CC SR 20240716 F - Emergency Hydraugers Contract Continuation
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 07/16/2024
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to reconfirm continuing the emergency justification for
work and contract bidding on the Portuguese Bend Landslide Emergency Hydraugers
Project.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Reconfirm, by a four-fifths vote, there is a need to continue the work on the
Portuguese Bend Landslide Emergency Hydraugers Project declared by Council-
adopted Resolution No. 2024-20 on May 7, 2024, finding an emergency exists
requiring immediate action to install hydraugers in the Portuguese Bend Landslide
to seek to mitigate the movement of the landslide ; and
(2) Direct the City Clerk to confirm the same in the minutes of this City Council
meeting, via Minute Order, reflecting this action.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended Council
action as $10,510,000 was appropriated by the City Council on
April 16, 2024. VR
Amount Budgeted: $10,510,000
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): 330-400-8304-8XXX
(CIP Fund – PB Landslide-Various)
331-400-8304-8802
(ARPA Fund – PB Landslide - Impr) VR
ORIGINATED BY: David Copp, Deputy Public Works Director
REVIEWED BY: Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. July 2, 2024 staff report
B. June 18, 2024 staff report
C. June 4, 2024 staff report
D. May 21, 2024 staff report
E. May 7, 2024 staff report
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BACKGROUND:
On October 3, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-47, declaring a state
of local emergency relating to the land movement in the landslide complex. The state of
emergency has been timely renewed and is current. On May 7, 2024, the City Council
extended the Local State of Emergency pursuant to Resolution No. 2024 -20 and
approved, among other things, a Public Works Contract with Malcolm Drilling Inc.
(Malcolm) to perform the work of the Portuguese Bend Landslide Emergency Hydraugers
Project (Attachment E). On May 21, June 4, June 18, and July 2, 2024, the City Council
reconfirmed, by a four-fifths vote, that there is a need to continue the work on the
Portuguese Bend Landslide Emergency Hydraugers Project (Attachment s D, C, B, and
A).
DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to Public Contract Code § 22050, the City Manager and Director of Public Works
must report to the City Council at its regular meeting the reasons justifying why the
emergency continues to exist and why action outside of the normal bidding process is
necessary to respond to the emergency. Furthermore, Public Contract Code § 22050
states that the City Council shall, at every regularly scheduled meeting , consider and
reaffirm by a four-fifths vote there is a need to continue to remediate the emergency until
the authorized emergency repairs have been completed. Accordingly, because the work
has not yet been completed, this item is on tonight’s agenda. This item will be placed on
each subsequent agenda until all aspects of the project are completed.
Since the most recent update to the City Council on July 2, 2024, the need for the
emergency work is ongoing. The status of the project at the time of publication of this staff
report on July 9, 2024 is as follows:
• Drilling for the first four boreholes for Emergency Hydrauger Array E-1 (Hydrauger
E-1), which are on the landward side of Palos Verdes Drive South (PVDS), is
complete. Drilling activities for the fifth and sixth boreholes for Hydrauger E-1, also
on the landward side of PVDS, are expected to be completed by the third week of
July.
• An access agreement with the Portuguese Bend Beach Club Homeowners
Association (PBCA) to drill four boreholes for Hydrauger E-1 located on the
seaward side of PVDS is being prepared and negotiated.
• Site preparation for the first set of boreholes for Emergency Hydrauger Array E-2
(Hydrauger E-2) has started and is ongoing.
• Environmental monitoring is being conducted in conjunction with construction
activities.
During drilling operations for the boreholes drilled to date, production has been impacted
by the presence of soil with a harder composition than originally anticipated. Additionally,
the contractor has been directed to drill at deeper depths than originally anticipated to
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confirm the presence of any deeper land movement that may dictate adjustments to the
design of the hydraugers.
To accelerate the schedule, Staff is working with the project team to mobilize a second
drill rig to drill boreholes at multiple locations concurrently instead of sequentially as
originally planned. The second drill rig was originally planned for mid-July but is now
expected by late July to early August as more time is needed for negotiating the access
agreement with PBCA and for completing environmental surveys. The estimated
schedule for completing the boreholes for Hydrauger Array E -1 and analyzing the
resultant data continues to be approximately six to eight weeks, which is greater than the
originally anticipated schedule of four to six weeks.
The emergency conditions necessitating the project are likely to persist at least until
completion of the project.
CONCLUSION:
The effects of the ongoing land movement continue to be felt in the Greater Portuguese
Bend Landslide Complex. Staff recommends reconfirming, by a four-fifths vote, that there
is a need to continue to remediate the emergency identified by City Council -adopted
Resolution No. 2024-20 (originally by Resolution No. 2023-47), and reconfirm, by a four-
fifths vote, the need for continuing the work on the Portuguese Bend Landslide
Emergency Hydraugers Project.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for the
City Council’s consideration:
1. Take other action or provide direction, as deemed appropriate.
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