HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08051997 - C46 1
001
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
FROM: TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE n` Costa
�o••.. CountyDATE: August 5, 1997
SUBJECT: Assembly Bill 376, Baca
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
I. Recommended Action:
Oppose unless amended as follows:
a. Exclude the University of California and the California State University from having to
competitively bid for services provided to Caltrans,
b. Exclude local road and transit projects even if the funding for these projects comes from
state transportation funds.
C.- Exclude projects on state highways if the professional services are paid for by local
entities.
111. Financiallmpact:
None to General Fund, but will increase project development cost for the road program.
Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE:
_RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
_RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE —OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
OE CI MI LA ADONNA GE B R
ACTION OF BOA ON August 5, 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED THER _
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
x UNANIMOUS (ABSENT II ) i hereby coft that this to a t"a and corseet c7the oP
AYES: NOES: an action taken and entered.on theof an
minutes of
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Board ATTESTED: T!PHIL BATCH R,Clerk of 1119 board
MMS:Iv
g:lv\Bdord\ag n 8-5.wpdcow
Orig. Div:Transp.Committee BY'
Contact: Maurice Shiu(510)313-2251
c: V.Alexeeff,GMEDA Director
Smith&Kempton
f n
Assembly Bill 376, Baca
August 5, 1997
Page Two
III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background:
Assembly Bill 376, by Assemblyman Baca, will require all state highway and state transportation
fund related professional engineering services that exceed $50,000 be procured through a
competitive bidding process.
Currently, the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) of the University of California, under
contract with Caltrans, provides technical training and assistance to local government as part of
its research and extension program. Assembly Bill 376 will require the University bid for the
provision of these services. Staff believes that ITS is unique in combining academia and practicing
professionals, through the UC extension program, to provide local government employees an
excellent and low cost training program. Under ITS's technology transfer program, research
findings are able to be quickly incorporate into actual field practice. This rare and unique
arrangement should be preserved.
Since most of the County's capital improvement projects are funded wholly or in part by state
transportation funds, this bill will affect the County. Likewise, it will affect our transit operators and
the Transportation Authority.
Currently, state law requires technical services be bidded and professional services be negotiated.
This requirement recognizes that the quality of professional services is more important and cannot.
be bidded. Quite often, professional services are less defined and a bidding package will be
difficult to develop. A negotiation process will combine the expertise of the consultant and the
knowledge of staff to define the project during the negotiation and project scoping stages. This
Bill will require local agencies to clearly define projects before hiring a consultant, which will
exceed the capability of many small engineering departments. This Bill will result in many local
agencies having to first hire a consultant to define the work scope and prepare the bid package
so that a consulting engineer can bid on the work. This will add many months to the process and
will increase cost.
t