TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Joe DeFrancesco, Interim Public Works Director
Gilbert Gamboa, City Engineer
Eddie Pech, Senior Civil Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Design Services Agreement with Geosyntec Consultants for $743,550 for the Manhattan Beach Dominguez Channel Stormwater Infiltration and TMDL Trash Capture Project for a Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $1,130,419 and Reappropriating $676,681 in the Storm Drain Fund to the Project (Partially Budgeted) (Interim Public Works Director DeFrancesco).
A) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 26-0024
B) REAPPROPRIATE FUNDS
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Consider Resolution No. 26-0024 approving Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. (Geosyntec) for additional design services for $743,550 for the Manhattan Beach Dominguez Channel Stormwater Infiltration Project for a Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $1,130,419;
2. Authorize the City Manager, and/or his or her designee, to execute Amendment No. 2 to the PSA, and;
3. Reappropriate $676,681 in the Storm Drain Fund from the Annual Storm Drain Repairs Project to the Manhattan Beach Dominguez Channel TMDL Trash Capture Project.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The amendment to the PSA with Geosyntec is for $743,550 for additional design services. The Manhattan Beach Dominguez Channel Stormwater Infiltration Project budget consists of $450,000 within the Storm Drain Fund and $258,337 within the Measure W Fund. An additional appropriation of $676,681 is needed to fully fund the project. Sufficient funds of $676,681 are currently available for the project as a reappropriation from the available funds for the Annual Storm Drain Repairs program in the Storm Drain Fund. A Project Budget and Expenditures Summary is attached.
BACKGROUND:
The Los Angeles County NPDES Permit No. CAS00401 (Permit) established waste discharge requirements for municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) discharges within the coastal watersheds. Under the Permit, the City of Manhattan Beach, along with the Cities of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, and together with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, collectively formed the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group (Beach Cities WMG). The Beach Cities WMG agreed to collaborate on the development of an Enhanced Watershed Management Program, including a project to capture and infiltrate stormwater flows from a 255-acre mixed-use area in Northeast Manhattan Beach within the Dominguez Channel watershed. A 2032 deadline has been set for the City to meet water quality standards in the Dominguez Channel watershed.
On February 29, 2024, a Request for Proposals concerning the feasibility study and design services was published on the City's website as well as on PlanetBids, a public bid notification platform. Two proposals were submitted and assessed by the staff. Staff recommended Geosyntec for the award.
On May 21, 2024, the City Council awarded a PSA to Geosyntec for a total of $299,869 for a feasibility study and preliminary design for the Project. The scope of work for the study involved investigating the viability of adding a series of drywells along Parkview Avenue near the northern fence line of the Westdrift Hotel Golf Course. The proposed project would divert stormwater flows to the golf course and into a series of drywells. However, the geotechnical investigation determined that the initial project concept of infiltrating stormwater into the groundwater table through a series of drywells along Parkview Avenue was not feasible due to the presence of legacy contamination in the soil beneath the street.
On January 21, 2025, the City Council approved Amendment No.1 to the PSA with Geosyntec for a total of $87,000. These additional funds were required to assess two City-owned properties for stormwater detention rather than infiltration: the Manhattan Village Parking Lot located at the intersection of Parkview Avenue and Village Drive, and the Westdrift Hotel Golf Course. Three project concepts were formulated, each incorporating the restoration and enhancement of the existing pond's capacity at the golf course as a key element. In Concept No. 1, a second component involved the construction of a large underground detention chamber within the parking lot. Concept No. 2 featured a smaller underground detention chamber at the parking lot, along with a second, smaller chamber at the golf course.
Instead of underground detention, Concept No. 3 proposed regrading the existing low point at the golf course to maximize storage capacity and minimize flooding to the rest of the golf course. The concept enhances and updates the existing storm and flood management function at the golf course for the Dominguez Channel Watershed. In addition, Concept No. 3, when compared to the other two options, has a smaller construction scope. Therefore, Staff and Geosyntec overwhelmingly recommend Concept No. 3 as the preferred Project to meet the required regulatory requirements.
DISCUSSION:
The City’s stormwater discharges operate under the Los Angeles County NPDES permit, where the State Waterboard requires the Dominguez Channel basin meet water quality targets by 2032. By then, discharges into the Dominguez Channel must have a reduction of heavy metals and be free of trash greater than 5mm. In the interim, the State Waterboard requires that 50% of the basin not discharge trash greater than 5mm by September 2026.
To ensure compliance by September 2026, Staff asked Geosyntec to assist with the design of one hydrodynamic separator (HDS) unit at the City-owned parking lot near the northwest corner of Marine Avenue and Aviation Boulevard. Geosyntec was well-suited and cost-effective to perform the work on behalf of the City, as they had already completed all background investigations for the Dominguez Channel basin as part of their scope of work for the Feasibility Study. Staff also sought and received approval from the City Council on August 16, 2025, to add the scope of work to the construction contract with Clarke Consulting, Inc., which is currently working on the same type of construction for the Santa Monica Bay TMDL Trash Treatment Project. As part of Amendment No. 2, the design scope will be formally added to Geosyntec’s existing Feasibility Study PSA.
Additionally, Amendment No.2 adds the completion of sixty-five percent (65%) of the design plans for the Dominguez Channel Stormwater Infiltration Project. Staff intends to apply for Regional Safe Clean Water Funds (Measure W) for assistance with design and construction costs for this Project. The next Measure W solicitation cycle is scheduled for the end of July 2026, and any Project seeking such funding needs to have design completed at 65% to apply for funds. Therefore, Amendment No.2 will add and authorize the 65% completion of the design plans for the Project to the existing PSA for Geosyntec. Staff is also seeking authorization from the City Council to add the completion of the design plans later through a Task Order, when needed.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Outreach was conducted to the neighboring properties that may be affected by work on the Project, including the Westdrift Hotel, Manhattan Market Place, and MBS Media Campus (Manhattan Beach Studios). Once the Project progresses to design and construction, outreach will include the development of a Project website, community notifications and meetings, social media updates, presentations to the Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC), as appropriate, and consideration by City Council.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Although environmental review is not necessary at this time, additional environmental review will be required as applicable before the approval of any future project-specific development entitlements, including, but not limited to, site development plans, building permits, land development permits, and conditional use permits.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has approved the amendment as to form and has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT/ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 26-0024
2. Amendment No. 2 - Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
3. Agreement (and Amendment No.1) - Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
4. Agreement (Contract Change Orders No. 1 and 2) - Clarke Contracting Corp.
5. Feasibility Study Summary Memo
6. Budget and Expenditure Summary Report
7. Location Map