REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL March 7, 2019 FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department BY: RANDALL W. MORRISON, PE, Assistant Director Public Works Department, Engineering Division JESUS A. GONZALEZ, PE, Supervising Professional Engineer Public Works Department, Design Services Section SUBJECT ..Title Approve an agreement for professional planning services with Toole Design Group for $305,289 with a contingency of $20,000 for preparation of a feasibility plan for the expansion of Class I, multi-purpose trails (Citywide) ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of a professional services agreement with Toole Design for $305,289, with a contingency amount not to exceed $20,000, for the preparation of a feasibility plan for the expansion of Class I, multi-purpose trails and authorize the Public Works Director or designee to execute the Agreement on behalf of the City of Fresno. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On April 21, 2017, the City was awarded Sustainable Communities grant funds to be used for the development and preparation of an expansion feasibility plan of Class I, multi-purpose trails throughout the City. With this proposed contract, the consultant will prepare the necessary documents serving as the feasibility plan to prioritize corridors throughout the City, which may serve to expand the City's trail network. The scope of the project will include data collection, public outreach and preparation of the trail network expansion plan. Staff recommends approval of the agreement for the work resulting in the identification of viable projects, in underserved areas, for which the City may seek future grant funding for construction. BACKGROUND In its efforts to further expand the existing trail system, the City of Fresno applied for and was awarded Sustainable Communities grant funds. The funds will allow for a trail expansion plan to prioritize corridors which may be pursued for construction. The plan will prioritize corridors based on implementation of the previously adopted Active Transportation Prioritization Tool as well as the feasibility of construction. The scope of services under this agreement will be for implementation of the Active Transportation Prioritization Tool to identify and prioritize disadvantaged communities underserved by the existing trails system. Additional scope of services will include conducting of multiple community outreach events for public input to be incorporated into the prioritization identification process as well as creation of conceptual exhibits and feasibility analyses. Feasibility analyses will identify physical constraints and as well as potential costs necessary for construction of prioritized corridors. Staff received statements of qualifications from five consultants interested in providing services for this project. Ultimately, three consultants were short listed and interviewed in accordance with Administrative Order 6-19. Based on the interviews and statements of qualifications, staff has selected Toole Design and recommends approval of an agreement for a negotiated fee of $305,289, with a contingency amount not to exceed $20,000, for the preparation of the trail expansion feasibility documents. The City Attorney's Office has reviewed and approved the consultant agreement as to form. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, this item is not a project for the purposes of CEQA LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference was not implemented because of conditions of the Sustainable Communities Grant. FISCAL IMPACT The project will not impact the General Fund. This project is fully funded by the Sustainable Communities grant and Measure "C" Trails funding as the local match. The necessary appropriations for this contract and other indirect project costs are included in the adopted City budget for the current fiscal year. Attachment: Consultant Agreement