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Home My WebLink AboutPW Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Court and Brookdale Avenue Project____________________________________________________________________________________ FOR CITY CLERK ONLY Council Meeting: November 3, 2025 Disposition: Resolution 15473 Agenda Item No: 4.e Meeting Date: November 3, 2025 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Public Works Prepared by: Mariana Sanchez, Junior Engineer April Miller, Director of Public Works City Manager Approval: __________ TOPIC: LINCOLN AVENUE CORRIDOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT WILSON CT. AND BROOKDALE AVE. PROJECT SUBJECT: RESOLUTION REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR THE LINCOLN AVENUE CORRIDOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT WILSON CT AND BROOKDALE AVE PROJECT, CITY PROJECT NO. 11453 (“PROJECT”), AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO CALL FOR NEW BIDS RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution to reject all bids for the Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Court and Brookdale Avenue Project, City Project No. 11453 (“Project”), and authorize the City Clerk to call for new bids. BACKGROUND: In September 2022, City staff submitted two applications to Caltrans for the Local Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) for projects along Lincoln Avenue. The Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Ct and Brookdale Ave Project was awarded $250,000 in HSIP funds for preliminary engineering and construction with a reimbursement ratio of up to 90%. The City’s required funding match and remaining project cost are planned to be augmented by the City’s Gas Tax Fund (#206). On June 3, 2024, the City Council adopted a resolution approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute a Program Supplement Agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for $250,000 in Local HSIP State funds, Cycle 11, for the Project. To be eligible for HSIP funding, jurisdictions must have an approved Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) or an equivalent safety plan, such as a Systemic Safety Analysis Report (SSAR) or Vision Zero Action Plan. Prior to the City Council’s approval of the LRSP on April 2, 2024, the City of San Rafael satisfied this requirement through completion of the Marin County SSAR (2018). The SSAR analyzed Lincoln Ave as part of Marin County’s non-state arterial and collector network and identified it as having a medium to high collision severity index. Between 2017 and 2019, seven collisions occurred at Lincoln Ave and Brookdale Ave, and three at Lincoln Ave and Wilson Ct. These intersections SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 were identified as high priorities for the City of San Rafael due to their high crash rates and as key neighborhood connections to the regional SMART Trail and nearby schools. The Project consists of installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) and corner curb extensions (bulb-outs), upgrading curb ramps, resurfacing roadway, and enhancing roadway striping and curb markings at the intersections of Lincoln Ave and Brookdale Ave and Lincoln Ave and Wilson Ct. In March 2024, the City received an allocation letter from Caltrans confirming $34,830 in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds for the project's preliminary engineering phase. On September 19, 2024, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Project. The scope of work in the RFP included all elements from the grant application, with the addition of RRFBs to enhance safety. On January 29, 2025, the City entered into a Professional Services Agreement with Bennett Engineering Services, Inc. in the amount of $74,824 for engineering design services. The actual design costs were higher than originally estimated in the grant application due to cost escalation and rescoping of the Project to include RRFBs. As such, the City requested that Caltrans transfer funds from the construction phase to the preliminary engineering phase to supplement the cost difference. In February 2025, Caltrans issued a revised allocation letter confirming $67,347 in HSIP funds for the preliminary engineering phase. The City’s required funding match supplemented the remaining $7,477 amount. The project plans and specifications were finalized in July 2025, and HSIP construction funding was successfully obligated in September 2025. ANALYSIS: On September 8, 2025, the Project was advertised in accordance with San Rafael’s Municipal Code Chapter 11.50. At the bid opening on September 30, 2025, the following bids were received and read aloud. Name of Bidder Bid Total Vision Build Construction LCC $246,996.14 Altor Construction LCC $313.240.00 Ghilotti Bros., Inc $314,997.00 Bauman Landscape and Construction, Inc $337,200.00 CF Contracting $347,855.00 Sposeto Engineering Inc $354,581.00 DC Electric Group, Inc $368,522.00 John Boylan Engineering, Inc $448,283.50 On October 2, 2025, Altor Construction filed a formal bid protest against the lowest apparent bidder, Vision Build Construction LCC (“Vision Build”). Altor Construction claimed that Vision Build cannot successfully complete the Project because neither Vision Build Construction nor its subcontractors held the C-10 Electrical license necessary to install the proposed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). The Project scope involves civil and partial electrical work. The specifications only stated the need for a Class A - General Engineering Contractor license. Upon review of the submitted bid documents and bid protest statements by City staff, discrepancies and inconsistencies were found related to the contractor license requirements for the Project. SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3 According to the California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3 (Classifications), a C-10 Electrical Contractor “places, installs, erects or connects any electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, battery energy storage systems, photovoltaic solar energy systems or any part thereof, which generate, transmit, transform or utilize electrical energy in any form or for any purpose”. Because the Project involves the installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), which are solar-powered electrical devices, a C-10 Electrical Contractor’s license is required for this work. City staff recommends that City Council reject all bids received for this Project and authorize staff to re- advertise. Before re-advertising, the Project specifications will be revised to clearly state the specific licenses required to perform the work. This update will ensure that all future bidders meet the necessary qualifications. FISCAL IMPACT: If the City Council rejects the bid, there will be no fiscal impact. OPTIONS: The City Council has the following options to consider relating to this item: 1.Adopt a resolution as presented. 2.Do not adopt the resolution and provide further direction to staff. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution to reject all bids for the Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Court and Brookdale Avenue Project, City Project No. 11453 (“Project”), and authorize the City Clerk to call for new bids. ATTACHMENT: 1. Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 15473 RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR THE LINCOLN AVENUE CORRIDOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT WILSON CT. AND BROOKDALE AVE. PROJECT, CITY PROJECT NO. 11453 (“PROJECT”), AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO CALL FOR BIDS WHEREAS, on the 30th day of September 2025, pursuant to due and legal notice published in the manner provided by law, inviting sealed bids or proposals for the work hereinafter mentioned, as more fully appears from the Affidavit of Publication thereof on file in the office of the City Clerk of the City of San Rafael, California, the City Clerk of said City did publicly open, examine, and declare all sealed bids or proposals for doing the following work in said City, to wit: “Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Ct And Brookdale Ave Project” City Project No. 11453 (hereinafter referred to as the “Project”) in accordance with the plans and specifications, therefore, on file in the office of the Department of Public Works; and WHEREAS, the contract documents contained inconsistencies regarding the contractor license requirements; and WHEREAS, the San Rafael Municipal Code Section 11.50.100 states that the awarding authority has the sole discretion to reject all bids; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL RESOLVES as follows: 1. Rejects all bids and directs the City Clerk to readvertise the Project consistent with accompanying staff report. I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of said City on Monday, the 3rd day of November 2025, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None Lindsay Lara, City Clerk File No.: 16.01.314