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Sonoma council awards West Spain/Bain Street repair and safety contract, approves $404K budget amendment
Summary
The City Council unanimously awarded a $447,141 construction contract to Team Gilotti Inc. to repair pavement and add traffic‑calming elements on West Spain Street, and approved a $404,000 budget amendment using Measure M, SB1 and gas tax funds to close a funding gap.
The Sonoma City Council unanimously approved plans and awarded a $447,141 construction contract Thursday to Team Gilotti Inc. for the West Spain (West Bain) Street rehabilitation project, which will include pavement repairs, a grind and overlay in parts of the corridor, striping upgrades, sharrows for bicyclists and painted bulb‑out concepts intended to calm traffic.
Public Works Director Michael Berger told the council that the project covers Spain Street from the plaza to Highway 12, is divided into three segments (pavement repairs between 1st–2nd and 7th–Highway 12, and a grind/overlay between 2nd–3rd), and opened bids on Sept. 9 with a low apparent bid of $447,000. Berger said the full project cost including contingencies and QC testing totals about $529,000 and that a $404,000 funding gap remains.
Berger said staff proposed covering the gap with a mix of local and state transportation funds: $200,000 from Measure M, $104,000 from SB1, and $100,000 from gas tax proceeds. Council moved to adopt plans and specifications, award the contract, authorize up to a 15% contingency and adopt the amended CIP/FY25‑26 budget; the roll‑call vote was unanimous.
Why it matters: Spain Street is a heavily traveled collector that parallels Highway 12 and carries roughly 8,000 cars a day, Berger said. The project is part of the city’s active transportation plan priority to develop a bike boulevard in the corridor and to reduce speeds and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Council and public comment focused on traffic speeds, truck traffic, and whether paint treatments (sharrows and fog stripes) or physical improvements (painted or concrete bulb outs) will effectively slow drivers. Berger said the city will do before‑and‑after speed surveys, install a speed‑feedback sign, and use the traffic engineer and police collision data to evaluate effectiveness. He said spot repairs were chosen where pavement failure is limited and full repaving is not warranted.
Details and timeline: Berger said work will start roughly 30 contract days after mobilization (about 45 calendar days, depending on weather). The contract includes standard public works quality control: geotechnical inspection, gradations, compaction testing and a one‑year maintenance bond.
Next steps: Staff will execute the contract, mobilize crews, and incorporate selected painted bulb‑outs into the scope where feasible. The council asked for a post‑installation evaluation period to measure whether the changes achieved speed and safety goals.
