To: Board of Directors Sonoma County Water Agency, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, South Park County Sanitation District, and Board of Supervisors Public Infrastructure
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, South Park County Sanitation District and Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Grant Davis 707-547-1900, Jimmie Griggs 707-322-8953
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SVCSD) Sewer Trunk Main Replacement Phase 5B (Johnson Avenue) Contract Award and Cooperative Funding Agreement
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt and approve the Project Manual and Drawings (“plans and specifications”) entitled “SVCSD Sewer Trunk Main Replacement Phase 5B (Johnson Avenue).”
B) Award the contract to Argonaut Constructors Inc. for $1,253,967 for construction of SVCSD Sewer Trunk Main Replacement Phase 5B (Johnson Avenue) and authorize the Chair to execute the contract.
C) Authorize the General Manager of Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) on behalf of Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (District) to sign Section 00 65 23 (Agreement and Release of Any and All Claims), with County Counsel review, if any unresolved claims are listed by the contractor.
D) Authorize the General Manager of Sonoma County Water Agency, acting on behalf of the District, and authorize the Director of Sonoma Infrastructure to execute a cooperative funding agreement in substantially the form as the draft presented to these Boards.
E) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution authorizing the General Manager of Sonoma County Water Agency acting on behalf of South Park County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, Occidental County Sanitation District, and Russian River County Sanitation District, and the Director of Public Infrastructure to execute funding agreements, in a form approved by County Counsel, without separate Board actions, provided that the aggregate reimbursement amounts are within the Board approved annual budgets for mutually beneficial capital and operations projects.
end
Executive Summary:
This item requests approval of a construction contract with Argonaut Constructors Inc. for $1,253,967 for construction of District’s Sewer Trunk Main Replacement Phase 5B (Johnson Avenue) project and approval of a cooperative funding agreement between the District and Public Infrastructure to reimburse District for paving and construction contract administration in the amount of $293,683. The item also requests delegated authority to establish future cooperative funding agreements to improve project implementation efficiency and coordination between Sonoma County Water Agency and/or the Sanitation Districts operated by Sonoma Water and Public Infrastructure.
Discussion:
During the 1995 restructuring of Sonoma County government, Sonoma Water assumed responsibility for managing eight sanitation zones and districts throughout the county including Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (District) which serves the City of Sonoma and the unincorporated areas of Agua Caliente, Boyes Hot Springs, Eldridge, El Verano, Fetters Hot Springs, Glen Ellen, Schellville, Temelec, and Vineburg. The District began operation in 1953, when much of the current collection system was installed. The original scale of the collection system was constructed for a service area that has since grown beyond the capacity for which it was originally designed, and the pipe degraded substantially. In an effort to mitigate these issues the District has replaced approximately 32,765 linear feet (6.24 miles) of trunk main and 152 manholes.
Despite the District’s efforts to upgrade the collection system, there were approximately 52 sanitary sewer overflows between August 2010 and January 2015. In response to the overflows, the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) issued a Cease-and-Desist order (CDO) on June 10, 2015, requiring replacement of at least 15,353 feet of sewer trunk main to address structural deficiencies and capacity limitations. The CDO required District to replace 7,108 feet of sewer trunk main by October 2022 and an additional 8,245 feet by October 2024. The District completed the October 2022 replacement requirement and in 2021 requested an extension to obtain necessary environmental permits, right-of-way, and funding. The RWQCB granted the extension request and set a revised deadline for replacing the remaining trunk main of October 2029.
The contract with Argonaut Constructors Inc. will partially fulfill the outstanding trunk main replacement requirement set forth in the CDO and complete the first segment of Phase 5B along Johnson Avenue. Work will include constructing 562 feet of 24-inch diameter trunk sewer and associated manholes and connections to existing sewer trunk lines (District Project) and approximately 2,160 square yards of asphalt paving (County Project) between the intersection of Lichtenberg Avenue and Johnson Avenue and the terminus of Johnson Avenue in unincorporated Boyes Hot Springs, California. The Work will also include replacement of three private laterals near the intersection of Ramon Steet and Highway 12. Work will be completed within 130 Days from the date when Contract Time commences to run with an estimated completion date of November 19th, 2026. Bidding Documents contain the full description of the Work.
During planning and design of District Project, District and Public Infrastructure identified additional efficiencies could be realized by combining the two projects. As such, Public infrastructure delayed implementation of the proposed 2025 Johnson Avenue Pavement Preservation Program improvements (County Project), and District expedited District Project design to minimize construction impacts to residents, reduce duplicate work and unnecessary expenditures for paving, and consolidate construction contract administration costs. District has incorporated Public Infrastructure’s paving components into the Project Manual and will be reimbursed for County Project elements, contingencies, and construction contract administration in accordance with the Cooperative Funding Agreement provided in Attachment 2.
