Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board authorize the Chair to sign the Reimbursement Agreement for Intelligent Transportation System Improvements Under the Traffic Impact Fee Program between the County, LLL & A, LLC, and Doug Veerkamp General Engineering, Inc. (AGMT 25-55109), for Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) improvements included in CIP Project 36106005 "ITS - Intelligent Transportation System Control Center."
(District 3)
FUNDING: ITS Fund, Traffic Impact Fee Program.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Crossings at El Dorado, also known as the Crossings Planned Development, PD97-0011 (Project), is a commercial development project located on Missouri Flat Road in the unincorporated area of the County adjacent to the Target and Safeway shopping centers. The initial development was approved as the "Sundance Plaza" project on December 8, 1998. On May 8, 2014, the Planning Commission approved a Finding of Consistency on the Project, which updated the project phasing to its current structure and the project name to "The Crossings at El Dorado."
The Project required, among other improvements, the signalization of the existing Headington / Missouri Flat Road intersection. During the construction process, the County identified additional improvements under CIP Project 36106005 to install fiber optic cable and improved infrastructure in service of the planned Traffic Control Center at the County’s Headington office. Installing the facilities concurrently with the intersection improvements constructed as part of the Crossings project used resources efficiently and avoided additional traffic impacts from completing additional work in the roadway at a later date.
LLL& A, LLC (Developer) prepared improvement plans for the intersection, which the Department of Transportation (Transportation) approved on May 9, 2022. On August 30, 2022 (Legistar file 22-1539), the County and the Developer entered into Road Improvement Agreement (RIA) #21-54981, defining the Project's construction requirements. The RIA was subsequently amended on August 27, 2024 (Legistar file 24-1317), to extend the performance period on the project.
Doug Veerkamp General Engineering, Inc. (Contractor) submitted a bid for the public works to be completed, and performed the improvements for the Project on behalf of the Developer. The ITS improvements were not originally identified within the plans, but were added to the plans and construction contract via Change Order at the County’s direction and with approval of the Developer, Contractor, and County. The Board accepted the intersection improvements as complete on September 10, 2024 (Legistar file 24-1494), and the Project is currently completing its one-year warranty period.
On August 29, 2023 (Legistar file 23-1456), Transportation presented an MC&FP Reimbursement Agreement on the Project for the Board’s approval. The Board directed staff to utilize an alternative reimbursement schedule and approved a revised Reimbursement Agreement on September 15, 2023 (Legistar file 23-1683). That MC&FP Reimbursement Agreement specifies that no funding source other than the MC&FP may be used to make reimbursements; since the ITS improvements completed are to be reimbursed via a different funding source, County staff determined that a separate ITS/TIF reimbursement agreement would be executed in lieu of amending the MC&FP Reimbursement Agreement to allow for other funding sources.
As the ITS improvements were not a portion of the original intersection requirements, Transportation staff determined the addition of the work was in the best interest of the County. The inclusion of the improvements provide a necessary portion of the overall ITS system, which will ultimately allow the County to remotely monitor and operate traffic signals within the County. Inclusion of the work at this time served a valuable public purpose of reducing future costs to the County of trenching, traffic control, nighttime construction, pavement rehabilitation, and replacement of non-ITS cabling and equipment. The inclusion of this work also avoided future increased impacts to traffic, businesses, residents, and staffing needs. Based on initial Project cost estimates, the total reimbursable amount is estimated to be $184,983.80; the actual reimbursable costs will be determined after approval by County staff, including Department of Transportation, Chief Administrative Office, County Counsel, and Auditor's Office.
Under Section 12.28.110 of the El Dorado County Code of Ordinances, a reimbursement agreement can be considered for development projects that are required to fund or construct improvements that are included within the CIP and provide capacity. The work in question is included in CIP Project 36106005, “ITS - Intelligent Transportation System Control Center”. The CIP includes funding for the design and construction of the Project in the 2025/2026 Fiscal Year. Consistent with the TIF Admin Manual Article V.C., the Developer requested reimbursement for the Work and that request was reviewed by the Director. After a review, the Director determined that this Work is eligible for reimbursement because it was identified in the CIP for funding within five years, and was done at the direction of Transportation for the benefit of the County, and was not included in the original approved plans for the Project. As noted above, Transportation directed this Work to occur to reduce future costs to the County, and the Work was completed.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the Reimbursement Agreement, or direct staff to make changes to the proposed Reimbursement Agreement in which case staff would return to the Board at a later date with a revised agreement.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
See Discussion / Background section above.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel
Chief Administrative Office, Admin & Finance Division
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost associated with this agenda item. The reimbursements proposed under this agreement will be paid from the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) fund within the Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) Program
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Obtain Chair's signature on three (3) original copies of the Reimbursement Agreement.
2) Return two (2) fully executed original Reimbursement Agreements to the Department of Transportation, attn: Lindsay Tallman, for additional processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Priority: N/A
Action Item: N/A
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation