Submitted By
Bill McKenna, Village Engineer
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Motion to Direct Staff to Bid the 2021 Green Alley Improvement Project and Prepare the Necessary Budget Amendments to Use Sustainability Funds to Fund the Construction and Construction Engineering Costs for the Project
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Overview
Overview
In 2019 the Village entered into an IGA with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) for constructing green alleys and received a grant of $475,000 from MWRD for the construction. In May of 2020 the Village requested deferring the project until 2021 due to loss of revenue associated with the COVID pandemic. The adopted FY2021 Budget does not include funds for constructing the green alley project again due to loss of revenues associated with COVID. MWRD is requesting the Village move forward with the project. Staff is recommending constructing the project in 2021 and using sustainability funds to fund the Village’s share of construction and construction management of the green alley project to replace deteriorated alleys and not risk losing the grant funds.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
Approve the Motion.
Fiscal Impact
Pending Village Board concurrence staff will prepare the necessary budget amendments to transfer an estimated $550,000 in Sustainability funds from the Sustainability Fund balance for this work.
Construction management for the project costs $118,470 and construction costs are estimated at $1,300,000 using $475,000 in MWRD grant funds, $400,000 in CDBG funds, and approximately $431,530 in Sustainability funds. The Sustainability Fund has an estimated fund balance at the end of 2021 of $2,184,368 that would be used to fund this work.
Background
In 2018 the Village received a $475,000 grant from MWRD to construct green alleys. In 2019 the Village entered into an IGA with MWRD for this project. In early 2020 the Engineering Division bid the green alley project and issued an RFP for the construction management of the project. Both the construction and the construction management of the green alley project were intended to be presented to the Board in March of 2020 for award but due to COVID the project did not move forward.
In May of 2020, due to losses in revenue associated with COVID the Village requested that MWRD allow for the work to be deferred until 2021. The FY2022 Budget also did not include the green alley project in order to reduce expenditures. MWRD has requested the Village move forward with the project, ideally in 2021. Staff recommends using approximately $550,000 sustainability funds to fund the project along with the $400,000 in CDBG funds already allocated for the work plus the $475,000 in MWRD grant funds.
This project includes rebuilding ten alley segments throughout the Village in which four are green alleys. The alleys being replaced under this contract have an average condition score of 37 with a 100 being a newly constructed alley whereas the overall system average condition score is 69. Green alleys feature permeable brick pavement that allows rainwater to drain into the soil rather than the village sewer system. The Village has a small vein of sandy soils that allow for more cost effective installations of permeable pavements since the water can generally infiltrate into the sand as compared to clay based soils. MWRD will reimburse 50% of the grant moneys halfway through construction and the remaining 50% at final completion and after final inspection by the MWRD.
Alternatives
The alternative to this recommendation could be to direct staff to prepare a Resolution requesting the deferring the green alley project until 2022.
Previous Board Action
On June 17, 2019 the Village Board approved an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Oak Park and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for the Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of the Green Alley Improvements Project.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Pending Village Board concurrence, staff will issue the green alley plans for bidding and prepare the associated Village Board items for a construction contract in March of 2021 and Budget Amendments to use sustainability funds to fund the construction and construction management of the project.
A separate Village Board item for a Professional Service Agreement with Edwin Hancock Engineering for providing construction oversight of the green alley project is being presented at this same Village Board meeting.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
The green alley project involves the Village working together with MWRD to construct green infrastructure to reduce the amount of storm water being conveyed in the sewers and treated at the sewer treatment plants which improves the environment by reducing emissions associated with electricity and improves water quality by reducing combined sewer overflows.