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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-07-20 City Council (9)City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO: FROM: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DATE:JULY 20, 1998 CMR:290:98 SUBJECT: STATUS OF EMERGENCY INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR This is an informational report and no Council action is required. DISCUSSION Heavy rainfall during the early part of February 1998 caused extensive infrastructure damage to culverts, roadways and utilities. In order to perform essential repairs, sole-source contracts were established with two construction firms and a geotechnical engineering consultant, as first reported to Council on February 23, 1998 (CMR:143:98) and later on April 6, 1998 (CMR: 185:98). The purpose of this report is to provide Council with the current status and cost of the emergency repairs supervised by the Public Works Department. The following projects have been completed: ¯Removal of fallen trees from San Francisquito Creek. ¯Repairs to damaged drainage culverts in the Arastradero Preserve. ’ ¯Repairs to the roadway and creek embankment on Los Trancos Road - Los Trancos Creek had eroded the road shoulder and was undermining the road. ¯Embankment and roadway repair on Palo Alto Avenue between Tasso and Webster Streets - The roadway was undermined when a large eucalyptus tree fell into San Francisquito Creek, resulting in a lane closure. ¯Construction of a retaining wall and repair of the roadway along 100 linear feet of Page Mill Road, approximately three miles above the entrance to Foothills Park - A slide had caused the downhill traffic lane to move several feet and the lane had to be closed to traffic. ¯Repair of a collapsed storm drain near the pedestrian tunnel at the University Avenue Caltrain station -localized flooding had occurred near the western Caltrain pedestrian tunnel. In addition to the above completed projects, work will begin on the following projects in the Arastradero Preserve in July 1998: °Repairs to two damaged drainage culverts and the adjoining roadway, CMR:290:98 Page 1 of 3 which provide access to a water storage tank used to supply fire trucks, if needed. While still serviceable, repairs should be made before the coming winter in order to prevent a potential road closure. Design and construction of a small bridge to replace a culvert that was destroyed during the February storms. The destroyed culvert had provided the only creek crossing from the main Preserve entrance toward the dam. A temporary pedestrian bridge has been installed that is not wide enough to accommodate service vehicles or equestrians. As a result, equestrians are crossing the creek at other locations, which presents safety concerns and has resulted in additional erosion along the creek banks. The bridge design is part of the Arastradero Dam Improvements Project, Capital Improvement Project No. 19102. The consultant’s preliminary report on the feasibility of this project is nearing completion, and the findings will be used in the bridge design, which will be evaluated for any necessary Architectural Review Board approvals. In addition to the above projects, Staff is reviewing, alternatives to repair damaged basements at Lucie Stem Center, Children’s Theater, Main Library and Cultural Center. The concrete floors in the basements of Lucie Stem and Children’s Theatre were uplifted due to pressure from the rising groundwater. As a result, the floor slabs will probably need to be replaced, and larger sump pumps installed. The Main Library and Cultural Center had water infiltration through several large cracks in the basement floors. The recommended repair for these two sites is to pressure-seal the cracks with epoxy. The estimated fee for all four locations is $400,000 to $500,000, depending upon the amount of Uniform Building Code and Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades that will be required. RESOURCE IMPACT The majority of the repairs and costs to respond to the emergency were funded through an allocation authorized by the City Council as part of the FY 97-98 Mid-Year Report. At that time, $1.3 million was appropriated from the Reserve for Emergencies to the General Fund. This funding has been utilized to cover a variety of expenses incurred to date, including the emergency contract work already completed. Funds remain in this authorization to cover the remaining repairs at the Arastradero Preserve. These repairs are estimated to cost $110,000. Funding for the repair of the basements has not been appropriated. There is sufficient funding in the FY 98-99 Public Works Budget to front the contract expenses for any repairs in the short term. Staff intends to return to Council with the FY 98-99 Mid-Year Report to request additional funding needed as a result of the storm damage which cannot be supported within the departments’ FY 98-99 budgets. The current estimates for the repairs of the damaged basements of the Main Library, Cultural Center, Lucie Stem and Children’s Theatre are between $400,000 to $500,000. CMR:290:98 Page 2 of 3 Staff is in the process of preparing an informational staff report regarding the costs incurred in responding to the storm, and an estimate of what portion of these costs appear to be eligible for reimbursement from FEMA. This report will be forwarded to Council in August. The costs for the emergency repair work at the Arastradero Preserve have been submitted for reimbursement from FEMA, and this request is currently under review. Staff believes the majority of the costs for these repairs will be reimbursed, and will also request reimbursement from FEMA for the repair of the basements. Power Engineering under an existing contract, has completed the infrastructure repairs discussed in this report, and will also be responsible for work required on the Arastradero Preserve. In addition to these repairs, Power Engineering has been retained to assist staff in the preparation of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Damage Survey Reports (DSRs) for several smaller sites throughout the City, at an estimated cost of $10,000. The DSRs which are submitted by the City to FEMA, are a critical part of the cost- reimbursement process and outline the damage incurred and provide a detailed breakdown of repair methods and costs. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Emergency infrastructure repairs are being accomplished through the use of emergency sole- source contracts authorized by the City Manager. TIMELINE The emergency construction projects in the Arastradero Preserve are expected to be complete by the end of November 1998. The timeline for the basements will not be established until the scope of work is developed. The goal, however, is to begin construction no later than October 1998. PREPARED BY: Karen Bengard, Senior Engineer DEPARTMENT HEAD: ~~ GLENN S. CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: JUNE FLEMING City Manager CMR:290:98 Page 3 of 3