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Department of Transportation recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the First Amendment to competitively bid Agreement for Services 6996 with Nichols Consulting Engineers, Inc., increasing compensation by $54,695 for a new amount of $314,630 and no change to the term expiring April 4, 2026, to provide geotechnical and environmental review services for the South Tahoe Greenway - Upper Truckee River Bridge at Johnson Meadow Project, Capital Improvement Program project number 36107023.
(District 5)
FUNDING: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Air Quality Mitigation Funds (1%), Regional Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (7.5%), To Be Determined (91.5%), (Local and Federal Funds). Funding for the environmental and geotechnical phase of the project is fully funded with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Air Quality Mitigation Funds (11.5%) and Regional Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding (88.5%). Funding for the construction phase is to be determined and will be a combination of local and federal funds.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The South Tahoe Greenway - Upper Truckee River Bridge at Johnson Meadow Project (Project) will build upon the South Tahoe Greenway shared use path network through the south shore of Lake Tahoe. The Project aims to construct approximately 1.2 miles of a Class 1 shared-use path and replace a bridge over the Upper Truckee River that was heavily used before its destruction by the 2017 winter storms. The Project will provide active transportation users a critical link between the commercial area near Barton Hospital to the west and Lake Tahoe Community College and the Tahoe Sierra neighborhood to the east. The Project will also add another link in the South Tahoe Greenway that will eventually connect Meyers with Van Sickle Bi-State Park at Stateline, Nevada.
On April 4, 2023 (Legistar File 23-0339), the Board approved competitively bid Agreement for Services #6996 (Agreement) with Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE) to provide environmental, geotechnical, and design support services for the Project. This proposed First Amendment expands the scope of work, increases the compensation by $54,695 for a new not-to-exceed amount of $314,630, and updates contract language per California Department of Transportation federal funding requirements.
The Department of Transportation (Transportation) is requesting this Amendment due to recent input from Caltrans. New tasks have been added to the current scope of work and additional compensation is required to perform them. Additional scope required by Caltrans includes developing an Extended Phase I (XPI) work plan approach, conducting XPI fieldwork, preparing and updating the Archaeological Study Report, preparing an Environmentally Sensitive Area Action Plan, preparing a Finding of Effect Report, and preparing the Historic Property Survey Report.
The following Articles have been updated or added to match Caltrans standard language for the Amendment:
ARTICLE II, Compensation for Services;
ARTICLE V, Allowable Costs and Payments;
ARTICLE VII, Costs Principles and Administrative Requirements;
ARTICLE VIII, Retention of Records/Audit;
ARTICLE IX, Audit Review Procedures;
ARTICLE XIII, Conflict of Interest;
ARTICLE XVI, Non-Discrimination Clause and Statement of Compliance;
ARTICLE XXI, Ownership of Data;
ARTICLE XXIV, Consultant to County;
ARTICLE XXV, Confidentiality;
ARTICLE XLIV, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Participation;
ARTICLE LXII, Electronic Signatures; and
ARTICLE LXIII, Title IV Assurances;
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the Amendment. Transportation would make changes as requested and return to the Board for approval. This would increase the cost of the Project and delay construction.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar File 23-0339
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Procurement and Contracts, County Counsel, Human Resources, and Risk Management
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to net County cost resulting from the approval of the proposed Amendment. Funding for the environmental and geotechnical phase of the project is fully funded with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Air Quality Mitigation Funds and Regional Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding. Funding for the construction phase is to be determined and will be a combination of local and federal funds. Funding for the Project is included in Transportation’s 2024 CIP, which was approved by the Board on June 18, 2024 (Legistar File 24-0838).
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on one (1) original of the Amendment.
2) The Clerk of the Board will forward one (1) fully-executed original of the Amendment to the Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division, for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation