Salinas Rail Project Construction Management - MNS Engineers Contract Amendment #3:

1. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to execute contract amendment #3 with MNS Engineers, subject to approval by Agency Counsel, to extend the contract timeline from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022, to correspond with the anticipated final design schedule for Packages 2 and 3;
2. FIND that this amendment is justified as a sole source due to the efficiencies that support award to the existing consultant as a logical follow-on to work already in progress under a competitively awarded contract; and
3. AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to take such other further actions as may be necessary to fulfill the intent of the contract, including approvals of future modifications or amendments that do not significantly alter the scope of work, or change the approved contract term or amount.

The Monterey County Rail Extension Kick Start Project Package 2 (Salinas layover facility) and Package 3 (Gilroy track connections) are in final design. MNS Engineers was originally hired to conduct construction management for all three Packages of the Kick Start project in December 2017 after a formal Request for Proposals process. Package 1 (Salinas circulation improvements) is now complete. The contract amendment is being requested to extend the time of the contract to cover the anticipated final design schedule for Packages 2 and 3, with no additional budget and no change in scope.

The budget for this construction management contract has a not-to-exceed amount, as amended, of $4,697,537, funded through state Public Transportation Account (PTA) and Proposition 116 Rail Bond funds allocated to the construction phase. This amendment adds no additional budget to this contract.

The Monterey County Rail Extension Project extends passenger rail service from Santa Clara County south to Salinas. TAMC is pursuing a phased implementation of the Project. Phase 1, known as the Kick Start Project, includes Salinas train station circulation improvements, a train layover facility in Salinas, and track improvements at the Gilroy station and between Salinas and Gilroy. The Kick Start Project has completed construction of Package 1, improvements at the Salinas train station. The layover facility (Package 2) and track improvements (Package 3) are now in final design.

TAMC hired MNS Engineers as construction managers for the entire Kick-Start project (three construction packages), Monterey Peninsula Engineering (MPE) for construction of Package 1, and HDR Engineering for final design and design support during construction. 

Package 1, now constructed, includes circulation improvements along West Market Street/ State Route 183 and via an extension of Lincoln Avenue, which previously terminated at West Market Street from the south. MNS oversaw MPE's construction of these improvements, with a satisfactory conclusion of all change order negotiations. 

Packages 2 and 3 are in final design by HDR Engineering. The design schedule currently anticipates 100% plans, specifications & estimates (PS&E) in spring 2022, final design in late 2022, going out to bid in spring 2023, and completing construction in 2024. Staff recommends extending the MNS contract by one year, to December 31, 2022, to enable MNS to provide comments on the design and to reassess the MNS contract scope, schedule and budget after final PS&E is available in late 2022.

This contract amendment #3 (attached) with MNS Engineers extends the timeframe for the work to accommodate the anticipated schedule for final design of Packages 2 and 3.