The City received a Recreational Trails Program Grant in the amount of $200,000 for the James E. Grey Preserve Urban Trails Project.  Plans were developed and an Invitation to Bid was advertised for the construction of parking areas, shell entrance drive, eight foot wide walking/biking trail and connections, a bridge, five foot wide walking trail and connections, signage and landscaping.  Three contractors submitted bids with Right of Way Contracting, LLC being the lowest bidder in the amount of $677,515.  The Bid Tabulation Sheet is attached that lists all three contractors and their bids.

Staff reviewed the bid packet from Right of Way Contracting and recommends the following deductions to the project:  Owner's Allowance reduced from $50,000 to $35,000 and defer the Landscaping to the end of the project with a savings of $60,680; a portion of the landscaping may be funded utilizing the Owner's Allowance.  The City's Construction Engineering and Inspection Manager for the Public Works Department recommended that their department install the shell entrance drive which will result in a $25,993 deduction.

Funding for this project will cross two fiscal years.  $415,000 is budgeted in FY2017-2018, which includes $215,000 of Penny for Pasco funding and $200,000 from a Recreational Trails Program Grant.  The remaining $160,842 will be budgeted in FY2018-2019 as part of the FY18-19 Captial Improvement Plan and will be funded by Penny for Pasco funds.

References were contacted on Right of Way Contracting, LLC to include Public Works Directors from two Florida Cities where they preformed projects similar in both size and type of construction to the James E. Grey Preserve project.  All reference checks were very positive.