Future opportunities to combine Public Infrastructure and Sonoma County Water Agency projects are expected to provide similar efficiencies and promote the efficient and effective use of public resources when delivering capital and operations projects. Staff is seeking delegated authority to execute future cooperative funding agreements between Public Infrastructure, Sonoma County Water Agency, and the sanitation districts managed by Sonoma County Water Agency, in a form approved by County Counsel, including modifications to indemnification language, without separate Board actions, provided that the aggregate reimbursement amounts are within the Boards’ approved annual budgets as further described in Attachment 1.
California Environmental Quality Act
The District approved the Collection System Replacement Project in 1999. This project consists of replacing or repairing approximately 26 miles of the collection system. The District then filed a Notice of Exemption (NOE) with the Sonoma County Clerk on June 9, 1999, for the District’s Collection System Replacement Project (Collection System Project), determining the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15302(c) Replacement or Reconstruction. The NOE was posted for the required statutory period. The project description consists of replacing or repairing approximately 26 miles of sanitary sewer collection pipeline. Sewer collection mains, manholes, and mainline cleanouts in various locations throughout the District’s Service Area would be replaced or repaired. The Project is being constructed in phases. The next phase of the Project is Reach 5B. In 2022, the District determined that Reach 5B of the approved Project continues to be exempt pursuant to categorical exemption Section 15302(c) Replacement or Reconstruction as determined in the 1999 NOE and that the categorical exemption is not barred by one of the exceptions set forth in Section 15300.2 since the preparation of the NOE. This is a typical sewer replacement and there are no unusual circumstances. The Project would not impact a scenic or historical resource or degrade the quality of the environment and would not result in any significant or cumulative adverse effect upon the environment.
The District approved the Sewer Trunk Replacement Project Reaches 4A, 4B, and 4C (Reaches 4A, 4B, and 4C Project) on January 29, 2019, adopting the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact (IS/MND), adopting mitigation measures and the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Plan/Program, making certain related findings, and authorizing the General Manager to file the Notice of Determination (NOD). The NOD was filed on January 29, 2025, with the Sonoma County Clerk and the State Clearinghouse (SCH #2018122008). The Ramon Street sewer lateral replacement activities were included in the Reaches 4A, 4B, and 4C Project.
Sonoma County Public Infrastructure determined that the Sonoma County 2025 Pavement Preservation Program (Program) was categorically exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Existing Facilities, and Section 15302, Replacement or Reconstruction. The NOE included Johnson Avenue within the roadways included in the Program. The Program was exempt as there would be no significant adverse impacts to resources, including biological and cultural resources. Sonoma County Public Infrastructure filed a NOE with the Sonoma County Clerk on April 1, 2025.
The execution of future funding agreements is a fiscal arrangement and is not a project subject to CEQA as defined in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4). The agreement will not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. Future projects identified to be potentially reimbursed under the agreement will be subject to future environmental review pursuant to CEQA as described in the agreement conditions.
Project Costs
The engineer’s estimate was $993,130. The Project was advertised for bids on February 26, 2026.
On April 7, 2026, one responsive and responsible bid of $1,253,967 was received and is from Argonaut Constructors, Inc. and is $260,837 above the Engineer’s Estimate. Argonaut Constructors, Inc. is experienced in this type of construction and met the experience requirements.
A contractor must execute a release of claims (Section 00 65 23) before final payment but may except any unresolved claims from the release. The requested action authorizes the General Manager to approve the release unless the contractor lists unresolved claims. In that case, County Counsel must review Section 00 65 23 prior to General Manager approval.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan:
Pillar: Resilient Infrastructure
Goal: Goal 3: Continue to invest in critical road, bridge, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure.
Objective: Objective 2: Increase investment by 5% annually on preventive maintenance on all road infrastructure/facilities.
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following goal, strategy, and action item.
Goal: 2. Planning and Infrastructure - Implement comprehensive, integrated, and innovative infrastructure planning to strengthen existing services, minimize life cycle costs, and prepare for the future.
Strategy: 2.1 Conduct planning that integrates and balances operational, maintenance, and infrastructure priorities.
Action Item: 2.3.2 Fund Capital Improvement Program budgets to meet infrastructure needs.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
See Attachment 3.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$1,312,704 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$1,312,704 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$1,312,704 |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$1,312,704 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Total Budgeted amount of $1,312,704, including $1,253,967 for construction agreement and $58,737 for Sonoma County Public Infrastructure (SPI) construction management and contingencies, is available from FY 2025/2026 appropriations in the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Construction Fund ($1,242,704) and FY 25/26 Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Operations Fund ($70,000). SPI will reimburse District up to $293,683 from FY 2025-26 Roads Capital (11051-34010103) appropriations, including $234,946 for SPI’s portion of the construction agreement and up to $58,737 for construction management and contingencies in accordance with the Cooperative Funding Agreement (Attachment 2).
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Resolution - Delegated Authority
Attachment 2 - Cooperative Funding Agreement
Attachment 3 - Prior Board Actions
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Project Manual and Drawings