Title
Parks, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board:
1) Make findings in accordance with Chapter 3.13, Sections 3.13.030 (B) and (C), of the County Contracting Out Ordinance, that contracting out for necessary civil engineering work related to the Chili Bar site is more economical and feasible due to the specialty skills and qualifications needed and the fact that the ongoing aggregate of the work to be performed is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff;
2) Approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute Amendment II to Agreement 8330 with LeBeck Engineering, Inc. to extend the expiration date by one additional year to February 6, 2027, with no change to the total compensation amount of $108,323; and
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute further amendments relating to Agreement 8330, excluding term extensions and increases to the total compensation amount, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management.
FUNDING: General Fund.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Chili Bar is a rafting/kayaking put-in downstream of the Highway 193 Bridge over the South Fork of the American River. The site is approximately 16 acres and was acquired by El Dorado County in 2007. The lower area of the property, located adjacent to the river, is operated for boating activities by the American River Conservancy (ARC) under the terms of a conservation easement granted in 1994 and a management agreement with the County. The upper area includes a parking lot and site of a former mobile home park. In 2023 (Legistar file 23-0419), ARC entered into agreement with the County to lease the upper parking lot.
The 2012 El Dorado County Parks and Trails Master Plan identified the Chili Bar site as a Tier One Priority and identified the need for the County to finalize a plan for this site. A Chili Bar Feasibility Study was prepared (Legistar file 21-1199) and based on findings, the Board directed staff to explore a concessionaire model for management of the site and discussed developing a process to refine the direction for the design features, services on site, and the scope of the amenities. In 2022, staff released a Request for Information (RFI) for operation at Chili Bar and the Board reviewed each of the three proposals received (Legistar file 22-2088) and appointed an ad hoc committee to determine a recommendation to the full Board.
Several site investigations with the prospective concessionaire were completed of the former mobile home park area in the upper section of Chili Bar, and as a result, it was determined that an in-depth site assessment would be needed to determine the infrastructure needs (including wastewater, water, and electrical), site layout, and costs.
At the request of the County Facilities Division, the Procurement and Contracts Division issued Request for Proposals (RFP) 23-918-072 for Professional Services including Civil Engineering. Six qualified responses were received for this category. Lebeck Engineering was selected for this work as the firm is local and has successfully completed projects at other County parks.
On February 26, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0198), the Board approved Agreement 8330 with Lebeck Engineering to evaluate the site and provide four feasible preliminary development options with deliverables to include site plans and cost estimates.
On July 16, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0716), the Board approved Amendment I to Agreement 8330 to update the scope of work to include the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) clerical and administrative requirements to Tasks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8. The amendment increased the total compensation amount of the Agreement by $12,570 for a new total not to exceed $108,323, with no change to the term.
The Division recommends approval of Amendment II to Agreement 8330 to extend the term of expiration date by one year from February 6, 2026, to February 6, 2027. Lebeck Engineering has completed the majority of the site plans and cost estimates but cannot complete the work until a final option has been approved. Currently the County has not identified funding for any of the options. The Parks Division is pursuing a grant that may provide enough funding for one option. If the Division is successful in receiving these grant funds, an item will be brought back to the Board seeking approval to move forward with that option which will allow Lebeck Engineering to complete this work. The amendment does not change the total compensation amount. The total remaining funds in Agreement 8330 are $19,692.50.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve Amendment II to Agreement 8330, which would prevent the contractor from completing work on the Chili Bar site plan project.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar file 06-1593 - October 3, 2006 - Chili Bar Acquisition Grant application
Legistar file 07-1306 - August 14, 2007 - Chili Bar Acquisition Negotiations
Legistar file 07-1390 - August 14, 2007 - Chili Bar Acquisition Negotiations
Legistar file 07-1550 - November 6, 2007 - Chili Bar Acquisition
Legistar file 19-1422 - November 21, 2019 - PRC Input on Feasibility Study SOW
Legistar file 20-0420 - June 23, 2020 - Chili Bar Feasibility Study Conceptual Approval
Legistar file 20-0859 - July 21, 2020 - Contract Approval for Chili Bar Feasibility Study
Legistar file 21-1199 - July 27, 2021 - Chili Bar Feasibility Study and RFI
Legistar file 22-1215 - July 26, 2022 - Chili Bar Lease Negotiations
Legistar file 22-2088 - December 6, 2022 - Chili Bar RFI Ad Hoc Committee
Legistar file 23-0419 - February 21, 2023 - ARC Chili Bar Park Lease and Updated Agreement
Legistar file 23-0771 - April 18, 2023 - Chili Bar FY 2023-24 Funding
Legistar file 23-0935 - May 16, 2023 - Chili Bar Food Truck License Agreement
Legistar file 24-0198 - February 6, 2024 - Chili Bar Lebeck Engineering Inc. Agreement
Legistar file 24-0601 - April 10, 2024 - Chili Bar Food Truck License Amendment
Legistar file 24-0716 - July 16, 2024 - Lebeck Engineering Inc. Agreement AMD I
Legistar file 25-0654 - April 8, 2025 - Reallocation of General Fund $1M funding
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Environmental Management, Facilities Division, Procurement and Contracts Division, County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 budget included $41,500 in General Fund to finish out this contract. Any unspent funds in FY 2025-26 will be carried over to the FY 2026-27 budget to complete the site plan work.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
CONTACT
Zachary Perras, Parks Manager