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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/01/2020CC OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER May 1, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information COVID-19 Updates  The City is participating in the County’s ad-hoc committee to plan how to safely and responsibly re-open the City’s economy.  The May 6 City Council meetings will follow the same pattern as the April 8 meetings, with a Council Workshop closed to public attendance (but available for viewing) and a Regular Session open to the public. We continue to encourage the public to submit public comments in advance of the meetings.  The tourism industry is among the many that have been hit hard by the pandemic and the resulting guidelines. David Lyman, manager of Visit Bakersfield, recently took a look at how hotels are adjusting to the situation. Lyman found that some have shifted from overnight rates to offering flexible day rates, promoting their rooms as alternative home office spaces, including the new Home 2 Suites (above) located near the corner of Coffee and Brimhall Roads, just off the Westside Parkway.  Please continue to exercise proper social distancing as well as other expert medical guidance from the Kern County Department of Public Health, the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control. We are beginning General Information May 1, 2020 Page 2 to see the fruits of everyone’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but we’re not in the clear just yet. The City continues to encourage residents to adhere to the Governor’s stay-at-home order. We also recommend following the CDC's recommendation to wear a face-covering if you need to go into public for essential services and to avoid groups when you are in public. Everyone can help make a difference in the fight against COVID-19, keeping yourself, your family, and your friends safe and healthy until it is over. Remember: Stay Home. Save Lives. We’re in this together. We’ll get through this TOGETHER. Notable Items  You may have noticed work being done at the Spectrum Amphitheater at the Park at River Walk. This week, crews from the City’s Public Works Department started the process of removing the existing bench seating at the amphitheater (right). New chair-style seating will be installed by a contractor. Over the years, people who have attended events at the amphitheater have complained that the seating was uncomfortable and they could not enjoy the concerts. Most of the funding for the project is coming from the Public Safety & Vital Services Measure (Measure N) as the new seating will enhance the experience for attendees. Funding for the project was approved by the City Council as part of the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget.  Visit Bakersfield continues to provide suggestions for how to beat stay-at-home fatigue, from a weekly coloring contest on social media, to checking out Bakersfield’s Hollywood history! If you’re looking for something to watch while you’re at home, why not check out flicks that have featured our City, including the Clint Eastwood film, “Any Which Way You Can,” the sequel to “Any Which Way But Loose.” Visit Bakersfield has a list of other films that showed Bakersfield on the silver screen.  The Recreation & Parks Department’s Rapid Response Team recently completed two projects at City parks. The RRT installed new bollard posts and a chain at the southwest entrance to Planz Park, as well as forming and pouring a concrete slab for a picnic table area at Lowell Park. The team is also still responding to service requests from the General Information May 1, 2020 Page 3 public, including a clean-up project under the Oak Street overpass near 16th Street where the RRT cleared brush, trees and weeds from the area (before and after, below). Traffic Advisories  Full freeway closure on State Route 99 Northbound and southbound State Route 99 will be closed between Stockdale Highway and Ming Avenue on Monday night, May 4, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The westbound State Route 58-to-southbound State Route 99 loop ramp will also be closed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. These closures are needed to place deck concrete on the widened westbound State Route 58/State Route 99 separation bridge. This schedule may be changed without notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Please slow down and pay attention to construction and detour signage while driving through the area. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience this work may cause the traveling public.  Wible Road closure Wible Road will be closed between Stockdale Highway and Belle Terrace on Tuesday, May 5, from 4 a.m. through 10 a.m. This closure is also needed for concrete placement on the widened bridge deck. The closure will affect both directions of travel on Wible Road. Northbound and southbound freeway motorists will be detoured to Union Avenue. Motorists can use either Real Road or H Street to detour around the Wible Road closure. This schedule may be changed without notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Please slow down and pay attention to construction and detour signage while driving through the area. