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RESOLUTION R-1415-105: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, APPROPRIATING $11,354.24 FROM THE CAPITAL FUND BALANCE TO BE ADDED TO THE 20% LOCAL SHARE REQUIRED BY THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE MCGEE DRIVE SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION PROJECT [FEDERAL-AID PROJECT STP-214C(033)AG, J/P NO. 301090(04).
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BACKGROUND: The 2012 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) federal transportation funding bill allocates approximately $20 Million in Federal funds per year for the implementation of eligible transportation improvements in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. New sidewalks along federal functionally classified roads are eligible for 80% federal funding.
On November 13, 2012, City Council adopted Resolution R-1213-69 requesting federal funds for the construction of sidewalks along McGee Drive, between State Highway 9 and Lindsey Street. The project was submitted to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) with a request to include it in the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). This request was approved in June of 2013 by both the Intermodal Technical and Policy Committees of ACOG. As a result, transportation federal funds to pay for 80% of the construction costs were secured in Federal Fiscal Year 2014.
The proposed project is one of the high priority projects identified in the Norman Sidewalk Completion Plan that was adopted with the City’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan on May 13, 2014. It fills critical gaps along one of the City’s more important multi-modal transportation corridors linking Monroe Elementary and Whittier Middle Schools to nearby residential and commercial areas. An aerial photo of the project area is included in Attachment No. 1 and the Norman Sidewalk Completion Map included in the Comprehensive Transportation Plan in Attachment No. 2.
In the resolution the City accepted the terms and conditions of a federally funded project by stating its willingness to assume the responsibility for the preparation of engineering plans, the purchase of any additional right-of-way, the relocation of public utilities and funding of the local share of the construction cost, which for this project is 20% of the construction. The project was submitted for consideration and is currently included in the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments’ (ACOG) 2012 Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP).
On August 26, 2014, City Council approved Contract K-1415-29 and Resolution No. R-1415-17 - the project’s Right-of-Way, Public Utility and Encroachment Agreement with ODOT.
Final plans for the new sidewalks were completed by Traffic Control Division staff in December of 2014 and were submitted to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) with a request to include the project in their April 16, 2015 bid opening. Construction is anticipated to begin in July of 2015 with completion of the work expected in late of Summer of 2015. The construction cost will be funded with 80% federal funds and 20% City funds.
On February 24, 2015, City Council approved Contract No. K-1415-107 and Resolution R-1415-81 - the project’s Maintenance Agreement with ODOT. During the same meeting, Council also authorized payment of $52,168 as the 20% local share of the project’s estimated cost of $250,000, which included 100% of the cost of a couple of items that are not eligible for federal funding participation (e.g., sprinkler system repairs and mailbox relocation).
Construction plans were developed in-house by the Traffic Control Division and submitted to ODOT for the April 16, 2015 bid opening.
DISCUSSION: ODOT opened bids on April 16, 2015 and the State Transportation Commission awarded the contract to the low bidder on May 4, 2015. The low bid of $272,403 by Rudy Construction Company of Oklahoma City plus the construction management and inspection fee of $16,164.18, or 6% of the construction cost, are slightly higher than the previous estimate used to calculate the City’s local match. For this reason, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is asking the City to provide an additional $11,354.24, or 20% of the difference between the final engineer’s estimate and the low bid amount.
Staff’s review of the low bid revealed that the majority of the increased cost can be attributed to two of the items: 4” Concrete Sidewalk and Solid Slab Sod. Unit prices for these items were 44% and 240% higher than the engineer’s estimate. Together they account for $37,450 of the $42,053 increase. ODOT and City staffs believe that these prices reflect recent increases in construction cost due to high market demand for these products.
Table 1 summarizes the previous and new cost figures and local share. Construction is scheduled to begin in July of 2015 and be completed by late summer of this year.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that Council authorize an appropriation from the Capital Fund balance in the amount of $11,354.24 to pay the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for the additional local share of the McGee Drive Sidewalk construction project, between State Highway 9 and south of Lindsey Street.
If approved, the following adjustment to the FYE 2015 budget will be made:
Losing Account: 050-0000-253.20-00 (Capital Fund Balance) - $11,354.24
Gaining Account: 050-9712-431.61-01 (McGee Sidewalks - SH 9 to Cherry Stone (Construction) Project No. TR0096 - $11,354.24