SUBJECT: First Amendment to the Advance Funding Agreement between the City of Houston and Texas Department of Transportation for the Rehabilitation or Replacement of Westerland Drive Bridge at HCFCD Ditch. WBS Nos. N-240001-0001-7 and S-000521-0201-7.
RECOMMENDATION: (Summary) Approve the First Amendment to the Advance Funding Agreement between the City of Houston and Texas Department of Transportation and appropriate funds.
PROJECT NOTICE/JUSTIFICATION: This project is part of the Federal Off-System Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement Program which is administered by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). This program replaces or rehabilitates structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges located on public roads and streets not located in the designated state highway system.
DESCRIPTION/SCOPE: This project consists of replacing or rehabilitating the Westerland Drive Bridge at HCFCD Ditch which has been determined to be structurally deficient.
LOCATION: This project is located in Key Map Grid 490T.
SCOPE OF THIS AGREEMENT: The Texas Transportation Commission approved Minute Order No. 113526, dated March 28, 2013 for the reconstruction of the bridge listed under the Federal Off-System Bridge Replacement Program, hereinafter, referred to as “Participation Waived” Project.
Under this Program, the usual fund participation ratios for the projects are 80 percent federal, 10 percent state and 10 percent local government. The Texas Administrative Code, Title 43, Section 15.55 provides that under specified conditions, the 10 percent local government match requirement may be waived on this project if the local government performs an equivalent dollar amount of structural improvement work on another deficient bridge within its jurisdiction (Equivalent-Match-Projects).
City Council approved Resolution No. 2012-0030 on October 17, 2012 approving the request of a waiver of local match requirements in the Federal Off-System Bridge Program administered by TxDOT for Westerland Drive Bridge. By Ordinance No. 2013-0785, City Council approved the original Advanced Funding Agreement on September 4, 2013. The City is responsible for the provision and acquisition of necessary right-of-way for the project and the relocation of utilities before the scheduled beginning of construction, if needed. The City has agreed to maintain the facilities after the project’s completion. TxDOT and the City have agreed to amend the original agreement due to the City’s request to incorporate the design of its utilities in this project. Therefore, it is necessary for the City to appropriate $11,935.20 to incorporate the design of City of Houston utilities.
ACTION RECOMMENDED: It is recommended that City Council adopt an ordinance approving this amendment to the Advance Funding Agreement between the City of Houston and TxDOT and appropriate funds.