REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL March 18, 2021 FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department BY: MIGUEL RAMIREZ, Community Coordinator Public Works Department, Landscape Maintenance Division SUBJECT ..Title Actions related to the Freeway Litter Abatement Project: 1. ***RESOLUTION - 68th Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2020-159 Appropriating $197,000 from the California Department of Transportation for the Freeway Litter Abatement Project (Requires 5 votes) (Subject to Mayor's veto) 2. Approve Contract Change Order No. 2 to the Highway Litter Control Contract with Landscape Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption Co, in the amount of $195,194, increasing the total FY21 contract amount to $512,070. ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends City Council adopt the 68th amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) No. 2020-159 in order to receive $197,000 of additional funding from Caltrans; and approve Contract Change Order No. 2, in the amount of $195,194, with Landscape Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption Co for the Highway Litter Control, to increase service frequency to four times per month on all four State highways through June 30, 2021. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Caltrans has extended the opportunity to the City of Fresno to receive an additional $197,000 for highway litter control, to be expended between now and July 1, 2021. Staff has negotiated a contract change order with our current vendor, Landscape Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption Co., in the amount of $195,194, to increase service frequency to four times per month on all four State highways. The vendor will add a second all-local litter control crew to provide these services. Currently State Routes 41 and 99 are cleaned two times per month, so this change order will increase the level of service to four times per month on all four State highways. Similarly, State Routes 168 and 180 are cleaned once per month, so this change order will increase service dramatically to four times per month. Time is of the essence in order to mobilize the local workforce and begin these new service cycles, to expend the fund prior to the July 1, 2021 deadline. Staff recommends Council approval in order to utilize these State dollars and greatly improve our community. BACKGROUND On January 16, 2020, City Council approved a contract with Landscape Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption Co. for $197,376 to provide monthly highway litter control along California State Routes 41, 99, 168 and 180 throughout City of Fresno (City) limits. On May 14, 2020, City Council approved a City-initiated contract change order for $119,500 to utilize savings in available funding to increase litter control from one time per month to two times per month, for a total of twenty-four times per year on Highways 41 and 99. The City has been regularly working with Caltrans and seeking additional funding and resources to deal with the serious problems along our freeways. Staff is pleased to report that Caltrans has made an additional $197,000 available to be spent between now and July 1, 2021. Staff has negotiated a contract change order with our current vendor, Landscape Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption Co., in the amount of $195,194, to increase to four times per month litter control services on all four State highways. The additional one-time funding will allow Landscape Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption Co to hire an additional local crew and ramp up litter removal service to provide this enhanced service for the months of April, May, and June in 2021. Actual work began on the Highway Litter Control Program on March 9, 2020, with monthly clean-up service of State Routes 41, 99, 168 and 180. Service was increased in May 2020 to two clean-up cycles per month on State Routes 41 and 99. Through the end of February 2021, the Highway Litter Control team picked up 8,406 bags of litter, equating to approximately 69 tons of trash along freeways in the City of Fresno. The standard annual program has full funding available as previously approved by the Council, which includes outside funding from Measure "C" and Caltrans District 6. The City of Fresno provides a local match of $100,000, Fresno County Transportation Authority contributes $100,000, and Caltrans contributes $200,000 for the total of $400,000 in support of the Highway Litter Program. In a parallel effort, staff is pursuing efforts to incorporate homeless individuals into the clean-up effort, consistent with previous Council direction. Staff is also working with Caltrans on a draft agreement to utilize Adult Offender Work Program (AOWP) workers for additional clean-up and light weeding efforts at freeway interchanges. The Department's goal is to return to Council with both of these items by the end of the fiscal year, although AOWP workers will very likely not be available until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted for multiple individuals being transported together in a vehicle. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15378, this is not a project as defined by CEQA LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference was not implemented because this change is to an existing construction contract. FISCAL IMPACT There will be no impact to the General Fund associated with the recommended action. Attachment: Resolution (AAR) Caltrans Amendment Letter Change Order No. 2