Adopt Resolution 14-05-090 accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for Improvement Project #12-22, Riverdale Drive Reconstruction and Extension from Armstrong Boulevard to Traprock Street.

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to adopt Resolution 14-05-090 accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for Improvement Project #12-22, Riverdale Drive Reconstruction and Extension from Armstrong Boulevard to Traprock Street.

Background:
City staff has submitted 95% plans and specifications to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for final review and approvals.  It is anticipated that MnDOT will have several minor comments on the plans and specifications, and that staff will work with MnDOT to address the minor revisions within the next couple of weeks.  Once the revisions are addressed, MnDOT will provide the City with the necessary plan approvals to allow the project to be bid.

The City was awarded $702,000 in Cooperative Agreement funding for this project.  To be eligible to receive the Cooperative Agreement funding, the City must award a contract for the work before the end of June 2014.  This means Council must award a contract at the June 24th Council meeting. Per State Statute, the City must advertise for bids a minimum of three weeks before opening bids. Then once bids are opened, several days are needed to check the bids for errors and omissions and to prepare and publish the case to present the bids to Council for approval and award of contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

Staff anticipates receiving MnDOT approvals to bid the project in mid to late May.  This would allow the contract to be let on June 24th, providing staff can advertise for bids on or before May 30th. The City's official newspaper, the Anoka County Union, is published every Friday so advertisements could be run on either May 23rd or May 30th to allow time to open bids, checks bids for errors and omissions, and prepare and publish a Council case.  If bids are not advertised until May 30th, staff would not be able to open bids until June 20th, the Friday before the June 24th Council meeting.  This would require staff to check all bids for errors and omissions immediately after opening them, then to prepare and publish a Council case late Friday afternoon.

Staff would therefore prefer to advertise for bids on May 23rd should MnDOT approvals be received by the morning of May 21st, but since the next Council meeting is scheduled for May 27th staff is requesting Council authorization to advertise bids at this time.

No notifications are necessary at this time.  With Council's approval of this case, staff will publish advertisements for bids in the Anoka County Union for three consecutive weeks, as well as in Finance and Commerce to meet the requirements of State Statute, following MnDOT's approval to do so.

Observations:
Several public information meetings were held in 2013 to discuss this project with the public and to allow area residents and businesses an opportunity to discuss this project with staff and to relay any concerns the might have.  Staff has also met individually with several business owners to coordinate construction activities based on their specific needs.  Such meetings will continue throughout construction to ensure impacts to businesses are minimized during construction.

Staff received one petition in May of 2013 from the residents of Alpaca Estates, which is attached to this case. The petition simply states that the residents are opposed to the project as a whole. The resident who delivered the petition added the note shown at the bottom of page 2.  Since this note was provided after the petition was signed, it should not be assumed that all who signed the petition held the same view.

No assessments are proposed to be levied with this project.

City Improvement Project 12-22 is proposed to be funded using the awarded Cooperative Agreement grant funds and previously designated Municipal State Aid (MSA) and TIF 4 funds.

To maximize staff's flexibility in ensuring that this project can be delivered utilizing the awarded Cooperative Agreement grant funds, staff recommends adopting Resolution 14-05-090 accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for Improvement Project #12-22, Riverdale Drive Reconstruction and Extension from Armstrong Boulevard to Traprock Street.

Adopt Resolution 14-05-090 accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for Improvement Project #12-22, Riverdale Drive Reconstruction and Extension from Armstrong Boulevard to Traprock Street.