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RESOLUTION NO R-1213-106: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, APPROPRIATING $357,863.00 FROM THE CAPITAL FUND BALANCE RECEIVED AS REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO BE APPLIED TO THE ROBINSON STREET GRADE SEPARATION PROJECT CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNT.
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BACKGROUND: The Robinson Street Underpass Project is a General Obligation Bond Project that was approved by the voters in March, 2005. The project boundaries are approximately 500 feet west of Flood Avenue to 500 feet east of Stubbeman Avenue. The City secured federal funding for the project from four sources: (1) the Transportation and Community and System Preservation (TCSP) Program, (2) two line items in the SAFETEA-LU legislation, which was signed into law by the President of the United States in 2005, (3) Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) and (4) Stimulus Funding.
On October 25, 2005, City Council approved Contract K-0506-82, a project agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) in order to secure federal funds for the Robinson Street Underpass project. This project removed the at-grade railroad crossing on Robinson Street by rebuilding Robinson Street underneath a new railroad bridge. This project also provided additional turn lanes at the intersections of Flood Avenue/Robinson Street and Stubbeman Avenue/Robinson Street. On December 22, 2009, Council approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. K-0506-82, a Project Agreement with ODOT for the construction of the Robinson Street Grade Separation Project. The estimated construction cost was $17,359,147.
The bids for this project were opened on February 18, 2010 and they came in lower than expected. The construction cost of the project based on the bids was $15,718,915. On May 14, 2010, Council approved Contract K-0910-174, a revised construction contract with ODOT reducing the City's required match based on the bids received. Construction of the project began in June 2010. The project was substantially complete by the end of November 2012.
DISCUSSION: Contract No. K-0506-82 provided for reimbursing the City for the engineering cost associated with the project. Staff had requested, and ODOT paid three separate reimbursements. See Attachment A for reimbursements of engineering design fees previously paid by the City to HNTB Corporation. The reimbursement payments were mistakenly deposited into the Capital Fund Balance instead of the project account. This action will place the funds into the project account to be available for the final close-out of the project finances.
The current construction cost estimate of $ $17,591,936.37 has the City share of the project underfunded by an estimated amount of $300,000 to $400,000. Transferring the previous reimbursements from the capital fund balance to the project account will reduce the current unfunded balance to less than $50,000. The total final project cost is currently estimated to be $25,388,248.21. The final audit of the project by ODOT officials will take place over the next couple of years.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends appropriating $357,883 from the Capital Fund Balance, (Account No. 050-0000-253.20-00) to the Capital Fund, Robinson Street Underpass Construction (Account No. 050-9065-431.62-01) Project No. BP0203.