FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - At the March meeting of the Measure J Bond Oversight Committee (BOC), Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) Administrator Mike Aho provided an update about the upcoming projects funded by the bond.

Staff organized a Bid Walk on March 3 for six pre-qualified general contractors to view the Village project site—which includes improvements at Village Park, Plaza Park, and the Community Clubhouse, as well as the renovation of the Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre. Interested contractors will have until March 23 to request any additional information before submitting their bids on the project. All submitted bids will be reviewed by staff on April 12, and the recommended contract will go before the FORPD Board of Directors on April 20 for a vote. If approved by the Board, the construction phase would begin on April 22, with the installation of construction fencing around the site and equipment mobilization.

Construction in the Village is expected to take approximately 18 months, with the work completed by October 14, 2023. To ensure the project is completed on time, the construction contract will include a penalty of $2,000 per day for each day of work beyond the completion deadline— barring “acts of God,” said Aho, which would include issues beyond the control of the contractors and subcontractors, like material shortages or another pandemic.

Aho also gave an update about plans to build softball fields on surplus property at the La Vista School site. San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD) submitted a draft agreement to FORPD, but Aho said that the terms need to be adjusted. SJUSD offered a lease period of just 25 years and specified that they would handle the maintenance and reservation services for the fields. FORPD wants to handle the maintenance and the reservations and wants a lease of at least 75 years—to protect what would likely be an investment of millions of dollars into the site.

The BOC concluded their annual Expenditure Review to ensure that all costs associated with Measure J projects are supported by the bond language. The review was continued from the December meeting, with some additional information requested on specific costs for the new PG&E gas service to the site of the Amphitheatre. The overall cost “to put the trench lines in, is just over $16,000. We will get $9,000 of it back immediately,” said Aho, because the District is selecting the 10-year advanced refundable option. This option also ensures that rather than having to meet projected usage costs, and potentially pay substantial additional costs due to periods of usage deficits, the District will only pay actual usage costs. While there were other options in which they might save money, those options risk the possibility of substantial additional payments, which makes those options a gamble. “This is a guarantee for us,” said Aho. “We think it’s better to project and forecast our budget on a stable situation.”  

With the conclusion of their Expenditure Review, the BOC members agreed to report their results to the Board at the April 20 meeting.

Another item continued from the December meeting was the question of whether to continue holding virtual meetings or to return to in-person meetings. Most members said that virtual meetings are more convenient, so a consensus was reached to continue the virtual meetings.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 5.