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Lawndale awards CDBG sidewalk contract, approves 50% contingency to extend work within eligible areas
Summary
The council approved awarding this year’s CDBG sidewalk project to the low bidder (recommended: CJ Concrete Construction Inc.), authorized a 50% contingency ($70,000) and consultant compliance costs of $30,000 to allow additional sidewalk work within federally eligible areas from $243,000 in available CDBG funds.
Staff presented the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) sidewalk project for several ward locations and said the program combined $228,000 in newly allocated federal funds with leftover funds from prior years to total $243,000 for the project.
After advertising and receiving six bids, staff recommended awarding the construction contract to the lowest responsive bidder, CJ Concrete Construction Inc., and requested an unusually large 50% contingency ($70,000) to allow the city to extend sidewalk work within the same federally eligible areas. Staff also requested approval of consultant labor-compliance costs of $30,000 (a federal requirement when using CDBG funds) and authority for the city manager to file a notice of project completion with Los Angeles County upon finalization.
During discussion council members asked how the target sections were selected; staff said the work follows previously paved corridors and focuses on known failure areas and that CDBG funds must be spent inside designated eligible areas. Council asked about inclusion of additional streets; staff said the contingency would support extensions but only within the approved CDBG locations.
The council moved, seconded and voted unanimously to award the contract to the recommended bidder, approve the contingency and authorize the consultant costs and project-completion filing.
Why it matters: the CDBG program provides federal funds for sidewalk and accessibility improvements in targeted neighborhoods; the added contingency reflects staff’s desire to maximize curb-and-sidewalk repairs within federal rules and available funding.
Next steps: staff will finalize the contract and begin construction in the listed sections (including Grailia Avenue, 159th Street, Manel Avenue and Eastwood Avenue) and file required completion notices with Los Angeles County when work concludes.
