REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
July 23, 2024
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with the State of California Department of Transportation to Replace the Glen Helen Bridge Over the Cajon Wash in the Devore Area
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Authorize an allocation of $10 million from the Community Service Upgrades Reserve, pursuant to the requirements of the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Bridge Program, as administered by the State of California Department of Transportation, for the Glen Helen Parkway Bridge Replacement Project over the Cajon Wash.
2. Approve the use of $20 million from the Community Service Upgrades Reserve to cash flow the Glen Helen Parkway Bridge Replacement Project over the Cajon Wash, with repayment from the Department of Public Works as funds become available from the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Bridge Program, as administered by the State of California Department of Transportation.
3. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the necessary budget adjustments as detailed in the Financial Impact section, for the transfer of funds for the Glen Helen Parkway Bridge Replacement Project over the Cajon Wash (Four votes required).
4. Approve Agreement with the State of California Department of Transportation, to comply with the high-cost project policy, for the Glen Helen Parkway Bridge Replacement Project over the Cajon Wash.
5. Authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or the Director of the Department of Public Works to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments to the Agreement, subject to review by County Counsel.
6. Direct the Director of the Department of Public Works to transmit any non-substantive amendments to the Agreement with the State of California Department of Transportation, to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). This item recommends the use of $20 million from the Community Service Upgrades Reserve to be utilized to cash flow the Glen Helen Parkway Bridge Replacement Project (Project), until the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Bridge Program (HBP), as administered by the State of California (State) Department of Transportation (DOT), funds become available to reimburse the County (anticipated over 36 months from construction start). Additionally, this item recommends the allocation of $10 million from the Community Service Upgrades Reserve to fund the County’s estimated share of the cost of the Project, which includes the 11.47% local match requirement of the HBP. 88.53% of eligible construction costs will be funded, via reimbursement, with the HBP.
The following budget adjustments in 2024-25 are necessary to transfer funds and increase the Project budget:
|
Fund Center/Fund |
Commitment Item |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
1000 |
37008313 |
Fund Balance-Committed - Community Service Upgrades Reserve |
Decrease |
$30,000,000 |
|
1161161000 |
55305030 |
Operating Transfers Out |
Increase |
$30,000,000 |
|
6650002000 |
40909975 |
Operating Transfers In |
Increase |
$30,000,000 |
|
6650002000 |
52002445 |
Other Professional & Specialized Services |
Increase |
$30,000,000 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Project will replace the existing two-lane Glen Helen Parkway Bridge (Bridge) with a longer four-lane Bridge that will withstand a 100-year storm event. This Bridge is Phase Two of the Glen Helen Grade Separation Project (Phase One) to help minimize flooding and road closures, while mitigating traffic congestion by providing alternate routes for Interstate 15 and Interstate 215. If Phase Two of the Project is not completed, the Bridge will remain functionally obsolete, hydrologically inadequate, and Phase One’s purpose will not be fulfilled to completion. The roadway may continue to be subject to frequent flooding which could result in recurrent road-closures potentially increasing congestion on Interstate 15 and Interstate 215. It would also not be updated to a four-lane roadway to match Phase One’s expansion to four-lanes, and unable to function to full capacity. Phase One was completed in May 2015.
The State has implemented a policy to fund high-cost bridge projects. The California Streets & Highway Code Section 2413 authorizes the State DOT to allocate federal funds to counties for approved bridge reconstruction or replacement projects on county roads. Accordingly, the State DOT has committed federal funding, via the HBP, to the construction phase of the Project, however, due to the high cost of the Project and the multiple years it will take to construct a project of this size, the HBP is not able to fund the Project all at once, but rather incrementally over the course of three years. This funding approach allows the State the ability to advance multiple projects concurrently rather than tie up a large amount of federal funds on one project. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Department of Public Works (Department) will use local funds to initiate the construction phase and the HBP will reimburse the County (88.53% of the total eligible Project costs) based on the conditions and funding schedule specified in the Agreement.
Approval and execution of the Agreement will commit the HBP allocation for the Project construction costs. In some cases, HBP funds may be available at the proper time and Department funds will not need to be utilized. The Agreement implements the cash management policy for the Project. The Project is subject to the high-cost policy because the construction phase is expected to exceed $35 million. The Agreement provides the State’s commitment for Project funding, contingent upon the County’s commitment of local funds to cash flow the Project, pending reimbursement.
Approval of this item will authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors (Board), Chief Executive Officer, or the Department Director to execute any non-substantive amendments to the Agreement for the Project. The County will serve as lead agency for the Project with construction anticipated to begin in January 2025.
A future item to approve Project Plans, Specifications and Estimates, and advertising is anticipated to be presented to the Board in September 2024.
The Project aligns with the County and Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives of ensuring the development of a well-planned, balanced and sustainable County and providing for the safety, health and social service needs of County residents by replacing the Bridge.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, General Accounting Manager, 382-7022) on July 17, 2024 County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 15, 2024; Finance (Carl Lofton and Jessica Trillo, Administrative Analysts, 387-4222) on July 16, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on July 09, 2024.