TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Award of Professional Services Agreement for the I-80 Des Plaines River Bridge Community Plan to CDM Smith in an Amount Not to Exceed $392,000.
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BACKGROUND:
The reconstruction of the Interstate 80 bridges over the Des Plaines River has required the full acquisition of approximately 80 parcels by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) - see attached map. The building of two new bridges will affect those residents that are remaining in their homes by bisecting their community again, similar to the original construction of I-80. The impacts on those residents remaining in the community will have both short-term (construction) and long-term (permanent bisection) effects. IDOT is required at the state and federal level to mitigate these effects. One of the mitigation measures that IDOT has committed to is the preparation of a Community Plan that will determine the community’s capital investment needs and prepare a cost-estimate and implementation plan.
With large-scale infrastructure projects such as this, IDOT has preferred to have the local municipality manage the Community Plan. In 2022, the City of Joliet signed a letter of intent with IDOT to accept $400,000 in funding for the development of a Community Plan specifically targeting the areas affected by the reconstruction of the Interstate 80 Bridges over the Des Plaines River (see attached map). IDOT has also committed $3.5 million towards the implementation of recommended improvements identified in the forthcoming Community Plan to be spent in the Des Plaines River Bridge community area.
IDOT approved the budget for this project on March 1, 2023. The City Council approved an Intergovernmental Grant Agreement with IDOT for this project at their August 1, 2023 meeting. The City delayed starting this project in order to provide the State of Illinois more time to complete the land acquisition and resident relocation process, which has now been almost completed.
DISCUSSION:
Staff requested that CDM Smith provide a task-based scope of work that satisfies the State of Illinois’ funding requirements, responds to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public commitments, and the letter of intent between the City of Joliet and IDOT. Staff requested this proposal from CDM Smith due to their experience with these types of projects as well as their demonstrated understanding of the project area. CDM Smith completed the recently approved IDOT Phase I NEPA study of the I-80 improvements from Ridge Road to US Route 30 that included the relocation of the Des Plaines River Bridges in Joliet. Through this project, CDM Smith conducted extensive community outreach in the neighborhoods along the River that will be impacted by the new I-80 alignment. This work included a Community Impact Assessment and resulted in community identified mitigation measures. CDM Smith’s qualifications are attached.
Section 2-438 of the City of Joliet Code of Ordinances states that purchases whose estimated cost is in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) may be awarded without written specifications or bidding under certain circumstances. Two of these circumstances apply:
(f) purchases when authorized by a concurring vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Mayor and City Council;
(g) Purchases of professional services.
The attached proposal from CDM Smith describes in detail the overall strategy of community plan development using a task-based approach. This proposal leverages the community outreach and stakeholder engagement performed by CDM Smith as part of IDOT’s I-80 Reconstruction NEPA study as a starting point.
Project costs will be charged to Grants and Special Revenue Fund-Planning (Org 22020240), and a Project Code CMP24 has been assigned to track these costs. The City has reserved $8,000 of the overall state grant for City staff training and equipment related to this project. Therefore, the City’s agreement with CDM Smith reflects an “amount not to exceed $392,000.00.”
Following execution of an agreement, staff will meet with the project manager for CDM Smith to refine the project schedule. Engagement with the community stakeholders will be a critical part of the planning process, and staff will provide the Mayor and City Council with regular updates throughout the duration of the project.
The Land Use and Economic Development Committee reviewed this agenda item at its October 23rd, 2024 and unanimously recommended that this agenda item be moved to the full Council for consideration.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Based on the above, it is recommended that the Mayor and City Council approve the Award of Professional Service Agreement for the I-80 Des Plaines River Bridge Community Plan to CDM Smith in an amount not to exceed $392,000.00.
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