Board of County Commissioners
Agenda Request 6

Date of Meeting: February 14, 2006
Date Submitted: February 8, 2006
To: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board
From: Jack Kostrzewa, CRTPA Interim Executive Director
Subject: Approval of the Agreement and Scope of Services with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project Development and Environment Study (PD&E).

Statement of Issue:

 

This item seeks Board approval of Agreement  and Scope of Services (SOS) with Kimley-Horn and Associates (KHA), for the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project Development and Environment Study (PD&E) (Attachments #1 and #2).  

 

Background:

 

In 2002, a biology student from the Florida State University addressed the Board requesting that there be some action taken to preserve wildlife along the North Monroe Street corridor, between Clara Kee Boulevard and Old Bainbridge Road.  The student stated that an increasing number of animal deaths along this corridor are due to years of having historic migratory routes impeded by the physical location of North Monroe Street (US 27).

 

The issue was brought to the attention of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and they provided $125,000 to fund a Feasibility Study.  Since North Monroe Street is a State of Florida road, the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) staff offered to manage the project for FDOT.

 

·  The Feasibility Study was approved by the CRTPA in November 2004, with an alternative selected that will cost approximately $3.5 million to complete.  In January 2005, CRTPA staff met with FDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to determine a course of action to bring this project closer to fruition.  Both FDOT and FHWA recommended that a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study be completed to make the project eligible for Federal funds.  On this recommendation, CRTPA requested and received $60,000 from FDOT to complete the PD&E study.  CRTPA approval of the Scope-of-Services for the PD&E study came in May 2005.

 

·  The Leon County Board of County Commissioners approved the authorization to negotiate a contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates for conducting the Lake Jackson Ecopassage (PD&E) Study, a resolution and joint project agreement between the Leon County and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and a resolution and associated budget amendment at the December 13, 2005 Board meeting.

 

Analysis:

 

Since the December 13, 2006 Board meeting, CRTPA staff, and Purchasing staff have met with the consultant on several occasions to discuss and produce the Agreement and Scope of Services.  The recommended Scope of Services and Agreement are shown as Attachment #1 and Attachment #2 respectively. 

 

The Agreement calls for the completion of the PD&E Study for $60,000.  The funding of this phase of the project is through the Florida Department of Transportation Central Office and cannot be used for any other project.  The completion of the PD&E Study will allow staff to pursue federal funding for future phases of this project.

 

Options:

  1. Approve the Agreement  and Scope of Services with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study, and authorize the Chairman to execute the Agreement.
  2. Do not approve the Agreement  and Scope of Services with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study
  3. Board direction. 

Recommendation:

Option #1

 

Attachments:

 

1. Agreement for the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project Development and Environment Study.

2. Scope of Services for the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project Development and Environment Study.