Recommendation Concerning Funding Allocations for the Pensacola Beach Congestion Management Plan - Phase III (Roundabouts with Pedestrian Underpasses) Design Services with Volkert, Inc. - Joy Jones, P.E., Public Works Department Director
That the Board discuss the funding allocations for the Pensacola Beach Congestion Management Plan (CMP) - Phase III (Roundabouts with Pedestrian Underpasses) Design Services with Volkert, Inc.
[Funding: Local Option Sales Tax IV - Public Works Transportation Fund; CMP Contract Amount with Volkert, Inc. - $1,341,682.33 ($256,825.00 - Phase II and $1,084,857.33 - Phase III). Escambia County would retain $342,825.78 if the Board were to decide not to proceed with the Phase III (Roundabouts with Pedestrian Underpasses) Design Services for the Pensacola Beach CMP Contract with Volkert.]
This project is located in Commission District 4. |
Meeting in regular session on February 18, 2016, the Board approved a contract with Volkert, Inc., to develop a congestion management plan for Pensacola Beach in efforts to identify traffic-related issues, provide recommendations to relieve those issues, and conduct a strong public involvement phase throughout development of the plan.
Dating back to 2010, multiple studies have been conducted on Pensacola Beach, including the plan initiated by the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) and developed by EDSA (the firm which provided the first Pensacola Beach Master Plan) to address traffic issues. The Pensacola Beach Congestion Management Plan (CMP) is a separate document from the EDSA Master Plan, which provided an extensive public involvement aspect, provided several recommended transportation-related projects (both short- and long-term improvements) in order to alleviate some of the traffic congestion on the Island, and identified the key factors causing the traffic issues. It has been determined that the traffic congestion on Pensacola Beach is primarily caused by three main components during peak times: the existing traffic signal at the Via de Luna Drive/Fort Pickens intersection, vehicular/pedestrian conflicts, and inadequate parking during peak times. The CMP has addressed the key components that are causing the congestion on Pensacola Beach with the understanding that all of the key components are equally important and all must be addressed in the long term to have a positive impact on traffic congestion now and in the future.
The Board, at a Special Meeting held May 30, 2017, reviewed and approved the CMP while recommending staff to proceed with design for Phases II (Additional Parking Areas) and III (Roundabouts with Pedestrian Underpasses).
The Board, at a Special Meeting held July 27, 2017, reviewed and approved a Contract Amendment with Volkert, Inc. for the negotiated amount of $256,825 for Phase II - Additional Parking Areas, and the negotiated amount of $1,084,857.33 for Phase III - Roundabouts with Pedestrian Underpasses, for a total of $1,341,682.33.
During the November 2, 2017 regular meeting, the Board asked that staff "pause" the design process for Phase III at 60% to re-engage the public with additional workshops, then seek SRIA Board recommendation for the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on whether to proceed beyond 60% design for Phase III.
Staff received 60% design plans for Phase III from Volkert, Inc. on April 20, 2018, and held two Pensacola Beach CMP public workshops; one on April 23, 2018 at the Our Lady of Assumption Church on Pensacola Beach, FL and the other on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at the downtown BCC Chambers. Following the public workshops, the SRIA Board considered the item and recommended that the County proceed with the design phase for Phase III through 100% construction plans at its May 9, 2018 regular meeting.
The Board, at its May 17, 2018 regular meeting, accepted the SRIA Board's recommendation and voted to proceed with the Phase III design from 60% plans through 100% plans.
At the joint BCC/SRIA meeting held on July 17, 2018, both Boards discussed the Phase III plans for the CMP, and raised questions about the funding that could be retained if the design services for Phase III were either stopped or terminated. Staff then placed a hold on all contractual services related to Phase III with Volkert, Inc. and requested all invoice documentation (invoice attached) for services provided for Phase III since the June 2018 CMP invoice.
Staff received the invoice documentation from Volkert, met with Volkert to discuss the submitted documentation, and below is a breakdown of the expenses paid to date, those that will need to be paid from June 22, 2018 through July 18, 2018, and the amount of funds that could be retained if the Board were to stop the design services for Phase III. After internal staff discussions regarding the submitted invoice documentation, and then a meeting with Volkert, the amount that would be retained, if the Board were to decide to not proceed with the Phase III design, would be $342,825.78. Volkert is at 73.2% complete for Phase III design. Invoice breakdown: Total Contract Amount for Phase III Design - $1,084,857.33 Invoiced through July 18, 2018 (date Phase III design placed on hold) - $742,031.55. Remaining on Contract after July 2018 payment - $342,825.78 ($235,494 (Phase III Design) + $107,331.78 (Phase III Public Involvement)). |
| Local Option Sales Tax IV - Public Works Transportation Fund; CMP Contract amount with Volkert, Inc. - $1,341,682.33 ($256,825.00 - Phase II & $1,084,857.33 - Phase III). If the Board were to decide not to proceed with the Phase III design, amount remaining would be $342,825.78. Breakdown: Total Contract Amount for Phase III Design - $1,084,857.33 Invoiced thru July 18, 2018 (date Phase III design placed on hold) - $742,031.55 Remaining on Contract after July 2018 payment - $342,825.78 ($235,494 (Phase III Design) + $107,331.78 (Phase III Public Involvement)). |