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience this work may cause the traveling public. General Information May 1, 2020 Page 4  Westside Parkway lane and shoulder closure Road construction work will require the closure of the shoulder and adjacent traffic lane on westbound Westside Parkway between the Mohawk Street on-ramp and the Coffee Road off-ramp on Tuesday, May 5. The closures are expected to be in place between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The on- and off-ramps will remain open while work is underway. Work may be rescheduled without notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Please slow down and watch for construction workers and equipment while driving in the vicinity of this work. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience this work may cause the traveling public. Reports  TRIP Status Report for May 2020. City Manager’s Office 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 661-326-3751 FAX: 661-324-1850 MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Joe Conroy Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Public Information Officer (661) 326-3074 JConroy@bakersfieldcity.us UPCOMING CITY EVENTS AND MEETINGS The City of Bakersfield is modifying, canceling or postponing some upcoming events in our continued efforts to help limit the potential spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), while we make plans to accommodate future meetings and events within the criteria established by the State for easing stay-at-home guidelines. The City of Bakersfield continues working closely with the Kern County Department of Public Health, the Office of Governor Newsom and the Centers for Disease Control, to remain up-to-date on the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. The City will be prepared to respond to changes in the stay-at-home order and will provide up to date information to the community as appropriate. The City has already begun to phase back the limited number of employees that have been on leave and will provide updates on changes to City operations. The City is also working closely with the County to plan for reopening the economy as appropriate. We are also continuing to provide updates for the public on our special COVID-19 webpage, which can be found here. Limited precautionary measures will be in place for the May 6 City Council Meetings, which are planned to take place as scheduled. The following measures will be implemented for those meetings: • The 3:30 p.m. meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. and will NOT be open to the public; however, the meeting will be broadcast live and public comments can be submitted in advance; • The 5:15 p.m. meeting will have limited public access and will have an abbreviated agenda; • Public comments will be accepted for items on the agenda for both meetings; the public is encouraged to participate in one of two ways, outlined below: o Public comment may be submitted by email via the City Clerk’s Office at city_clerk@bakersfieldcity.us by 1 p.m. the day of the meeting; or o By leaving a voicemail comment by calling 661-326-3100. Voicemail messages must be three (3) minutes or shorter. Messages must be received by 4 p.m. the Tuesday before the meeting. • Additional guidelines for public participation in the meetings are provided in a supplemental Special Notice. Members of the public may view both meetings live online at https://bakersfield.novusagenda.com/AgendaPublic/. Other events and meetings will continue under similar parameters or will remain postponed until further notice. The following upcoming events are also canceled or postponed until further notice: • The First Saturday Cleanup hosted by Keep Bakersfield Beautiful and scheduled for Saturday, May 2, has been canceled. • The Fun Run planned for Sunday, May 3, at the Park at Riverwalk has been canceled. • The low-cost monthly pet vaccination clinic held by the Bakersfield Animal Care Center planned for Saturday, May 9, has also been postponed until further notice. • The Mother’s Day Run planned for Sunday, May 10, at the Park at Riverwalk has been canceled. It is important to note that essential services provided by the City, including the Bakersfield Police and Fire Departments, have NOT be affected by these precautionary measures and will continue functioning as normal. Operations at City Hall North continue in support of essential services. However, some offices are closed and only conducting business by phone or online. Development Services also continues with modified operations in support of health, safety and support to critical infrastructure industries. Critical Public Works infrastructure services – including sewer, streets and trash – will also continue as normal. Water service will also continue as normal. Trash pickup will not be affected by the changes. Residents can find out