To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Julie Lucido, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Ian Heid, Associate Civil Engineer
TITLE:
Title
Bridge Assessment & Repair Project
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution (1) adding the Bridge Assessment & Repair Project to the City’s Five-Year Capital Improvement Program, and (2) approving the use of $50,000 of the General Fund Contingency Reserves to fund an increase to the expenditure budget of the Capital Improvement Fund of $50,000 for the Project, as documented in Budget Adjustment Form No. BE2209503.
Body
DISCUSSION:
City staff have recently identified damage to City-owned bridges that have been caused by impacts from people at homeless camps that are located too close to the bridges. Over the last year, the City, Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and our contractor have focused efforts on reducing camps near bridges to prevent damage to the bridge structures and to the slope protection features (i.e., rip rap and established vegetation). The efforts have included outreach, camp clean up, and on-going monitoring at the bridge locations to discourage the reestablishment of camps at the First Street Bridge over the Napa River, the California Boulevard Bridge, the Jefferson Street Bridge, the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, and the Trancas Street Bridge.
Activities at the homeless camps have included some individuals moving significant amounts of dirt, displacing rip rap protection of the channel banks and abutment areas, and exposing bridge foundations. The resulting condition has left un-protected slopes and embankments which will be susceptible to scour upon the rise of the river and creek levels during heavy rainfall.
Additionally, City staff recently observed an informal rock bridge built from displaced rip rap below one of the bridges; this illicit crossing has resulted in a blockage of the waterway. The restoration of waterways impacted by homeless activities is also of concern and has been reported to the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District for their assessment.
City staff will need to proceed with a full assessment of the damage to develop repair plans. An engineering firm specializing in bridge design and scour protection will be hired to complete the condition documentation, review of the original design plans, prepare project recommendations, and design the repair. It is likely that the proposed slope protection measures for the repairs will be more robust than the original design to prevent future damages. Creation of the CIP project allows City staff to proceed with the initial assessment to develop preliminary project recommendations. Additional budget appropriations will be necessary to continue with the project after the full project scope of work is developed and the cost estimate is prepared. Staff will research the availability of grants to help support the bridge repair work once the scope is developed.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The City’s Fiscal Policy requires City Council approval of any Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Reserve. Furthermore, all transfers of appropriations require a completed Budget Adjustment Request Form, and City Council approval is required for a budget adjustment for a CIP project, any transfer between City funds, or any appropriation of fund reserves.
The Capital Improvement Fund’s expenditure budget will increase by $50,000. This request will add project BR22PW01 to the City’s 5-year Capital Improvement Program funded from the General Fund Contingency Reserve’s fund balance. If the Recommended Action is not approved, the Project will not be added to the City’s Five-Year Capital Improvement Program. The assessment of the bridges’ current conditions will not proceed.
CEQA:
The Public Works Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change in the environment.
However, the Recommended Action is part of a larger “project” that will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the “earliest feasible time” prior to “approval” consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections 15004 and 15352. The larger “project” consists of necessary repairs to various bridges, and staff plans to bring back a CEQA analysis of that project to Council prior to awarding a construction contract.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
EX A - Budget Adjustment No. BE2209503
NOTIFICATION:
None.