To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Transportation and Public Works
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz 707-565-2231
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth District
Title:
Title
2020 Northwest Hazard Tree and Vegetation Removal Project, M21901
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Approve the project plans and specifications for the 2020 Northwest Hazard Tree and Vegetation Removal Project, M21901.
B) Award construction contract for M21901 to low bidder, Kingsborough Atlas Tree Surgery, Inc., in the amount of $301,025.00, and authorize the Chair to execute the contract.
C) Approve a 10% construction contingency in the amount of $30,102.50, for a total contract amount not to exceed $331,127.50.
(Fifth District)
end
Executive Summary:
On August 3, 2018, Sonoma County was awarded a $1,082,969 grant from the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for the Northwest Roadway Safety, Fuels Reduction, and Community Chipper and Engagement Project (“Project”). The Project includes the following elements: removal of hazardous trees and vegetation along County Roads, community chipping services and outreach and education. The Department of Transportation and Public Works (TPW) is the lead agency for the Project (in partnership with the Fire Prevention Division of Permit Sonoma and Fire Safe Sonoma, Inc.) with a not to exceed budget of $1,237,541 including a local match of $154,572. The local match included a $131,300 contribution from the County’s General Fund in FY 2018-19 ($110,300 for a chipper and truck purchased in September 2019 and $21,000 for maintenance and fuel costs) as well as $23,272 of in kind volunteer labor tracked by Fire Safe Sonoma.
The actions requested in this item support the 2018 Sonoma County Recovery and Resiliency Framework goal of improving community preparedness and infrastructure by:
1. Approving the plans and specifications for the removal of hazardous trees and vegetation along five Northwest County roads, and
2. Awarding and authorizing the Chair to execute the construction contract with Kingsborough Atlas Tree Surgery, Inc., in the amount of $331,127.50, which includes a 10% construction contingency.
Discussion:
Through the California Climate Investments Fire Prevention Grant Program, CAL FIRE is funding efforts to:
1. Reduce the risk of wildland fires to habitable structures and communities
2. Maximize carbon sequestration in healthy wildland habitat, and
3. Minimize the uncontrolled release of carbon emissions by wildfires.
In support of these goals, CAL FIRE has approved the Project for Sonoma County that focuses on critical County roads in the communities of Cazadero, Timber Cove, Guerneville, Rio Nido, and Monte Rio (See Location Map). These communities reside in an area of the County designated by Cal Fire as a high Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) within a State Responsibility Area (SRA). This designation was part of the grant award criteria as the State of California assumes financial responsibility for wildland fire protection in these areas. Based on this designation, TPW and Sonoma County Fire identified critical ingress/egress routes and contracted with Dudek Environmental to identify hazardous trees in the public right of way in need of removal.
The primary goal of the Project is to expand the scale and pace of hazardous tree and fuel removal along public roads in order to: decrease potential roadside fire starts, improve outcomes of initial fire suppression efforts, prevent the rapid, uncontrolled acceleration of fires in the project area, and improve safe ingress and egress of first responders and the public in the event of fire. In addition to the fuel reduction efforts the grant will fund a public education campaign in order to increase community support for defensible space, structural hardening, and the need for fuel reduction adjacent to roads and power lines.
The Project includes the following elements to accomplish its goals:
1. Prioritize approximately 30 miles of road out of the 83 miles of public road within the project area that serve as emergency egress/ingress routes.
2. Removal of approximately 344 dead, dying and hazardous trees and vegetation along approximately 30 miles of County roads totaling 73 acres to create shaded fuel breaks. Mature healthy trees will be retained for best carbon sequestration.
3. Free community curbside chipping services for private properties to encourage property owners to create defensible space.
4. Outreach and education
a. Community meetings - In partnership with local fire agencies, project partners, and stakeholder groups, Fire Safe Sonoma, Inc. will discuss the project, teach fire wise and defensible space principles, and encourage the formation of fire safe councils.
b. Events - Project partners will staff booths at local events providing wildfire safety information.
c. Home Assessments - 100 defensible assessments will be conducted to educate and encourage property owners to implement defensible space best practices on their properties.
The Project will take place over a 3-year period ending in March 2022.
The actions requested in this item relate to the second goal listed above. TPW requests that the Board approve the plans and specifications for the removal of hazardous trees and vegetation along five Northwest County roads, as well as award and authorize the Chair to execute the construction contract.
The proposed contract will include removal of 344 trees; pruning of 14 trees; and clearing of brush, grasses, and weeds within the public road right of way along the following roads:
• Fort Ross Road from Meyers Grade Road to Cazadero Highway
• Old Cazadero Road from Cherry Street to 19555 Old Cazadero Road
• Rio Nido Road from Armstrong Woods Road to Canyon 7 Road
• Hauser Bridge Road from Seaview Road to Tin Barn Road
• King Ridge Road from Tin Barn Road to Cazadero Highway
The project was advertised for bids from August 5 to September 10, 2020.
Bids were opened on September 10, 2020.
Base Bids were received as follows:
Kingsborough Atlas Tree Surgery, Inc. …… $173,750.00……($301,025.00 including alternates)
ArborWorks, Inc. …………………………………….$188,220.60……($320,215.26 including alternates)
Arborist Now, Inc. …………………………………$194,500.00 …….($319,150.00 including alternates)
Mountain F Enterprises, Inc. …………………. $293,500.00……($479,950.00 including alternates)
West Coast Arborist, Inc. ………………………. $326,100.00….… ($617,300.00 including alternates)
KDF Enterprises, LLC ……………………………... $408,094.00……. ($651,945.00 including alternates)
Bay Area Tree Specialist ………………………... $420,551,55……($732,161.08 including alternates)
The Professional Tree Care Company ……$875,000.00….....($1,569,000.25 including alternates)
The Engineer’s Estimate (Base Bid) for the project was $332,450.00. The Engineer’s Estimate for the Grand Total, including all alternates, was $546,050.00.
The low bid of $173,750.00 was 48%, or $158,700.00 below the Engineer’s Estimate. The second bid was $188,220.60, 8% above the low bid. The average bid price was $359,964.52, 8% greater than the Engineer’s Estimate. The major differences between the bid and estimate are the costs for the traffic control item, the clearing and grubbing item, and the tree removal: 12” to 23.99” diameter item.
In accordance with Public Contract Code Section 20128, the contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.
Kingsborough Atlas Tree Surgery, Inc. is experienced in performing tree removal and trimming work. They have been licensed since 1993 and have completed work for the County before.
TPW recommends awarding the contract to Kingsborough Atlas Tree Surgery, Inc., for the base bid plus alternative bid A and B, which is tree and vegetation removal on Hauser Bridge Road and King Ridge Road. The total not-to-exceed cost of this construction contract is $331,127.50 including 10% for construction contingency.
Prior Board Actions:
7/23/2019: Board approved agreement for outreach and education portion of the Northwest Roadway Safety, Fuels Reduction, and Community Chipper Program and Engagement Project CAL FIRE grant.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 20-21 Adopted |
FY21-22 Projected |
FY 22-23 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$331,127.50 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$331,127.50 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$331,127.50 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$331,127.50 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
One hundred percent of the funding for the tree and vegetation removal portion of the Project completed by Kingsborough Atlas Tree Surgery, Inc. is from the CAL FIRE grant. Appropriations were included in the FY 2020-21 Adopted Roads Division Maintenance budget. The local match portion of this grant was satisfied by a contribution from the County’s FY 2018-19 General Fund budget which was used to purchase a truck and chipper for PRMD Fire Prevention in FY 2019-20.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Location Map
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Plans and Specifications, Bid Book, Special Provisions, Addenda