ORD-2012-048 Bid Award - Buckhorn Mebane Phase 2 and Approval of Budget Amendment #3-C

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2 This project area is part of the 3,000 acre Efland/Buckhorn/Mebane Utility Planning Area (see Attachment 4) and comprises over 800 acres of economic development land use shown as areas A and D1. This area is generally located along a 3-mile corridor south of 1-85/1-40 and north of West Ten/Bowman Roads. A gravity sewer `backbone' system is being installed that will flow back to the City of Mebane. In addition, 16" water mains will be installed that support an additional 900 acres with new and enhanced water supply and fire flow. These facilities are strategically placed within prime development areas consistent with intergovernmental and community planning study areas and agreements. Also, proactive rezoning through the BOCC in these areas has made the location more competitive when vying for targeted business and industry. Further, this is an important phase of the utility master plan that will also create some of the infrastructure to allow the sewer flow from Efland to be redirected to Mebane. Funding for this is accomplished thorough the 1/4 cent sales tax initiative from the November 2011 voter referendum. Within less than a year after the referendum, Orange County has succeeded in two major interlocal utility agreements with Mebane and Durham with various stages of master planning, design, and construction bid award in progress. The investment in these prime interstate corridors will position Orange County to diversify the economic tax base with office, light industrial, manufacturing and retail and associated jobs. BID INFORMATION Competitive bids were opened on October 9, 2012 (see Attachment 1 , "Certified Bid Tabulation"). After a period of review of the bid documents by staff and the County's engineering consultant, Hobbs Upchurch Associates, J.F. Wilkerson Contracting was determined to be the lowest responsive, responsible bidder for this project for the base bid sections 1-4 (see Attachment 2). Bids received were in excess of the $3.1 million schematic cost estimate for construction approved by the BOCC as part of the FY2012-13 Capital Investment Plan. Staff and the consultant conducted a rigorous value engineering exercise with J.F. Wilkerson Contracting and successfully eliminated $329,595 in costs to the project with minimal impact to the design scope. Additional value engineering will be conducted, assisted by more in-depth soil borings, that could further reduce costs. If savings are realized, or additional funds are identified, staff will bring back additional utility scope increases that were noted as alternates in the bid program. The following timeline represents the project delivery and completion: TASK PROPOSED END BY BEGINNING DATE DATE BOCC Action: Buckhorn-Mebane Phase 2 Water and Sewer 11/8/12 11/8/12 Construction Period (est. 12 months) 1/1/13 1/1/14 System Commissioning, Completion of As-Built Drawings 1/1/14 2/1/14 System Turnover to the City of Mebane 3/31/14 N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: $3.575 million is available as part of the FY2012-13 Capital Improvement Project budget, which includes $439,500 in professional services funds for Hobbs Upchurch