Oxnard staff seek council approval for third amendment with Tetra Tech on cast-iron pipe replacement

Assistant Public Works Director Tim Beeman told the Oxnard City Council that staff recommends approving a third amendment to agreement A8491 with Tetra Tech for additional design work on the Kamala and Hobson cast-iron pipe replacement project and authorizing the mayor to execute the amendment. "The recommendation is that the city council approve and authorize the mayor to execute a third amendment to an agreement with Tetra Tech to increase the not to exceed amount ... and extend the term through 12/31/2026 for the additional design work required," Beeman said.

The item matters because the larger construction phase is partially funded by a federal grant and staff says additional design work is intended to reduce costly change orders during construction. Beeman told the council that the project was divided into three phases after the original engineers' estimate and that earlier amendments addressed potholing, pavement repairs and the addition of a subconsultant.

Background presented by staff: the original agreement was approved Oct. 4, 2022; the first amendment was approved Sept. 5, 2023 to add potholing, pavement repairs and to split the project into three phases; a second amendment on March 11, 2024 added a subconsultant. On July 16, 2024, Beeman said the council approved and accepted a federal grant from the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the range of $3,800,000. Tetra Tech submitted 90% design plans in December 2024; staff reviewed the package in January 2025 and requested additional design work to mitigate potential change orders during construction.

Beeman described several technical drivers for the extra design work: meter relocations identified during an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) field survey, development of highlining plans to maintain service during construction, pipeline alignment relocations required by separation standards, and utility relocations involving city-owned facilities and third-party providers such as Southern California Edison. He also said that because of the federal grant, the construction phase requires completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review; staff said the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) had been included in the original design scope.

Financial details and a noted inconsistency in the presentation: at the start of his remarks Beeman said the amendment would increase the not-to-exceed amount from $947,000 to $1,551,000 and extend the term through Dec. 31, 2026. Later in the presentation he stated the third amendment "shall not exceed $104,500 with a new contract total of $1,051,500 for professional engineering services." The transcript contains both figures; the staff presentation in the meeting did not reconcile them on the record. Beeman said the Kamala and Hobson projects are funded by Water Operating Fund 601 and that the combined available budget for these projects is approximately $1,270,652.

Beeman did not record a formal vote or identify a motion-maker in the transcript provided. He closed the presentation after summarizing the need for the additional design work and the available funding. The council packet or minutes should be consulted for the official amendment amount and any subsequent council action.

Staff also provided maps showing project phasing identified as Kamala West (Phase 1), Kamala East (Phase 2) and the Hobson neighborhood (Phase 3). Beeman said the additional field visits and meter-location work were prompted by conditions in older neighborhoods where water meters are not located in standard sidewalk or parkway locations.

No public speakers or council deliberations are recorded in the transcript segment provided; the record captures only the staff presentation and recommendation.