Council Agenda - City of Burbank

Tuesday, April 4, 2006

Agenda Item - 5

 

DATE: April 4, 2006
TO: Mary J. Alvord, City Manager
FROM:

Susan M. Georgino, Community Development Director

via Greg Herrmann, Assistant Community Development Director / City Planner

by David L. Kriske, Senior Planner
SUBJECT:

Professional Services Agreement with RBF Consulting for Engineering Services for Interstate 5 HOV / Empire Avenue Interchange Project

 

PURPOSE:

 

Staff is requesting City Council authorization for the City Manager to enter into a Professional Service Agreement (PSA) with RBF Consulting (RBF) in the amount of $89,640 to provide a conceptual study of City utility relocations required for the Interstate 5 HOV / Empire Avenue Interchange project.

 

BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS:

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has committed funding to complete the Empire Interchange as part of the larger Interstate 5 HOV Project between State Route 134 and State Route 170 in the City of Burbank.  To meet a projected construction start date of 2008,  Caltrans must complete design work of the interchange and railroad grade separation.  To complete the design process, an large number of City and private utilities must be identified and relocated to accommodate the various new ramps and grade separations that are required for the project. 

 

In order to meet MTA�s projected construction start date, this utility design work must be accelerated so that utility relocation can occur in 2007 prior to the actual project construction.  To meet this deadline, the City has agreed to assist Caltrans in the identification of utilities that will be affected by the project and provide a conceptual design of the City-owned utilities that must be relocated to accommodate planned street and interchange improvements.  Staff is requesting that RBF Consulting be retained to provide a conceptual study of the relocations required to accommodate improvements at Burbank Boulevard, Empire Avenue, Buena Vista Street, and along the proposed railroad grade separation at Buena Vista.  RBF will examine Caltrans� proposed designs to determine how they will impact the City�s utilities, including water, sewer, and storm drain infrastructure located in the project area.  Once utility impacts have been identified, RBF will work with City departments and Caltrans to develop conceptual designs for relocation of City utilities, and produce a conceptual design report that will be used to develop a final design for these utility improvements.  It should be noted that design of any City-owned electrical utility relocations for this project are not covered by this PSA and will be performed under a separate PSA to be presented to City Council for approval at a later date.

 

RBF Consulting is currently working with the City and Caltrans on the design of a storm water pump station that is required to process runoff from the new freeway ramps and underpass at Empire Avenue.  Thus, they are already very familiar with the scope of this project as well as the utility design challenges that must be addressed in order to construct this improvement.  In addition, they have extensive experience working with Caltrans on large freeway projects in Los Angeles and Orange County.  Because of their current involvement in the project, staff feels that they are uniquely qualified to perform this conceptual design work within the tight schedule that is required for Caltrans to meet the overall project deadlines.

 

MTA is providing funding for virtually all of the Empire Interchange, Metrolink railroad grade separation improvements, and utility relocations.  However, completing full design of the Empire Avenue interchange and railroad grade separation within the project deadlines, including the required utility relocations, is critical to ensure MTA continues to fund this improvement as part of the overall HOV project.  As such, staff feels that expenditure of funds to pay for these conceptual utility designs is necessary to ensure that the project design stay on schedule for a construction start of 2008. 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

To execute this PSA, $89,640 would be spent from the Empire Interchange Capital Improvement Program project account 127.CD33A.70002.0000.13608.  There are currently sufficient funds to cover this expenditure, and no budget amendment is required.

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Professional Services Agreement with RBF Consulting to perform a conceptual study and design of City utility relocations required for the Interstate 5 HOV / Empire Interchange Project.

 

LIST OF EXHIBITS:

 

Exhibit A:         Professional Services Agreement

 

 

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