To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Mark Marlowe, Director of Castle Rock Water
Jeff Brauer, Director of Parks and Recreation
Title
Resolution Approving a Construction Contract with Academy Sports Turf for the Metzler Ranch Park Synthetic Turf Conversion Project
Body
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Executive Summary
The Metzler Ranch Park Synthetic Turf Conversion project is a cooperative partnership between Castle Rock Water and the Parks and Recreation Department. The project will convert all four of the existing baseball fields from natural grass to synthetic turf, saving over 6 million gallons of water annually. The project will also improve the athletic programming capability at the Town’s signature lighted ballfield complex.
Staff advertised the project for competitive bidding through the Rocky Mountain E-purchasing System. Four contractors submitted bids and Academy Sports Turf provided the low bid.
Staff recommends approving a construction contract with Academy Sports Turf in the amount of $2,104,500. Construction will begin in late November 2018 and be complete by March 1, 2019 to accommodate spring baseball and ensure that fields are useable before the 2019 irrigation season.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
The project will occur prior to the spring sports season and may not disrupt programming. Notifications for traffic control and coordination with the adjacent Douglas County School property will be made during the permitting process.
History of Past Town Council, Boards & Commissions, or Other Discussions
Castle Rock Water (CRW) staff presented the specifics of this project to the CRW Commission at their regularly scheduled October 24, 2018 meeting. The presentation highlighted project scope and timing, including the partnership between CRW and the Parks and Recreation Department and a proposed interfund loan to be paid up front by CRW. The CRW Commission supported a construction contract with Academy Sports Turf by a 5-2 vote.
Parks and Recreation Department staff presented information about the project to the Parks and Recreation Commission at their regularly scheduled October 17, 2018 meeting. The Commission was supportive of the project.
Discussion
Due to anticipated short-term demand challenges and the need for long-term savings, Castle Rock Water initiated discussions to reduce water use through the removal of natural grass. Parks and Recreation Staff recommended Metzler Ranch Park as a conversion project for several reasons. When compared to other parks, the conversion will provide significant maintenance savings through the elimination of infield and outfield upkeep, including aeration, fertilization and irrigation. The organization of the complex will also allow for substantial water savings due to the ability to convert 7.75 total acres of grass to synthetic turf. The conversion will improve the athletic programming capacity of the facility because the new turf will be able to accommodate additional sports like football. Game and practice cancellations due to wet infield conditions will also be reduced.
Budget Impact
The Town advertised an invitation to bid for the Metzler Ranch Park Synthetic Turf Conversion project on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website on Thursday, October 4, 2018. Six interested bidders attended a mandatory pre-bid conference on Thursday, October 11, 2018. Four of those contractors submitted bids by the deadline of 11 a.m. on Friday, October 19, 2018.
Bidders submitted lump sum pricing for all site work required to prepare the Metzler Ranch Park ballfields for conversion to synthetic turf. Site work includes the removal of Kentucky Bluegrass Sod and approximately 4 to 6 inches of underlying soil; laser grading of the drainage media subgrade; installation of a subsurface drainage system; installation of 4 inches of fractured stone base and drainage media; 2 inches of crusher fine gravel; and a nailer edge surrounding the perimeter of the field.
The bid results for the project are listed below:
Academy Sports Turf $2,104,500
American Civil Constructors $2,171,580
Hellas Construction $2,247,060
Lone Mountain Contracting $2,198,137
Academy Sports Turf was the low bidder at $2,104,500. Academy is well qualified to perform the work. All staff members involved in the project have over 15 years of experience in the installation of synthetic turf. Academy has completed hundreds of installations in Colorado and throughout the mountain west.
An interfund loan agreement between Castle Rock Water and Parks will provide the $2.1 million up-front capital cost required to fund the conversion project. Castle Rock Water will make a capital contribution in an amount of $791,941 derived from the $17,031 (2019 water resources fee) / 0.4-acre feet per Single Family Equivalent x 18.6 acre-feet of saved water. The General Fund (Parks) will repay the remaining balance through a $64,000 annual payment for 15 years, which is the life of the turf with 1.5 percent interest charged against the interfund loan amount of $1,312,559. The payment is equal to the annual water bill for the ballfields and the savings that will come from lowered monthly renewable water fees by reducing the existing water tap from 4 inches to 2 inches. In addition, Castle Rock Water will provide remaining commercial Smartscape funds that are not used by HOA’s or commercial customers to pay down the balance of the interfund loan each year over the 15-year period as those funds are available. A General Fund balloon payment will cover any remaining balance at the end of the 15-year term. The General Fund (Parks) will be responsible for the maintenance, operation and long-term replacement of the turf after installation.
This project will be expensed to the Park Turf Replacement account (110-5275-452.78-47). The funding was included in the requested Second Amendment to the 2018 Budget as presented at the October 16, 2018 Town Council meeting.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approving a construction contract between the Town of Castle Rock and Academy Sports Turf for the Metzler Ranch Park Synthetic Turf Conversion project.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the resolution as introduced by title.”
Attachments
Attachment A Resolution
Exhibit 1 Contract