TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute a contract with Manson Construction and Engineering to dredge the Los Angeles River navigation channel to Catalina Landing Basin in an amount not to exceed $174,000 for a term of thirty days. (District 2)
DISCUSSION
Catalina Landing is a complex of office buildings developed on Tidelands owned by the
City of Long Beach, but subject to the California Public Trust Doctrine. This complex
contains facilities specifically designed to support the operations of a terminal for
moderate-sized ships for passenger transportation service. Approximately 70 percent
of the passenger traffic to Catalina Island travels through this terminal on an annual
basis.
The extraordinary winter rains experienced this past year caused a substantial increase
in silt deposits that were washed down the Los Angeles River blocking the channel that
leads to the Catalina Landing Basin. In April 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(ACOE), the federal agency established by Congress with responsibility for maintaining
public navigation channels, responded to the situation and conducted an interim-
dredging project to clear the channel enough to allow operations from the Catalina
Landing Basin. Followed by unusually late rain in May, additional silt has been
deposited into the channel impacting access to the Catalina Landing Basin for
passenger services to and from Catalina Island, commercial operations, and the
Aquarium of Pacific's delivery of clean seawater for its tanks. To address this latest
obstruction, ACOE has designed a second dredging operation to open the navigation
channel for the summer. This will be a one-day dredging scheduled for June 21, 2005.
Testing has shown that the material to be dredged from the channel is slightly
contaminated. The silt will be dredged from the channel, contaminants separated, and
the remaining clean sand will be utilized in our beach building efforts. The dredging,
separation and beach deposit processes will take approximately one week. The
contaminated material will be taken to the Port of Los Angeles for disposal into an
upland disposal location.
During the initial dredge project, the City paid $74,000 to Manson Construction and
Engineering (MCE) in support of the project work. Staff is working with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for possible reimbursement of the
expenditure.
As the first channel project severely reduced ACOEs budget, they have asked the City
to partner in the proposed second dredging project. Because ACOE used MCE for the
first dredge project they have been selected to perform the work for the proposed
second dredging due to their familiarity with the site and ability to complete the work
expeditiously. The City will pay for the costs associated with the removal of the dredge
material in an estimated amount not to exceed $100,000. The ACOE will be
responsible for the expenses associated with the barge equipment and processing of
the dredge material at an estimated cost of $200,000.
This project will provide an interim solution to allow operations at Catalina Landing to
continue; however, the long-term solution requires that the entire channel be dredged in
order to ensure continuous passage of ships in the future. To accomplish this goal, the
City will continue to aggressively pursue the estimated $5 million in federal funding
needed to provide a full dredge and disposal of the estimated 44.000 cubic meters of
material and maintain an open channel.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Richard F. Anthony on June 7, 2005,
and by Budget Management Officer David Wodynski on June 7,2005.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on June 14, 2005, to enable the City to initiate
coordination between agencies and the contractor, to complete the work necessary to
clear the channel and allow full commercial operations during peak season, which
represents a major climb in business with the end of the school year.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total project cost is estimated in an amount not to exceed $1 74,000. The City has
already expended $74,000 in support of the initial work performed. The funds to pay for
the work are currently budgeted in the Tidelands Operating Fund (TF) in Capital
Improvement Project Number PR8350 in the Department of Parks, Recreation and
Marine (PR).
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
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Respectfully Submitted,
PHIL T. HESTER
DIRECTOR OF PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE