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Community Development Services, Department of Transportation, recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Authorize the Department of Transportation Director, or designee, to approve and sign Reimbursable Agreement DTFH68-15-E-00034, Modification 002, with the Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands Highway Division in the amount of $20,176,454 for the Ice House Road Pavement Rehabilitation, Phase 2 Project, CIP 72191. The Federal grant portion is 87.2 percent which is $17,585,802 and the County's matching local portion is 12.8 percent which is $2,590,652;
2) Authorize the Department of Transportation Director, or designee, to amend Reimbursable Agreement DTFH68-15-E-00034, Modification 002 for all minor modifications as necessary throughout the term of the agreement; and
3) Authorize the Chief Administrative Office to make budget adjustments during the Fiscal Year 2018/19 Budget Addenda process to designate an additional $87,435 of Sacramento Municipal Utility District funds that is currently undesignated and not programmed.
FUNDING: Sacramento Municipal Utility District funds and Federal Highway Administration Federal Lands Access Program funds.
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation (Transportation), recommending the Board authorize the Department of Transportation Director (Director), or designee, to approve and sign Reimbursable Agreement No. DTFH68-15-E-00034, Modification 002 (Agreement), with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) in the amount of $20,176,454 for the Ice House Road Pavement Rehabilitation, Phase 2 Project (Project), Capital Improvement Program (CIP) 72191. The Federal grant portion is 87.2 percent which is $17,585,802 and the County's matching local portion is 12.8 percent which is $2,590,652. These funds will cover Scoping, Preliminary Engineering (PE), Construction (CN), and Construction Engineering (CE) costs.
The County and CFLHD have agreed to combine the County proposed Phase 3 project in the delivery and construction of the Phase 2 Project for efficiency and schedule reduction. This Agreement commits the County to a new combined $2,590,652 payment to CFLHD for scoping, PE, CN, CE, and to provide staff labor for Project oversight. This Agreement documents the intent of the parties, sets forth the anticipated responsibilities of each in the scoping of the Project, commits the County to provide its share of costs in the Project, and complete the Project. This Agreement can be modified and amended by both parties during its term. It is anticipated that minor modifications, such as time frames for completing phases of the Project and final construction costs, will need to be made.
On August 2, 2016 (Item 16), the Board approved County’s match funds in the amount of $1,377,246 for the scoping, PE, CN, CE under Reimbursable Agreement No. DTFH68-15-E-00034, Modification 001, as well as $70,000 in staff oversight costs for the Phase 2 Project. Agreement Modification 002 includes an additional 9.27 miles of pavement rehabilitation for Ice House Road. With future budget of estimated PE, CN, and CE costs of $1,213,406, and $70,000 for staff oversight for the proposed Phase 3 project, this brings the County's total participation costs to $2,730,652 for this Phase 2 Project.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On May 9, 2017 (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 proposed Phase 3 project. 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 County submitted a California Access Program grant application package to fund pavement rehabilitation of a 9.27-mile segment of Forest Highway 136 - Ice House Road (Phase 3) from MP 6.37 at Peavine Ridge Road to MP 15.64 within the popular Crystal Basin Recreation area of the Eldorado National Forest. There are several campgrounds for tent and RV camping. Ice House Road also connects to a 12-mile segment of the Rubicon Trail that begins at Loon Lake and extends to Lake Tahoe. The route also connects to Desolation Wilderness, 64,000 acres with 117 miles of hiking trails across the Sierra Nevada. Transportation has already been awarded program funds for Phase 2. On August 9, 2017, the California Program Decision Committee (PDC) came to consensus on selecting Ice House Road as one of the projects for this program. For efficiency in overall design and construction costs, CFLHD and County, with PDC concurrence, have combined the two (2) phases into one (1) Project totaling 17.57 miles in length.
The Scoping report was completed in June 2017, and detailed the Project to include PE, CN, and CM for the Ice House Road Rehabilitation Project from Peavine Ridge Road, to the northern section of Wentworth Springs Road, for a distance of 17.57 miles. 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 embankments stabilization in select areas, clearing, grubbing, signing, pavement markings, delineation, and other safety-related features necessary to meet current design practice. Utility conflicts are not anticipated. 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, Temporary Construction Easements (TCE's), and utility relocation costs are the responsibility of the County and must be completed in advance of the proposed construction. These costs are eligible to be counted towards the County’s local match requirements.
AASHTO and Federal Lands Highway design standards (as appropriate) will be used to design roadway geometric elements and appurtenances. Design decisions not meeting minimum acceptable standards require approval of the County. The construction contractor will incorporate the best management practices from design into the constructed Project, and the County will continue its responsibility for any National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System requirements after construction is complete.
The roadway is open all year due to plowing performed in the winter time, but construction activities will be limited to mainly May to October.
Design and Construction elements include:
a) Acquisition of TCE's for staging and construction access from up to two different ownerships (Forest Service and Sierra Pacific Industries);
b) No utility relocation work is anticipated;
c) It is anticipated that construction will last one season;
d) It is anticipated that traffic will need to be phased with one-way traffic alternated during the day, and two-way traffic opened at night; and
e) The road cannot be closed.
These additional items of work, along with a 10% contingency amount have increased the estimated total Project cost amount in this grant agreement to $20,176,454. Of this amount, 12.8% or $2,590,652, is the El Dorado County Local Match portion. The remaining 87.2%, or $17,585,802, will be funded by the California Access Program grant.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to authorize the Director to sign Agreement Modification 002 and accept the additional grant funds. Transportation will continue with the smaller Project as approved under Agreement Modification 001.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel and Risk Management have reviewed and approved the Agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Project budget will include $20,176,454 for PE, CN, and CM, and $140,000 for staff oversight, for a total of $20,316,454. Transportation will include the remaining balance of costs in future 2018 CIP book to total $17,585,802 in federal funds and $2,730,652 in Sacramento Municipal Utility District (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 the future year grant match requirement. If approved, this revision will be made through the Fiscal Year 2018-19 Budget process.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
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
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation