TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director
Gilbert Gamboa, City Engineer
Marzena Laskowska, Principal Civil Engineer
Jonathan Pascual, Associate Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Accepting as Complete the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project 602745-24 Cycle 4 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Curb Ramp Project by Oppenheimer National (No Budget Impact) (Public Works Director Awwad)
A) ACCEPT
B) AUTHORIZE
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Formally accept as complete the CDBG 602745-24 Cycle 4 ADA Curb Ramp Project (“Cycle 4 Curb Ramp Project”) by Oppenheimer National;
2) Authorize the filing of a notice of completion with the County Recorder; and
3) Authorize the release of retention in the amount of $6,728.04 to Oppenheimer National, upon expiration of the 35-day claims period.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
With the approval of the notice of completion, the five percent retention withheld from each invoice, totaling $6,728.04, will be released to the contractor contingent upon expiration of the statutory 35-day claims period.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Manhattan Beach is a participant in the Los Angeles Urban County CDBG Program. The Los Angeles Urban County CDBG Program is administered by the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), which acts as the administrative pass-through agency for CDBG funds allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
On January 21, 2025, the City Council authorized expenditure of the CDBG funds for the construction of accessible curb ramps consistent with the approved Fiscal Year 2025 through 2029 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
The Cycle 4 Curb Ramp Project improved 12 existing curb ramps to comply with the latest ADA standards within residential areas and adjacent to schools.
On September 25, 2025, the City issued a task order to TAIT & Associates (TAIT) using the City’s on-call agreement for CIP Pavement Design Services for the Cycle 4 Curb Ramp Project. TAIT prepared engineered plans and specifications for improvements to make curb ramps at the following intersections compliant with ADA:
• 17th Street and Laurel Avenue;
• 17th Street and Poinsettia Avenue;
• Meadows and Voorhees Avenues;
• Meadows Avenue and Bryant Place; and
• Meadows Avenue and Tennyson Street.
On March 17, 2026, following a competitive bid process for the Cycle 4 Curb Ramp Project, City Council awarded a construction agreement to Oppenheimer National in the amount of $116,996.56 and authorized a construction contingency of $24,000.
DISCUSSION:
The Cycle 4 Curb Ramp Project began construction in July 2026 and was completed in September 2026. The total construction cost, including change orders, was $134,560.82, within the total budget of $140,996.56.
Oppenheimer National has completed all contract work and is requesting formal acceptance of the project. The five percent retention withheld from each invoice, totaling $6,728.04, will be released 35 days following recordation of the notice of completion with the Los Angeles County Recorder, contingent upon no claims being filed.
Throughout construction, the work was monitored by the Public Works Department and was found to conform to the requirements in the contract documents. The work will remain subject to the contractor's one-year warranty period from the project’s completion date, during which any deficiencies resulting from defective workmanship or materials will be corrected by the contractor in accordance with the contract documents.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
A Public Hearing was held on January 21, 2025, on the City’s proposed use of the CDBG Program funds. To comply with federal regulations, the public was afforded a minimum of 30-day notice of this Public Hearing to provide an opportunity to comment on the City’s proposed use of the CDBG Program funds. The Public Hearing Notice was published on December 12, 2024, in The Beach Reporter, and posted on the bulletin boards at City Hall, Joslyn Community Center, and Manhattan Heights on December 11, 2024.
Construction notices were distributed to area residents by the City staff and by the contractor. City staff maintained regular communication with the adjacent property owners to keep them updated on the project schedule and impacts during construction. Throughout the duration of the project, construction updates were posted on the City’s project webpage. In addition, construction notices were also sent to the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, American Martyrs School, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The project was previously evaluated for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and a determination was made that the project qualified for a Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301(c) of the State CEQA Guidelines (the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use; including existing highways, streets, or sidewalks). There are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt class; therefore, there are no unusual circumstances.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Location Map