when their trash/recycling pickup is scheduled for their neighborhood by following this link. We thank the public for their understanding during these unprecedented circumstances, as well as their efforts to continue social distancing and follow the guidelines from the KCDPH. ### Page 1 TRIP projects are moving rapidly through the various stages of project development. This report is to provide a periodic up-to-date snapshot of each project’s recent major activities and progress. If you have questions, or need additional information, please contact Janet Wheeler at the TRIP office, (661) 326-3491. Regular construction updates are also available on the TRIP website at BakersfieldFreeways.us MILESTONES Ø Ten bridge structures are currently under construction for the Centennial Corridor. Concrete pours are planned in May for the Belle Terrace Bridge, the State Route 58/State Route 99 Separation Bridge, and the Ming Avenue off-ramp bridge across Real Road. These concrete pours will impact traffic. Dates and times will be announced prior to commencing work at each location. Ø Ford Avenue, between North Stine Road and Dunlap Street, is currently closed around-the-clock to allow for falsework construction. The street is expected to re-open in mid-May. Ø The final lift of asphalt pavement and the installation of thermoplastic striping is planned for the State Route 43 (Enos Lane)/Stockdale Highway roundabout in May. PROJECT STATUS 24th Street Improvement Project Contractor: Griffith Company 72% complete; anticipated completion: summer 2020 New drainage has been installed along 24th Street and the contractor was able to repave some of the intersections between D Street and M Street prior to last month’s storms. Paving for the remaining intersections within the commercial district have been re-scheduled to May. The reconstruction of concrete driveways, sidewalks and curb ramps is underway along 24th Street, between D Street and M Street. This work is expected to continue through May. Paving was also completed at the Carrier Canal at the end of April. Roadway excavation began in April within the center of the roadway between the Kern River Bridge and the “S curve.” Paving is scheduled within this area in May. The contractor anticipates completing median construction by the end of the month. Roadway construction will then switch to the south side (eastbound direction) of 24th Street within the residential area. Electrical and irrigation work continues at various locations throughout the project area. May 2020 TRIP Status Report TRIP Status Report May 2020 Page 2 Centennial Corridor All phases of the Centennial Corridor project are under construction. Final completion is anticipated in summer 2022. Phase 1 - Kern River Bridge Improvements Contractor: Security Paving Company 99% complete; anticipated completion: spring 2020 This phase constructed new bridges across Truxtun Avenue and the Kern River for the future westbound Centennial Corridor (State Route 58) exit to Mohawk Street and widened the existing eastbound bridges at the Kern River and Truxtun Avenue to accommodate the future mainline lanes. Crews are completing work on the eastbound Westside Parkway on-ramp from Mohawk Street, concrete barrier rail, and electrical items. Final striping and sign placement are expected to be completed in May. Crews may be in the area for several more weeks working on various punch list items. Phase 2 – Belle Terrace Operational Improvements Contractor: Granite Construction 73% complete; anticipated completion: fall 2020 This phase includes the replacement of the Belle Terrace Bridge and a new connector structure for northbound State Route 99 to eastbound State Route 58 traffic. Soil nail installation for the retaining wall along northbound State Route 99 was completed in April. Construction of the retaining wall along the outside shoulder of northbound State Route 99 continues through the coming weeks. Crews are working on the retaining wall’s cast-in-place concrete facing, which is about 75 percent complete. Crews will begin constructing the concrete coping slab, barrier, and sidewalk along the top of the wall in May. The contractor anticipates completing this wall in June 2020. Construction of the Belle Terrace Bridge continues. The stem and soffit have been completed for 70% of the bridge length, and crews have finished forming and reinforcing the top deck for this section of the bridge. Falsework has been erected for the eastern part of the bridge and crews are preparing for a May concrete pour for the stem and soffit. As soon as concrete placement is complete, crews will form the top deck of the bridge and install reinforcing steel. