For City Council Meeting March 10, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Yazdan Emrani, P.E., Director of Public Works
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Adopt Resolution No. 8485 Amending the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget to Appropriate $63,776 for a Cultural Resources Assessment for the Pacific Electric Trail Project, City Project No. 240801; (2) Authorize a Fifth Amendment with Alta Planning + Design for the Cultural Resources Assessment in the Amount of $57,978; (3) Authorize a Contingency of 10% for Any Unforeseen Expenses in the Amount of $5,798 for a Total Agreement Amount Not to Exceed $1,070,552; and (4) Authorize the City Manager or Their Designee to Execute All Related Documents.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Adopt a resolution amending the fiscal year 2025/2026 budget to appropriate $63,776 for a cultural resources assessment for the Pacific Electric Trail Project, City Project No. 240801;
2) Authorize a Fifth Amendment with Alta Planning + Design for the cultural resources assessment in the amount of $57,978;
3) Authorize a contingency of 10% in the amount of $5,798 for any unforeseen expenses for a total agreement amount not to exceed $1,070,552; and
4) Authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute all related documents.
BACKGROUND:
On September 8, 2020, the City Council awarded the Professional Service Agreement to Alta Planning + Design for design services for the Pacific Electric (PE) Trail project to extend the PE Trail approximately 1.75 miles, using the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way. The trail is anticipated to extend from Cactus Avenue and continue easterly to Rialto’s eastern boundary on Pepper Avenue.
Pursuant to Caltrans’ Cultural Studies review memorandum dated October 21, 2025, additional cultural resource documentation is required to satisfy National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance obligations. The additional scope was not a requirement at the time the City entered into the initial agreement with Alta. The City’s consultant team, with support from a qualified cultural resources subconsultant, Sapphos Environmental, Inc., will address Caltrans’ comments on the Archaeological Survey Report (ASR), Historic Architectural Evaluation Report (HAER), Historic Property Survey Report (HPSR), and Area of Potential Effects (APE). This effort includes the preparation of updated Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR 523) forms and the evaluation of cultural resources for eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), as applicable. The additional research and supporting documentation will satisfy Caltrans’ Cultural Studies review requirements and allow the project to advance through the NEPA review process in accordance with state and federal regulations.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Caltrans has issued comments through its Cultural Studies Office requiring additional cultural resources documentation for the Pacific Electric Trail Project. Pursuant to the memorandum dated October 21, 2025, the City’s consultant team must address comments on the Archaeological Survey Report (ASR), Historic Architectural Evaluation Report (HAER), Historic Property Survey Report (HPSR), and Area of Potential Effects (APE), including preparation of updated DPR 523 forms and evaluation of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), as applicable.
The proposed cultural assessment scope will provide the additional research and supporting documentation necessary to satisfy Caltrans’ review requirements and allow the project to proceed to the next phase of development. The consultant’s proposal outlining the detailed Scope of Work is included as Attachment 1.
There have been four previous amendments to provide additional scope of services to this agreement. This Fifth Amendment exceeds the City Manager’s authority to approve additional services of up to $100,000. Staff is requesting that the City Council authorize the Fifth Amendment to the agreement with Alta Planning + Design. A copy of the Fifth Amendment is included as Attachment 2.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The proposal is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3 in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Approval of this action also complies with the following City of Rialto General Plan Goals and Policies:
Goal 3-11: Provide community facilities that adequately support established programs, can accommodate future needs, and are accessible to all members of the community.
Goal 4-1: Provide transportation improvements to reduce traffic congestion associated with regional and local trip increases.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the Resolution and Fifth Amendment and approved them as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact:
The proposed action will not affect the Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact:
The Pacific Electric Trail project has a total budget of $7,822,000. The project is funded by the Active Transportation Plan grant allocation in the amount of $7,037,000, Grant Project Fund Account No. 22234427-53001-240801, and through the Measure I Fund Account No. 22014310-53001-240801, in the amount of $785,000. The current total project balance is approximately $6,907,000.
Staff recommends adopting the proposed resolution to appropriate $57,978 from the Measure I fund balance to Account No. 22014310-53001-240801-11 for the Cultural Resources Assessment. Additionally, staff is requesting a contingency of 10%, amounting to $5,798, to cover any additional unforeseen elements. The total requested amount for the Fifth Amendment of the Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design is $63,776 for a total not to exceed agreement amount of $1,070,552.
Licensing
A business license application and payment of a business license tax are not required for this action.