;
2) Authorize the Department of Transportation Director, or designee, to amend Reimbursable Agreement DTFH68-15-E-00034, Modification 004 for all minor modifications as necessary throughout the term of the agreement; and
3) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Budget Transfer for Fiscal Year 2023-24 increasing appropriations and expenses in the amount of $200,000 for Sacramento Municipal Utility District funds. (4/5 vote required) (Supervisorial District IV)
FUNDING: Sacramento Municipal Utility District funds (15%) and Federal Highway Administration Federal Lands Access Program funds (85%). (Federal and Local Funds)
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On May 9, 2017, Legistar 17-0374, Item 23, the Board of Supervisors allocated $10,000 for the preparation of a Scoping report, agreement, and delivery plan for Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) Funding grant application and adopted Resolution 078-2017 confirming the County’s commitment to provide local matching funds and maintenance of Ice House Road for 20 years for the proposed Phase 3 project. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) FLAP provides funds for work on public highways, roads, bridges, trails, and transit systems that are located on, are adjacent to, or provide access to Federal Lands. These facilities must be owned or maintained by a state, county, town, township, tribe, municipal, or local government. This program is created under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century. This program places emphasis on projects that provide access to high-use recreation sites or Federal economic generators. This is the County’s third FLAP grant awarded for the rehabilitation of Ice House Road. Ice House Road Rehabilitation Phase 1 repaired 7.1 miles from Wentworth Springs Road near MP 23.94 to Loon Lake near MP 31.06 and was completed in October 2016.
Upon Board approval, the Department of Transportation (Transportation) submitted two California Access Program grant application packages to fund pavement rehabilitation of Forest Highway 136 - Ice House Road from MP 6.37 at Peavine Ridge Road to MP 23.94. Transportation has already been awarded program funds for the two grant applications. On August 9, 2017, the California Program Decision Committee (PDC) selected Ice House Road for this program. For efficiency in overall design and construction costs, CFLHD and County, with PDC concurrence, have combined the two (2) grant phases into one (1) Project totaling 17.57 miles in length, Phase 2.
The CFLHD Scoping report was completed in June 2017, and detailed the Ice House Road Rehabilitation Project - Phase 2 (Project) to include Preliminary Engineering (PE), Construction Contract (CN), and Construction Management (CM) for the Project from Peavine Ridge Road, to the northern section of Wentworth Springs Road, for a distance of 17.57 miles under Agreement DTFH68-15-E-00034 (Agreement). The Project is to reconstruct the existing pavement to a width of 24 feet. The current asphalt surface is in an advanced state of deterioration. The general scope of improvements includes milling and pulverization of existing pavement, new asphalt surface with 11-foot lanes and 1-foot shoulders, minor drainage structure improvements, minor embankment stabilization in select areas, clearing, grubbing, signing, pavement markings, delineation, and other safety-related features necessary to meet current design practice. The existing corridor is maintained by the County under the permission granted by the Forest via a Special Use Permit. Program costs, and therefore, the matching amounts from the County, are based on the actual costs to design, permit, environmentally clear, and construct the Project. In addition, all Right-of-Way, utility relocation costs, staff time, and public outreach are the responsibility of the County.
FHWA CFLHD opened construction bids in November 2023, and with this bid, plus construction cost inflation and a 10% contingency amount, the estimated total Project cost amount has increased to $25,453,000. Of this amount $3,790,820 is the County’s Local Match portion using Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) funds. The remaining amount of $21,464,380 will be funded by the FLAP grant. In March 2021, Transportation was awarded a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant for $197,800 for the Ice House Road Guardrail Safety Project to replace roadway metal beam guardrails due to deterioration. To provide cost efficiencies, the HSIP grant has been given to the FLAP team and is included in the Agreement. There are no applicable grant opportunities for the County’s portion of the installation of the new bridge barrier rails; therefore, the additional FLAP non-participating costs to install the new bridge barrier rails is $542,500 and is included in the County’s Local Match portion listed above. The total increase for the County’s portion from Modification 003 to the current Modification 004 is $200,000. The total Project cost increase due to construction bids is $897,700.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to authorize the Director to sign Agreement Modification 004. The Project will not be constructed, and costs already spent to date may not be returned.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
On April 3, 2018, Legistar 18-0353, Item 27, the Board approved Modification 002 for the Agreement.
On June 21, 2022, Legistar 22-0757, Item 16, the Board approved Modification 003 for the Agreement.
On October 24, 2023, Legistar 22-0048, Item 13, the Board accepted the Highway Easement Deed for the Project.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total Agreement amount for this Project is $25,453,000 which includes FLAP grant funding in the amount of $21,464,380, HSIP grant funding in the amount of $197,800, and $3,790,820 in SMUD Funds for the County match.
The total increase request for SMUD funds is $200,000, which includes the participating cost increases and any other unexpected cost increases, the non-participating costs for the guardrail installation, and Transportation staff oversight. Transportation will include the remaining balance of costs in the 2024 Capital Improvement Program book to total $21,662,180 in federal funds and $3,996,447 in SMUD funds.
Recommended action item 3 is included to specifically authorize and account for the use of a portion of the SMUD funds as grant match for this Project. Currently, adequate SMUD funding is available for the grant match portion of the proposed Project; however, this available funding is identified as “undesignated” in the accounting structure. By designating appropriate funds in the SMUD account for this Project, these funds will be set aside for this year’s grant match requirement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on the original budget transfer and will forward the budget transfer to the Auditor/Controller for processing.
TRANSPORTATION FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Director, or designee, will sign two (2) originals of the Agreement.
2) Transportation will forward two (2) partially executed originals of the Agreement to CFLHD.
3) Upon receipt, Transportation will forward one (1) fully executed original to the Clerk of the Board for its files.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation