Sponsor: Public Works
Title
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Revised Work Order #2 of the Master Partnership Contract 1050254 with Minnesota Department of Transportation
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Recommendation
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1. Authorize the Chair to approve and execute the revised Work Order #2 of the Master Partnership Contract 1050254 with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for receipt of funds in the amount of $185,046 for cost sharing of Phase I Historic Survey Work on the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project.
2. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements, amendments to agreements, and execute change orders in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of project funding.
3. Authorize the County Engineer or designee to execute change orders in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of project funding.
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Background and Rationale
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The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) leads, funds and participates in passenger rail and regional transitway projects in cooperation with many public and private partners including the Minnesota Department of Transportation Cultural Resources Unit (MnDOT).
Work Order #2 to Master Partnership Contract 1050254 was originally approved by RCRRA on January 10, 2023, per Resolution R2023-006, in a form provided by MnDOT. Soon thereafter, MnDOT’s legal staff re-reviewed and required changes to Section(s) 1.3, 3.2, and 5.1 to clarify MnDOT’s financial obligations under the work order. They requested that RCRRA consider and approve the revised Work Order #2 which incorporates the changes. The requested changes are text changes for clarity and do not change RCRRA’s financial obligations agreed to through Resolution R2023-006.
As regional transitway projects advance further into their respective environmental and engineering phases, specialized professional and technical supportive services are needed, including cultural resources or similar work. On June 14, 2022, RCRRA entered into Master Partnership Contract 1050254 with the state of Minnesota, which provides a framework for the RCRRA and the state of Minnesota to purchase or share costs on these specialized services. RCRRA also has a separate contract with Mead and Hunt, Inc. to provide these specialized services for the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project. As is described more fully below, RCRRA and the state of Minnesota each has a project in the same general geographic area, and each project requires the same or similar specialized services. Under the framework provided by the Master Partnership Contract, RCRRA and the state of Minnesota wish to take advantage of the cost and operational efficiencies as follows:
• The Riverview Corridor project includes Phase I historic survey work to be completed around Fort Snelling and along the West 7th Street corridor from the Mississippi River to 6th Street in downtown Saint Paul. Currently, this Phase I historic survey work task is included in Mead and Hunt, Inc.’s current work scope for the Riverview Modern Streetcar Project. As work has evolved on the Riverview Corridor project, the project team is now studying an alignment that extends along West 7th Street to Broadway Street and will now need to complete additional Phase I historic survey work for the portion that is beyond the original geographic scope of West 7th Street from 6th Street to Broadway Street. The budget for Mead and Hunt, Inc. has been increased $65,466 to cover the expanded geographic scope for this task from $379,774 to $445,240.
• At the same time that the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project needs to complete Phase I historic survey work, MnDOT also needs to undertake Phase I historic survey work in conjunction with their separate mill and overlay project along West 7th Street from the Mississippi River to Broadway Street.
• In order to avoid duplication of work and costs between the Riverview Corridor project and MnDOT’s mill and overlay project, MnDOT has agreed to participate in sharing the cost of this historic survey work with Ramsey County since both projects will occur along the same stretch of West 7th Street. MnDOT will contribute $185,046 towards completing the historic survey work task along West 7th Street from the Mississippi River to Broadway Street.
The revised Work Order #2 to Master Partnership Contract 1050254 will cover historic survey work from May 23, 2023, to December 1, 2024, or when all obligations have been satisfactorily fulfilled, whichever comes first, at a cost of $185,046 and will include:
• Participate in Phase I and Phase II Environmental Studies; and other duties as requested by local government.
Additional information on Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project can be found at Ramsey County’s website at: <https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/roads-transportation/transit-corridors-studies/riverview-corridor>
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Riverview Corridor is an ethnically diverse area that is home to people that rely on transit for access to jobs and services. Within the Riverview Corridor, 16% of all households do not own an automobile, 30% of the population lives in poverty and approximately 20% of the population are people of color. All of these measures are higher than regional percentages. Three areas of concentrated poverty where people of color make up 40% or more of the population are defined within the Riverview Corridor. The Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project will improve access to opportunities by providing more frequent service that is better connected to job centers, neighborhoods and other parts of the regional transit system. It will also be an incentive for redevelopment of vacant land and reinvestment in underutilized land improving economic stability and creating jobs. Station Area Planning for the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project will be done collaboratively with the city of Saint Paul to ensure that affordable housing is part of the future concept plans to mitigate displacement of existing housing units. Contracts for the construction of the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project will comply with federal rules for hiring of disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Community engagement is essential to informed and transparent decision making and will occur throughout the Engineering and Pre-Environmental and NEPA study phases. Ramsey County has executed a contract with 4RM+ULA, LLP to provide coordinated communications and community engagement for all aspects of the Engineering and Pre-Environmental phase. Community engagement and communications activities will focus on engaging underrepresented populations, district councils, neighborhood groups and business associations along the corridor and will include a mix of virtual, online and in-person input opportunities as the risk of COVID-19 lessens.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The $185,046 received from Minnesota Department of Transportation Cultural Resources Unit to fund the revised Work Order #2 to Master Partnership Contract 1050254 for the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project cost sharing of Phase I Historic Survey Work will be receipted into the Public Works Multimodal Planning Capital Projects budget.
Last Previous Action
On January 10, 2023, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved Work Order #2 of the Master Partnership Contract 1050254 with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for receipt of funds in the amount of $185,046 for cost sharing of Phase I Historic Survey Work on the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project (Resolution R2023-006).
On January 10, 2023, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved Amendment 2 to an Agreement with Mead and Hunt, Inc. to increase the contract amount by $65,466 for joint Phase I architectural survey work for Ramsey County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase of the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project not to exceed $1,291,577 (Resolution R2023-005).
Attachments
1. Revised Work Order #2 - Redlined
2. Revised Work Order #2 - Clean
3. Attachment B - Joint Phase I Scope of Work and Budget