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic in fall 2020. Construction of the slope paving beneath the State Route 58 Connector Ramp has been completed. Sidewalk improvements are currently underway in this area. Phase 3 – Bakersfield Freeway Connector Contractor: Security Paving Company 35% complete; anticipated completion: summer 2021 This phase of Centennial Corridor reconstructs the westbound to southbound loop ramp at the State Route 58/State Route 99 interchange. The project also constructs a new barrier-separated connector ramp to Ming Avenue. Work continues on various drainage systems within the project area. Construction and backfill for the new Belle Terrace Pump Plant will continue through the coming month. Crews began forming the bridge deck for the widened section of the State Route 58/State Route 99 separation bridge in April. A concrete pour for the widened bridge deck is scheduled in May. TRIP Status Report May 2020 Page 3 Falsework construction continued last month on the structure for the new southbound State Route 99 to Ming Avenue off-ramp. Crews will complete falsework then construct forms and install reinforcing steel for the stem and soffit in the coming weeks. Drainage work and construction of the Belle Terrace Pump Plant will also continue in May. Phase 4 – Mainline Contractor: Security Paving Company 20% complete; anticipated completion: summer 2022 This phase constructs the freeway between State Route 99 and the Westside Parkway. La Mirada Drive is closed at the freeway alignment, but residents can use Marella Way to cross the corridor. Access to and from Stine Road on the south side of Stockdale Highway is also closed. Residents can enter the neighborhood from adjacent streets. Ford Avenue between North Stine Road and Dunlap Street will be closed around-the-clock for falsework construction through mid-May. Bridge work is underway at several other locations along the corridor. Construction of the cast-in- drilled-hole (CIDH) piles began last month for the northbound State Route 99-to-westbound State Route 58 connector. This work continues in May. Two bridges are under construction at Real Road. Concrete was placed in March for the deck of the eastbound State Route 58-to-southbound State Route 99 bridge. The bridge was stressed in March and falsework was removed in April. A deck pour is anticipated in May for the other bridge crossing Real Road. This bridge will carry traffic to the new southbound State Route 99/Ming Avenue off-ramp. At La Mirada Drive, crews completed falsework and began forming the bridge stems and soffit. This work will continue in May. The contractor is working on the footings and abutment walls for the bridge crossing at California Avenue and is also driving piles at Commerce Drive. Work on various drainage systems continues throughout the project area. State Route 43/Stockdale Highway Roundabout Contractor: Griffith Company 95% complete; anticipated completion: spring 2020 This project replaces an existing 4-way stop with a roundabout at the State Route 43 (Enos Lane) and Stockdale Highway intersection. The project is in the final stage of construction. The contractor finished the footing for a new retaining wall last month and anticipates completing the wall in May. Several street lights have been installed at the roundabout, but additional lighting will be installed following the receipt of design plans and materials. Flashing beacons were also installed and are now operational. Drainage work was impacted by April storms. Once the retention basin has dried out, crews will install the outlet structure and complete the finish grading. The final lift of asphalt and the installation of thermoplastic striping is planned for May. The remaining temporary concrete barrier rail will also be removed from the project area. TRIP Status Report May 2020 Page 4 PROJECT PHOTOS Top left: Falsework has been completed for the final section of the Belle Terrace Bridge Top right: Crews install reinforcing steel for the bridge stem and soffit at Belle Terrace Middle right: Construction of the new retaining wall along northbound State Route 99 continues; completion is anticipated in June. Bottom left: Crews placed concrete for a retaining wall footing at the State Route 43/Stockdale Highway Roundabout. The contractor anticipates completing the wall in May. Bottom right: Light pole installation at the State Route 43/Stockdale Highway roundabout. Additional lights will be added to the project in the coming weeks. TRIP Status Report May 2020 Page 5 Top: The Ming Avenue exit bridge crossing Real Road is ready for top deck concrete placement Middle left: Crews set panels near Real Road for an MSE (mechanically stabilized earth) wall while grading proceeds in the background Bottom left: Setting column forms for the new bridge that will cross Stockdale Highway Bottom Right: Pile driving for the future structure at Commerce Drive TRIP Status Report May 2020 Page 6 Top left: Preparing the newly widened section of the westbound SR 58-to- southbound SR 99 separation bridge for a May deck pour Middle left: Falsework construction continues on the new southbound SR 99 Ming Avenue off-ramp structure (located just west of SR 99) Bottom left: Paving crews complete the B Street cul- de-sac behind the new sound wall along the south side of 24th Street Bottom right: Roadway excavation was underway along the north side of 24th Street in April, in advance of re-paving various intersections (Encina Street shown)