TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Liang Chin Su, Assistant Engineer
SUBJECT: Construction Contract Award and Budget Amendment for the “East County Roads Paving Project,” RDS 25-11
RECOMMENDATION
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Award a Construction Contract to Argonaut Constructors, Inc., of Santa Rosa, CA in the amount of $3,391,363 for the “East County Roads Paving Project,” RDS 25-11; and approve a Budget Amendment. (Fiscal Impact: $3,044,569 Expense; Measure T Special Revenue; Not Budgeted; Discretionary)
[4/5 votes required]
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BACKGROUND
The roads to be rehabilitated are selected based on their existing Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which is an overall measure of the condition of the road surface developed by the United Sates Army Corps of Engineers and later standardized by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The PCI is a numerical index ranging from 0 to 100. Public Works uses the PCI to develop an extended 5-year plan, which is updated annually, to guide our efforts. Please note this is not a “worst first” analysis, it is based on “the best bang for the buck”, meaning that smaller amounts of maintenance money on roads that aren’t in bad shape can sometimes be much more effectively spent than a large amount of money on a road that has already failed.
The list of roads included in the East County Roads Paving Project include:
• Gordon Valley Road (3 miles - Average PCI of 15)
• Wooden Valley Road MPM 3.75 to 4.75 (1 mile - PCI of 62)
• Wooden Valley Cross Road (1.25 miles - PCI of 27)
• Circle Oaks Drive (1 mile - PCI of 40)
• Sunnyhill Lane (0.4 miles - Average PCI of 27)
Gordon Valley Rd. is funded from the $20 million in the Capital Improvement Fund (CIF) the Board committed to roads funding in 2021 (which we refer to as “ACO20” funds), while the remaining projects are funded from Measure T.
On February 4, 2025 the Board approved the creation of the “East County Roads Paving Project” and a budget transfer of $90,000 ($50,000 from Measure T and $40,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund) to design the rehabilitation methods for the roads above. On June 3, 2025 the Board of Supervisors approved the plans and specifications and authorized to advertise for sealed bids and opening of the bids pursuant to Section 20150.8 of the Public Contract Code. On July 9, 2025, bids were received and opened. The bid results are attached for reference.
Staff recommends awarding the contract to the lowest responsive bidder, Argonaut Constructors, Inc., (Argonaut) of Santa Rosa, CA, for their base bid of $2,754,272 as well as Additive Alternate #1 in the amount of $637,091 for a total of $3,391,363. The Additive Alternate #1 allows for the construction of a retaining wall consisting of “stitch piers” on Circle Oaks Drive, which increases the roadway stability and life of the road and prevents potential slides in the future. Argonaut’s base bid is lower than the engineer’s estimate of $3,500,000. The total project cost, including design and engineering, construction, construction management, geotechnical services and contingency, is $4,400,436. The project will be funded by Measure-T ($3,094,569) and the CIF ($1,305,867).
Argonaut is not a local vendor however, the Public Contract Code requires that the construction contract be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder regardless of whether the low bidder is local or not. Staff reached out to the local construction contractor community by advertising the request for bids in the Napa Valley Register and the Solano-Napa Builder’s Exchange, and by posting on the County website. Staff also sent “Notices to Bidders” to the local construction community.
Requested Actions:
1. Award of the Construction Contract for the “East County Roads Paving Project,” RDS 25-11 to Argonaut Constructors, Inc., of Santa Rosa, California for their low base bid of $2,754,272 as well as Additive Alternate #1 in the amount of $637,091 for a total of $3,391,363 and authorization for the Chair to sign the construction contract;
2. Approve a Budget Amendment for the following (4/5 votes required):
a. Increase Transfers Out appropriations by $3,044,569 in the Measure T Non-Operating Special Revenue Fund (Fund 2440, Sub-Division 1220053, Account 56100) offset by use of its available fund balance to transfer to Project 25026 and increase to its Transfers In revenues (Fund 2040, Sub-Division 2040500, Project 25026, Account 48200); and
b. Increase Construction Services appropriations $3,044,569 in Project 25026 budget (Fund 2040, Sub-Division 2040500, Project 25026, Account 52360) offset by a transfer-in revenue from Measure-T Fund.
FISCAL IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
$2.3 million from ACO20 has been allocated in Project 25030 (Fund 2040, Sub-Division 2040500, Project 25030). Measure T money is not currently budgeted to fund the other portion of the project budget. |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Approval is necessary to move the project into construction phase for roadway rehabilitation. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
Yes |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Construction will finish in FY 2025-26 with no future impacts beyond standard roadway maintenance. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The listed roads will not be rehabilitated. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Categorical Exemption Class 1: It has been determined that this type of project does not have a significant effect on the environment and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. [See Class 1 (“Existing Facilities”) which may be found in the guidelines for the implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act at 14 CCR §15301; see also Napa County’s Local Procedures for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, Appendix B.]