Lakeport City Council approves contract for new Library Park seawall
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKEPORT, Calif. – During a brief special Tuesday evening meeting, the Lakeport City Council approved a contract with a firm that will rebuild the Library Park seawall, with the goal of having the project completed by the summer season.
The old seawall, built of cinder blocks, was destroyed in the February 2017 storms by wave action driven from heavy winds, as Lake County News has reported.
Since then, chain link fence has kept the public away from the seawall and the sidewalk promenade that lines it.
Then, earlier this year, when more flooding occurred, there was further underground water intrusion because the wall couldn’t hold back the water.
With local, state and federal emergency declarations made following the 2017 storms, city Public Works Director Doug Grider and his staff doggedly pursued funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to not only replace the wall, but build one that’s far better – built of metal sheet piles, not concrete.
The result of close to three years’ worth of effort – including voluminous paperwork that was part of an often slow federal process – the city has received the go-ahead from FEMA to build the new seawall.
In return, FEMA will pay for most of the cost of the wall, with the city required to cover a 6.38-percent match that will come from its insurance, officials said at Tuesday’s meeting.
With Grider away at an emergency services training on Tuesday, City Engineer Paul Curren was on hand to explain the proposed contract with West Coast Contractors Inc., which also does business as Oregon West Coast Contractors. The company is based in Coos Bay, Oregon.
Grider’s staff report said the project includes 534 feet of new sheet pile wall, along with modifications to the existing center pier; construction of concrete wall cap, terminus ends, and openings for stairs, dock access ramp and center pier; concrete stairs; and other miscellaneous work “necessary to complete the work in place.”
On some previous public works contracts, the city has struggled to get many bids and sometimes has had none at all.
However, that wasn’t the case with the seawall project.
“We had eight bidders on this project, which is phenomenal,” said Curren, adding, “There was a lot of interest.”
Most of the bidders attended the prebid walk-through and submitted questions afterward, he said.
The city engineer’s estimate of cost for the project was $1 million. However, West Coast Contractors’ bid was $799,773.
Curren said that low bid was $200,000 below the engineer’s estimate, and was the same amount below the next-highest bid.
He said West Coast Contractors specializes in such projects around the United States and the world. “This is their bailiwick.”
The company had representatives at the prebid walk-through. “They were thoroughly familiar with the project,” Curren said.
Curren thanked the council for the special meeting, explaining the project is on a tight schedule.
He said staff hopes to have all paperwork done by next week so they can give notice to proceed and the contractor can order the project materials.
“If that goes well, in four weeks we’ll be driving sheet pile,” Curren said.
Grider’s staff report estimated the project will start on Dec. 23.
City Manager Margaret Silveira said they have a limited time to do the project because of the lake level.
Curren added that, with environmental considerations, the work needs to be done by the end of February.
Councilman Kenny Parlet asked how FEMA will pay. Silveira said the city will pay for the project up front out of the general fund and then FEMA will pay the city later.
City Finance Director Nick Walker said the city also has $2.5 million in insurance proceeds to help cover that upfront cost. He said FEMA’s payment timetable depends on how the city requests the drawdown, but that a check is expected within three to six months.
Curren said the promenade replacement is not in this contract; he said that will go out to bid in a separate bid in January, because they didn’t want to mix and match contractors.
The goal, Curren said, is to have both projects finished by Memorial Day.
Silveira said the promenade project also is being sent to the Parks and Recreation Commission for it to look at options.
City council members and staff praised Grider for his persistence and tenacity in seeking federal funding to cover the building of a new seawall.
Parlet said Grider took the initiative, going above and beyond, knowing that FEMA wanted a long-term solution.
“It slowed the process down for awhile, but Doug was very adamant,” said Silveira.
Councilman George Spurr asked how West Coast Contractors is able to do the project for less cost, questioning if it was a matter of getting materials cheaper.
Curren said it wasn’t a matter of the cost of the metal, but the fact that the firm has a wide variety of equipment, and just the right equipment for this job in particular.
“I’m very excited about the idea of having that open for Memorial Day,” said Mayor Tim Barnes.
In response to a series of questions from Lakeport resident Richard Stefanello, Curren explained that the new seawall plus a new concrete cap will be almost 3 feet higher than the existing seawall. Grider got approval from FEMA to heighten the wall for additional protection.
Curren said the sheet pile will be driven close to the shore and the new promenade will be built behind it during the next project. It has been designed to slope toward the lawn; the current promenade slopes toward the lake.
The new seawall has been designed on the 100-year flood level, based on a full geotechnical report. “It’s well engineered,” and should be in place for a long time to come, Curren said.
The contractor will use vibratory driving methods to drive down the nearly half-inch-thick sheet pile 25 feet into the ground, Curren said.
Spurr moved to approve the contract, which Parlet seconded and the council voted unanimously to approve.
After the meeting, Curren told Lake County News that city crews will remove the damaged sidewalk in conjunction with the seawall project, and the next contractor will then put in the base rock and concrete.
He said none of Library Park’s trees will need to be removed as a result of the work.
At the special meeting, the council also voted to approve an amendment to the Dickens Faire application in order to close Second and Third streets between Main and Forbes streets for a temporary skating rink.
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