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Council Meeting - July 18, 2024
Below is a summary of the agenda and (when available) minutes of the City Council Meeting on the above date. While the summary is believed to be accurate, that is not guaranteed. The current City Council meeting agenda and detailed agenda packet can be found on the Town's website.
Agenda Highlights
7. CONSENT CALENDAR (A consent calendar is a means of handling a number of routine matters with one motion and vote, and no discussion. These items can be removed from the group and considered separately at the request of a Council Member or a member of the public.)
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This month there are several items of note on the consent calendar:
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I. Resolution Awarding a Construction Contract for the 2024 Pavement Rehabilitation and Drainage Improvement Project to O’Grady Paving, Inc. (Staff: W. Kim)
Despite receiving only a single bid, award a construction contract to O’Grady Paving, Inc. for $1,227,239 and approve a project contingency fund of $120,000. Bid was less than engineer’s estimate. Approximately 4.5 miles of road pavement are included in this year’s pavement rehabilitation and drainage improvement project. List of street segments and type of treatment for each street can be found here:
https://losaltoshillsca.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3564/files/attachment/11301
J. Resolution Rejecting All Bids Received for the Matadero Creek Restoration and Bank Stabilization Project and Approving an Amendment to the Consultant Services Agreement with ENGEO for Additional Services (Staff: W. Kim)
Reject all bids received for the Matadero Creek Restoration and Bank Stabilization Project and approve a $100,700 amendment to the consultant services agreement with ENGEO for additional services related to regulatory agencies permitting and updates to the Plans for a rebid.
In 2009, Matadero Creek eroded a section of the embankment adjacent to the southbound lane of Page Mill Road. The project includes:
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stabilizing the creek bank by installing a new 74-foot-long soldier pile wall with thirteen piles, 36-inch in diameter, drilled along the western edge of Page Mill Road.
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grading and installing riprap along the creek bed to restore the flow channel of the creek downstream of the Matadero Creek bridge crossing.
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removing and replacing the existing guardrail and adding new portions of guardrail to replace the existing K-rail along the Page Mill Road right-of-way.
In 2014, the Town hired ENGEO to provide engineering design, facilitate regulatory permit requirements, and coordinate with Caltrans. Ten years later, in May 2024, the City Council approved the Plans for both the Matadero Creek Restoration and Bank Stabilization and Offsite Mitigation Planting and Fencing Projects and authorized advertising for bids.
Town received four bids ranging from $762,523 to $1,032,640. The lowest bid is 21% higher than the Engineer’s Estimate of $632,180. Bids for traffic control, cofferdams, and earthwork elements were at least 95% more than estimates.
ENGEO now claims that there may be room for value engineering to better define or quantify certain design elements to reduce overall construction cost (which begs the question of why this wasn't done to begin with).
Staff is recommending rejecting all bids and extending ENGEO’s contract to reevaluate and update the Plans for a rebid by spring 2025 at a cost of $30,000. ENGEO has also incurred $70,700 in additional costs over the original $199,800 agreement, related to design work and securing approvals from regulatory agencies over the past ten years.
ENGEO also submitted additional proposals for the construction management services for $112,500 and for the first three years of monitoring services for $30,000. Monitoring and reporting on the mitigation measures for ten years is required by the State Water Board. Staff plans to reevaluate the proposals for construction management and mitigation monitoring services at the time of construction contract awards.
Total Future Costs (excludes $199,800 for design spent) $ 1,193,200. Project budget was increased by $200,000 as part of the FY’25 Budget. Future cost exceeds revised budget by $20,000.
Revised project timeline:
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Matadero Creek Restoration and Bank Stabilization- Bid February- Complete August 2025
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Offsite Mitigation Planting and Fencing at Byrne Preserve-Bid Mid-August 2024-Complete Spring 2025
The delay and cost overrun continues the questionable management effectiveness by the Town of this project over the past ten years.
