The Milpitas City Council voted unanimously Nov. 7 to renew a contract for $10,000 with RMC Water and Environment Inc. through Dec. 31, 2018 to aid the city with water and sewer utility installation and relocation design review.
After the meeting, city traffic engineer Steve Chan told the Post via email that the RMC contract includes record drawing verification, regulatory compliance filings and project closeout activities related to the BART project.
City staff reports state the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is still proceeding with construction of the BART extension and Montague Expressway widening projects.
“RMC provided water and environmental design and review support services for the city during the early stages of the BART projects,” Chan said. “Since RMC is already familiar with the project, they are most suited to complete the remaining project tasks.”
According to staff reports, the city’s master agreement with VTA allows reimbursement of city consultant costs for BART extension support services.
RMC has done work for Milpitas the past few years and lately has picked up the slack for staffing shortages and vacancies within the city’s engineering department, according to the staff reports.
In May 2016, the council approved a $150,000 contract with RMC for utility engineering support. That agreement — first executed in 2014 — was amended four times to extend the term to June 30, 2016 and increase compensation up to $267,734. The council’s vote last year extended the contract’s term for an additional 12 months and brought the total value of the agreement to $417,734, staff reports state.
In 2013, the City Council amended a 2011 contract agreement with RMC for engineering support for the BART extension in the amount of $300,000, bringing the total agreement to $1.107 million.
At the time, Jeff Moneda, the city’s former public works director/city engineer, told the Post that RMC would conduct plan check reviews for the BART project and provide additional staff assistance on city projects. Moneda said then that all RMC costs for the BART project will be fully reimbursed by the VTA.
The $2.3-billion BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension Project plans to open for ridership in Milpitas by mid-2018, VTA says.
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