Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement And Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves contracts for Palmdale Boulevard rehab and Corson Park renovation; members press for bid transparency
Summary
The Palmdale City Council approved construction‑management contracts for the Palmdale Boulevard arterial rehab and Corson Park. Council members questioned evaluation tables, bidder counts, contingency sizing and local participation; staff said selections were qualifications‑based and consistent with engineering estimates.
The City Council approved two construction‑management agreements after staff explained evaluation and contingency decisions.
Public Works Director Lee Torres presented item 5.5, a recommendation to award construction management services for a full‑depth reclamation of Palmdale Boulevard (between 50th and 70th Street East) for a not‑to‑exceed amount reported at $267,174 (staff materials referenced a higher contingency figure in the packet and described the selection as qualifications‑based). Torres explained that proposal evaluations emphasize team qualifications, technical approach and experience with Caltrans procedures; where an item is qualification‑based the selected firm may not be the lowest bidder.
On item 5.6, council approved a $456,500 construction‑management agreement with Maestro Development for the Corson Park renovation (10% contingency). The project scope includes new restrooms, playground equipment, fitness features, landscape lighting and accessibility upgrades. Staff told council there were nine proposers evaluated; only the top three firms were shown in the packet table, which led councilmembers to ask staff to include full bidder lists in future reports.
Council concerns and staff replies: Council members repeatedly asked why lower bids were not selected and how contingency percentages were determined. Torres said the department assesses proposed hours, hourly rates and the project duration when calculating contingency and uses local preference points when local firms meet required qualifications. Council asked staff to do more outreach to Antelope Valley firms to increase local participation in future procurements.
Funding: Staff said the Palmdale Boulevard work is funded with SB 1 funds; Corson Park is funded through Measure AV and Proposition 68 park bond funding.
Outcome: Both contracts passed on voice votes with council approval.