8. ONGOING BUSINESS
A. Receive and Accept the Mid-Year Status Update on 2024 City Council Work Plan (Staff: C. Einfalt)
Work Plan adopted by Council in January 2024 included 63 projects, many of which are mandated or carryover items; 29 are new for the upcoming cycle. Midyear Progress Report on the Adopted City Council Workplan for 2024-25 can be summarized as follows: Completed 8; In progress 35; Scheduled 3; Not started 14; Removed 1. The full report on the progress of 2024-25 priorities can be found here:
https://losaltoshillsca.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3564/files/attachment/11307
B. Receive an Informational Update on the Corporation Yard Master Plan Study (Staff: W. Kim)
Corporation Yard Master Plan Study is a capital project to identify and analyze the existing conditions and needs of the Corporation Yard located at 27400 Purissima Road and prioritize future improvements. Town retained The KPA Group to perform a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) and Master Plan Study.
The overall condition of the Corporation Yard was determined to be average with only two critical items identified for immediate attention, which were the aging windows and cracked bathroom sink that require repair or replacement. Several building components were found to be in poor condition. Key space and program needs were identified through interviews with the staff. Staff plans to utilize the Master Plan document to further plan, budget, and prioritize maintenance and future capital projects, and will seek Council input and approvals for improvements as needed. In the adopted FY2025 & FY2026 Budget, $100,000 of CIP/General Fund has been approved for the Corporation Yard to address critical or poor conditions as identified in the Master Plan Study.
The FCA findings are included in the Master Plan Study document, which can be found here:
The Master Plan Study found that Capital Improvement Project costs for projects recommended to be completed over the next 10 years total $2,067,125 in 2024 construction dollars. Additional costs will be realized due to inflation. Staff will attempt to address smaller items identified through maintenance operations when possible. The larger items would be addressed as capital improvements and require funding as approved by Council.​​
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Council Discussion and Staff Direction on how to Disperse the Community Service Grant Fund (Staff: P. Pirnejad)
The Town has allocated $40,000 in a Community Service Grant for donations to support local nonprofit organizations that contribute to the welfare and enrichment of our community. This item is to provide direction on the disbursement. A list of organizations that have received funds in the past and a description of ten (10) recommended nonprofit’s missions and impacts can be found in the report. In addition, the Los Altos School District has requested a grant for crossing guard services for Gardner Bullis School with a projected cost of $26,411.
https://losaltoshillsca.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3564/files/attachment/11280
B. Resolution Authorizing Award of the Information Technology Managed Services and Authorize the City Manager to Enter into a 3-year Agreement with Eaton & Associates (Staff: C. Einfalt)
Approve a three-year agreement with Eaton & Associates to provide Information Technology Managed Services to the Town at roughly $165,000 per year. The contract will provide 24x7x365 support and management of the Town’s systems and infrastructure, advanced network security, and cybersecurity monitoring and management. In addition, it will assist in evaluating and recommending the technology that will meet the needs of the Town and the community.
In conjunction with the Technology Committee and with the assistance of Baker Tilly, LLP, staff prepared an RFP which resulted in 11 bids. A panel reviewed the proposals and based on the interview process, staff recommended continuing the partnership with Eaton & Associates who has provided the service for the last few years. This decision was made for the company’s experience, knowledge and expertise, help desk availability, qualifications, strong government references, local office, and continuity for the staff.
13. COUNCIL, COMMISSION, AND COMMITTEE INITIATED ITEMS
A. History Committee seeks Permission to advertise for the History of Horses and Pathways: Their Influence on Making Los Altos Hill a Connected Community on Sunday, September 29, 2024.
The cost for the reception and the videographer will be estimated at $1,000. Staff time will be an estimated $400 if available.
B. Los Altos/Los Altos Hills Joint Volunteer Award Committee’s Donation Request
The Los Altos Hills Joint Volunteer Awards Committee is requesting $3,000 because of the deficit after last year. This is an increase from the $1,500 that was budgeted for FY24-25. The additional $1,500 is being requested during the disbursement of the Community Service Grant Fund.
In addition to the anticipated contribution from the City of Los Altos, the City is also providing the large Community Center room at no charge for the dinner.
Last year’s participation was down about 25% and there were no nominations from Los Altos Hills. Outreach efforts are being made to remedy the attendance problem and JVAC is working on ways to make sure that this year's event at least breaks even, as it has in years past.