By Charles M. Kelly
The City Council on Tuesday, April 21, authorized staff to request proposals for drilling services for a geotechnical study to support the project. The city manager was authorized to negotiate with the lowest bidder up to $150,000. The unanimously council approved the request. (Councilmember Michael Ponce was absent.)
The council was expected to award the stage 1 project design to Anderson Burton Construction, Inc. However, during the meeting, City Manager David Maistros told the council that the city had received a protest. He said until staff had time for the protest to be heard, they were asking the council not to act on that matter.
Drilling required for geotechnical study
“ENGEO, Inc. performed a geotechnical investigation of the Cabrillo Mole Multimodal Transportation Hub in September 2021. In order to begin the Cabrillo Mole Revitalization Project, the City must provide the selected Cabrillo Mole Revitalization Project contractor an updated geotechnical study that reflects current building code standards as well as the current geotechnical conditions of the substructure of the Cabrillo Mole,” according to the staff report by Senior Management Analyst Devin Hart and City Engineer Robert Greenlaw.
“In order for any geotechnical engineer to perform an analysis, exploration pits must be drilled
from the Cabrillo Mole’s surface,” Hart and Greenlaw wrote.
“City Staff estimate drilling services to cost approximately $150,000. Avalon Municipal Code Section 3-4.205 requires public projects between $60,001 and $200,000 to be contracted by informal bid procedure. To mitigate the impact during the visitor season, time is of the essence. City Staff plan to develop and solicit a request for proposals from qualified firms for 15 days as required by the AMC [Avalon Municipal Code],” Hart and Greenlaw wrote.
“If the City does not receive any bids responsive to the request, or if the lowest responsive bid is greater than $150,000, City Staff will return to City Council for further direction,” Hart and Greenlaw wrote.
