Title
Request to Authorize Town Manager to Extend Contract with Wetherill Engineering for Preliminary Engineering Services for the Jones Creek Greenway.
PURPOSE: [The purpose of this agenda item is to authorize the Town Manager to extend the contract with Wetherill Engineering to complete the bid documents and participate in the bid process for the Jones Creek Greenway. ]
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Department
DEPARTMENT: Planning and Finance Departments
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Contact
CONTACT INFORMATION: Christina Moon, Planning Administrator, 919-918-7325, cmoon@carrboronc.gov <mailto:cmoon@carrboronc.gov>; Patricia McGuire, Planning Director, 919-918-7327, pmcguire@carrboronc.gov <mailto:pmcguire@carrboronc.gov>; Arche McAdoo, Finance Director, 919-918-7300, amcadoo@carrboronc.gov <mailto:amcadoo@carrboronc.gov> ]
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Council Direction
COUNCIL DIRECTION:
____ Race/Equity _X___ Climate _X__ Comprehensive Plan __X_Other
Council Direction Statement
[Completion of the Jones Creek Greenway, a transportation infrastructure project identified in the Comprehensive Plan and Bike Plan will provide an off-road bike/pedestrian facility to allow children to walk, bike and roll to Morris Grove Elementary School, with their families, thereby advancing the Town’s goals toward climate action. ]
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Information
INFORMATION: [On June 27, 2017, the Board of Aldermen awarded a contract to Wetherill Engineering for preliminary design services for the Jones Creek Greenway, an approximately 70-foot bridge and paved greenway trail between Lake Hogan Farm Road and the County’s Twin Creeks Greenway. Design is more than 90-percent complete. The Categorical Exclusion document, which evaluates a project for potential environmental impacts has been approved by the Federal Highway Administration, and staff is working with the Town Attorney to finish the necessary easements. Challenges associated with NCDOT’s funding issues which put transportation projects on hold, COVID-19, followed by the retirement of NCDOT’s Division 7 lead project manager have led to some unanticipated delays in certain aspects of the project, and additional time is needed to complete the bid documents (construction plans, specification manual, and associated permits). A contract extension is required for Wetherill Engineering to complete the work.
The Town submitted a NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) amendment request to add local discretionary funds to the project last summer to increase the budget to match the Engineer’s Estimate. Staff is working with the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) and NCDOT to confirm that the additional funding has been added to the project budget, and anticipates bringing a capital project ordinance amendment at a future meeting, prior to advertising the project for bid. ]
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Fiscal and Staff Impact
FISCAL IMPACT: The amendment is necessary to extend the contract period to align with the current project timeline. No additional costs are anticipated at this time.
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Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: The Town Manager recommends that the Town Council consider the resolution (Attachment A) authorizing the Town Manager to execute a contract extension for Wetherill Engineer.
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