Approve Irrigation and Topsoil Test Plots for North Commons

On April 24th, 2012, City Council approved Park Trust Funds for grading and the application of topsoil for North Commons.  At this same time, staff was directed to develop a park irrigation plan for bidding which included all portions of the topsoil test plots (metered irrigation system with 4 different topsoil matrices).

At the May 10th 2012 Park and Recreation Commission meeting, the Commission recommended that City Council consider up to $40,000 in Park Trust Funds for first phase park improvements at North Commons - consisting primarily of irrigation and drinking fountain.  (The drinking fountain would also have a pet attachment - and connection for a garden hose for the community garden.)

It may be noted that the irrigation project will serve the park, the topsoil test plots, the community garden, as well as providing the needed watering for the DNR grant funded trees to be planted later this year by neighborhood volunteers. 

The irrigation plan and spec is attached for information and to detail some of the complexity of this system and associated costs.  The park and topsoil test beds will consist of; pipe, sprinkler heads, soil moister sensors, decoders, valves, valve boxes the sophisticated controller, 5 water meters, 2" copper pipe, many steel fittings, a reduced pressure back-flow preventer, garden shed (instead of traditional control cabinet) and the power supply.

A portion of the irrigation costs is being proposed as attributable to the City's Water Utility; as the Municipal Well #8 will now be irrigated, with this utility encumbered area of North Commons hereafter maintained by parks' operations and funding.  This value is assessed as $1,183, or 5% of the base irrigation cost plus the water supply piping. (Staff will also execute the watermain tapping and connection in-house thereby saving approximately $3,000.)

The development cost study experiment (for the topsoil test beds) may also be assigned to the Water Utility as this cost is directly associated with addressing the question of the efficacy of the city's topsoil specification in water conservation - as it relates to on-going irrigation demand upon the utility.  This value is assigned at $13,716 (test bed irrigation cost including topsoil, meters and flanges).

The preponderance of the project costs however, are associated with the park and were recommended to be funded by the Park Trust Fund by the Park and Recreation Commission in May of 2012. Those costs are summarized as follows:

• Base Bid Irrigation $19,627 (less the utility's contribution of $1,183 above)
• Electrical Supply $1,000
• Garden Shed (in lieu of irrigation cabinet and slab at $1,522) 2,583
• Drinking Fountain with pet attachment and hose bib $4,563
• All water supply fittings, meter and connection from watermain $2,842
• Contingency $3,000
• Total $33,615

A Request for Proposal was issued to two irrigation wholesalers and several local irrigation contractors, with four quotes being received by sealed quotation. Anderson Irrigation Company Inc. was the lowest bidder for both the base bid and the test plot, as well as total project cost and is a qualified contractor.  Additionally, Anderson Irrigation offered a $400 co-sponsorship discount to partner with the City on the topsoil efficiency experiment, and this will credited to the Municipal Utility side of the ledger in the final accounting.

Funding for irrigation with drinking fountain for North Commons is from the Park Trust Fund (with a present balance in the amount of approximately $1.9 million) in the amount of $33,615; and the Municipal Water Utility in the amount of $14,499 (including a $400 co-sponsorship credit relating to the topsoil experiment).

Staff recommends proceeding with this project as detailed, with the topsoil test plots being in service by June 25th, 2012 and the park's irrigation immediately thereafter.

Motion to approve a not-to-exceed amount of $33,615 from the Park Trust Fund, and $14,499 from the Municipal Water Utility for irrigation and topsoil test plot development and associated improvements at North Commons.