Yet Another Pavement Management Study

ABSTRACT: At the City Council’s March 2007 meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to contract with Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE) for a "not to exceed $60,300" 2007 Pavement Management Study; the last Pavement Management Study was performed by NCE in 1997 and updated in December 2003. At the end of August, a Nichols Consulting Engineers employee was seen surveying the City’s street network of approximately 220 street sections. A proposition was proposed that since Rich Guillen has been City Administrator since 2000 and is a Profession Civil Engineer, he could perform an update to the 2003 Study for the purpose of using taxpayer monies for actual “maintenance and rehabilitation of City pavements” instead of another study.

At the end of August, a Nichols Consulting Engineers employee was surveying the City’s street network of approximately 220 street sections; the employee stated that the total time for the fieldwork would be approximately 10 days.

City Council Minutes
Regular meeting
March 13, 2007

Items pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion:

VII. C. Consideration of a Resolution entering into an agreement with Nichols Consulting Engineers for a 2007 Pavement Management and Truck Impact Fee study in an amount not to exceed $60,300.

City Administrator Guillen presented the report.

Mayor McCloud opened and closed the meeting to public comment at 6:50 p.m.

Council Member ROSE moved to adopt a resolution entering into an agreement with Nichols Consulting Engineers for items A, C.1, F and, if necessary, B. of the
proposed 2007 Pavement Management and Truck Impact Fee study, seconded by Council Member HAZDOVAC and carried by the following roll call:

AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: CUNNINGHAM, HAZDOVAC, ROSE, TALMAGE & McCLOUD
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE

NOTE: Nichols Consulting Engineers proposed TASKS A-F, as follows:

TASK A – CONDITION SURVEYS & PCI CALCULATIONS
TASK B – MAINTENANCE & REHABILITATION HISTORY & DECISION TREE
TASK C – BUDGETARY ANALYSIS & FINAL REPORTS
TASK D – TRAINING & TECHNICAL SUPPORT (optional)
TASK E – COUNCIL PRESENTATION (Optional Task)
TASK F – ROAD IMPACT FEE STUDY
(Source: City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Scope of Work, 2007 Pavement Management Update, Nichols Consulting Engineers, Chtd.)

The City Council unanimously voted to include TASK A – CONDITION SURVEYS & PCI CALCULATIONS, TASK C – BUDGETARY ANALYSIS & FINAL REPORTS, TASK F – ROAD IMPACT FEE STUDY and “if necessary” TASK B – MAINTENANCE & REHABILITATION HISTORY & DECISION TREE.

COMMENTS:
• In 1997, the last pavement management study for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea was performed by Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE) and was followed by an update in December 2003. Administrative Services Director Joyce Giuffre states in her Agenda Item Summary that the 2003 Update “should be updated again for City staff to make cost effective decisions concerning the maintenance and rehabilitation of City pavements. In addition, the road impact fee study will provide information to help determine if a road impact fee should be implemented.”

• The City Administrator is an engineering graduate of California State Polytechnic University with a BS/Civil Engineering.

• The City Administrator is a Professional Civil Engineer, State of California (#C27904).

• Previously, City Administrator Rich Guillen held positions with the County of Placer and Auburn Public Works Department; his “assignments ranged from highway and bridge designer to the interim district engineer in the fledgling County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.” And he supervised several mayor public works projects including “a sewer treatment plant master plan, an airport master plan, repair of the Old Town drainage system, and the restoration of two former grammar schools into a Civic Center.” Yet, as City Administrator and Professional Civil Engineer, State of California (#C27904), he recommends to the City Council a 2007 Pavement Management Update by Nichols Consulting Engineers not to exceed $60,300.

• Proposition: Since the last update was December 2003, the City Administrator/Profession Civil Engineer could update the existing study for the purpose of implementing street, road and avenue “maintenance and rehabilitation.” And since Rich Guillen has been City Administrator since October 2000, Rich Guillen should know Carmel-by-the-Sea’s streets, roads and avenues well enough to be able to implement a triage system, thus using taxpayer monies for actual “maintenance and rehabilitation of City pavements” instead of another study.

ADDENDUM:
On the September 11, 2007 City Council agenda, there is a resolution regarding reconstruction and paving, as follows:

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA AWARDING THE BID FOR THREE STREET PROJECTS AT THE POST OFFICE, MISSION STREET – 3rd TO 4th, AND OCEAN AVE. CROSSWALKS TO PAVEX CONSTRUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $237,844 AND AUTHORIZE A CONTINGENCY COST OF $23,784 FOR A TOTAL PROJECT COST OF $261,628.

While City Administrator Rich Guillen wrote in his Staff Report that “The projects will improve the street and parking lot surfaces and eliminate some potential trip and fall hazards,” it is disconcerting that these projects were not considered in the context of the results and recommendations of the not yet completed 2007 Pavement Management Study by Nichols Consulting Engineers.