In recent years, the City of Garden Grove has encouraged residents to decrease their water consumption for the purposes of decreasing the City’s dependence on imported water from Metropolitan Water District due to the rising cost of that imported water.  Consistent with that effort, staff pursues grant funding for projects that install water-efficient irrigation and drought tolerant plants.  Several miles of projects have already been completed to date through this effort.  Staff secured a grant to accomplish this goal for subject streets from OCTA’s Measure M2 Environmental Cleanup Program in 2015. Magnolia medians currently have pop-up/overhead spray sprinklers, and are planted with grasses, shrubs and well-established trees.

The project consists of removal of grass, some shrubs and trees from existing medians and then replanted with native or drought tolerant plants with exposed soil covered by mulch, including installation of a new subsurface drip irrigation system as well as installing new Calsense irrigation controllers for irrigation efficiency.  The project will also install Bio Clean Round Curb Inlet Filters within existing catch basins to remove 100% of trash and debris that flow into the catch basins.  The project will reduce staff time to maintain.

Staff solicited bids for this project pursuant to Municipal Code Section 2.50.100.  Two (2) qualified bids were received and opened in the City Clerk's office at 11:00 a.m. on May 10, 2016.  The lowest qualified bidder was Kato Landscape, Inc., with a total bid of $374,510.00.  This bid is within the current project budget.  The licenses and references of the contractor have been reviewed and verified by staff, and all other documentation is in order.  The anticipated contract schedule is as follows:

          Award Contract            -       May 24, 2016

          Begin Construction       -      July 11, 2016

          Complete Construction  -     November 30, 2016

There is no financial impact to the General Fund.  This improvement is included in the 2015-16 Capital Improvement Budget, in the amount of $374,510.00, and is funded by Water Enterprise Funds and OCTA M2 Grant Funding.

It is recommended that the City Council:

• Award a Contract to Kato Landscape, Inc., in the amount of $374,510.00, for Project No. 7279 – Irrigation Installation on Magnolia Street, Garden Grove; and

• Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement, and make minor modifications as appropriate thereto, on behalf of the City.

By: Navin B. Maru,  Associate Engineer