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Approve a contract with Kjeldsen, Sinnock & Neudeck, Inc. for $364,364 for civil engineering services related to sewer relocation associated with the Downtown Justice Campus Security Project; and Delegate authority to the County Administrator or designee to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, and within the approved project budget
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of General Services recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a contract with Kjeldsen, Sinnock & Neudeck, Inc. (KSN) for $364,364 for civil engineering services related to sewer relocation associated with the Downtown Justice Campus Security Project; and
2. Delegate authority to the County Administrator or designee to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, and within the approved project budget.
SUMMARY:
The Downtown Justice Campus Security Project, as outlined in the County’s Capital Facilities Improvement Plan, is intended to prevent unauthorized vehicle and pedestrian access to secure areas on the east side of the Justice Campus in Fairfield by adding controlled access, fencing, and gates. A key component of the project involves requesting the City of Fairfield (City) to abandon the existing right-of-way in Clay Street, to expand the County’s ability to control access into and along Clay Street.
The City has indicated willingness to abandon Clay Street, provided existing public sewer easements on County property within the planned secure perimeter are addressed. Approval of the engineering services contract with KSN (Attachment A) will allow the completion of sewer relocation plans to eliminate these easements. This will facilitate the City’s abandonment of Clay Street and remove potential obstacles to future development on the east side of the Justice Campus.
Coordinating this work now will allow construction activities to align with other nearby project construction, reducing overall disruption to Justice Campus operations. Similarly, delegation of signing authority to the County Administration or designee for the contract and any amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, and within project budget will expedite the work effort. Staff will return to the Board to request funding for construction once design and cost estimates are complete.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The current funding included in the Downtown Justice Campus Security Project is $1,192,470. This funding was previously provided from the Capital Renewal Reserve Fund to fund the Project (BU 1981), with a remaining balance of approximately $381,279 for project engineering and design. A project budget summary is attached (Attachment B).
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The Downtown Justice Campus has very little access control for “back of house” staff and visitor parking lots, delivery loading docks, operational circulation areas and equipment storage, and the detention facility’s vehicle sally port. Currently, simple lift-arm gates control vehicular entry to parking areas. There are no other barriers preventing individuals or vehicles from entering or frequenting the site. Access to Clay Street is uncontrolled and is often used as shortcut by east- and southbound drivers to avoid traffic lights at Washington Street and Union Avenue. This uncontrolled access has resulted in ongoing safety concerns for the staff and visitors.
In 2022, Capital Projects Management Division began working with the Sheriff’s Office to develop a security solution. The proposed project would prevent unauthorized entry into the otherwise open parking areas east of the Law and Justice Center/Detention facility buildings. It includes access controls, fencing, and gates to secure the area. A key aspect of the project is expanding the County’s security control to include Clay Street.
However, before the secure perimeter can be extended to Clay Street, the City of Fairfield must approve abandonment of the Clay Street right-of way. A condition of the City’s approval is the elimination of certain public sewer easements currently located on County-owned property within the planned secure perimeter (Attachment C). Approval of KSN’s design services contract will allow the County to complete engineering plans for relocating these sewer lines, enabling elimination of the easements and satisfying the City’s condition. These relocations represent an initial step toward phased underground sewer relocation/re-engineering work for the security project, followed in later phases by aboveground security fencing, gates, and electronic access control components. Once sewer relocations are designed and cost estimates are prepared, staff will return to the Board to request construction funding.
In addition to addressing immediate needs along Clay Street, the engineering plans will also propose sewer improvements along Texas Street, Washington Street, and Union Avenue to eliminate further public sewer easements in the northern half of the Justice Campus, as well as under the County-owned portion of Delaware Street in the southwest quadrant. These improvements would help mitigate potential future development conflicts in the northern portion of the campus, and potential public easement conflicts along Delaware Street.
Ideally, sewer construction would coincide with other nearby planned underground construction to coordinate contractor mobilization and demobilization efforts, thereby minimize disruptions to Justice Campus operations.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The Board could choose not to approve the contract or delegate signing authority to County Administrator. This is not recommended because without engineering plans for sewer relocation, the County cannot meet the City of Fairfield’s condition for abandoning Clay Street, which is critical to secure the east side of the Downtown Justice Campus. Additionally, not delegating the signing authority may delay timely execution of contract and amendments, reducing flexibility and potentially impacting project coordination with other infrastructure work.
2. The Board could direct staff to omit the proposed inclusion of Clay Street within the access control perimeter. This is not recommended because control of access along Clay Street is important to the overall objective of better securing the east side of the Justice Campus from unauthorized entry, and the City of Fairfield has indicated willingness to abandon the right-of-way, provided certain conditions are met.
3. The Board could direct staff to exclude sewer relocation engineering or construction. This is not recommended because the proposed sewer relocation work would eliminate public sewer easements on County property, which otherwise prevent the City’s abandonment of Clay Street and other potential future development within the Downtown Justice Campus.
4. The Board could cancel the Downtown Justice Campus Security project. This is not recommended because this would leave existing safety and security vulnerabilities unaddressed, which the Project is specifically designed to mitigate.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Sheriff’s Office, Resource Management Department, local Courts, City of Fairfield Public Works, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District, and Pacific Gas & Electric have all contributed to the development of the proposed security plan and/or sewer relocation concepts. County Counsel has reviewed the contract as to form.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION