FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - At the May meeting of the Measure J Bond Oversight Committee (BOC), it was announced that BOC Chair Gary Juels was stepping down from the position since he has other commitments that will sometimes conflict with BOC meetings—but Juels will still remain an active BOC member. Vice Chair Amy Larsen will now serve as Chair, and BOC member Justin Drake will serve as the new Vice Chair.

Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) Administrator Mike Aho updated the committee about the Village Construction project, which includes renovation of Village and Plaza parks, updates to the Community Clubhouse, and a new theatre building for Veteran’s Memorial Amphitheatre.

In April, the construction bid was awarded to Bobo Construction of Elk Grove, which will serve as the general contractor. Bobo Construction had the lowest bid, at $19.9 million. Aho explained the initial bid estimate for the project was $18 million, so the bid is approximately 9% higher than the estimate. But Aho said that in the time since the estimate was completed late last year, materials and labor costs have increased dramatically. So, while the bid is higher than the estimate, he said it is still “a good bid.” And he said it was likely that if they went back through the bid process, any new bids would come in even higher.

The contract total for the project is $2.7 million, which includes the bid from Bobo Construction as well as a $1.8 million bid allowance for unforeseen costs. Any costs billed under the allowance would have to be approved, so the Board authorized Aho to approve costs up $150,000 to expedite the process and keep the project on schedule. Anything higher must be approved by the Board.

The project will mostly be funded through Measure J, with costs from the bond not to exceed $20 million. The rest will be funded through Park Impact Fees and grant funding.

Construction was expected to start in late April after the bid was approved, but there have been delays due to last-minute issues brought up by the Fair Oaks Water District relating to hydrant locations and required maintenance easements within the project footprint. FORPD had to quickly survey to get the easements recorded and have Sacramento Metro Fire District provide expeditated comments on the changes. The revised plans have been resubmitted to Sacramento County for final review, and Aho hopes the construction can commence soon.

Now that the amount of Measure J funding for the Village project has been authorized, the Board was able to review their priorities for other upcoming projects, choosing to focus on the proposed softball fields at La Vista and expanding parking at Phoenix Park.

Approximately $2 million will be left from the Measure J for other District projects, but the softball fields will likely cost between $3 million and $5 million. So, the District is looking into other funding options, such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which imposes lifetime restrictions on what can be developed. LWCF funds can only be used to increase outdoor recreation, so other than bathrooms, no other structures can be built on land developed with those funds. For example, Aho said if that funding was used for the fields, they couldn’t later build a community center at that site. However, existing buildings on the site are exempt, so an existing concession stand at La Vista could be renovated under the LWCF restrictions. And the La Vista school buildings could potentially be used for a future community center if the San Juan Unified School District declared them to be surplus property and agreed to the sale.

Aho said the parking project at Phoenix would likely take up the rest of the Measure J funds since that project won’t be eligible for many additional funding sources. The current plan is to pave the existing dirt lot—which will increase the parking from 70 to 105 spaces but won’t increase recreation opportunities. But Aho said it’s a necessary improvement because the dirt lot makes storm water management very difficult and creates dust that impacts air quality, so the District will eventually be required to pave it.

The District’s plans for a bike park expansion, pickleball court, and skate park are likely on indefinite hold until new funding sources are identified. There won’t be any Measure J funds leftover for these projects. However, Aho said District staff are always looking for grants that could fund ongoing or future projects. And the language in the authorization for the Village construction funding says Measure J funds won’t exceed $20 million, so if additional funding is identified, those Measure J funds can be used as matching funds to secure the grants, freeing up Measure J money for other projects.

The total Measure J bond is for $22.9 million, and the District has received two issuances so far—$9.4 million and $9 million.  They have not scheduled the final issuance of $8.5 million yet, as they do have deadlines for how quickly they have to spend the money once issued. But Aho said they have quite a bit of time, since the requirement is that they show progress, and authorizing the bid for the Village construction shows that the money is committed.

The BOC discussed whether to continue virtual meetings, with the majority preferring to stay virtual through the summer since it’s more convenient while people might be traveling. They agreed to review the matter again in the fall.

The next BOC meeting is scheduled for June 7.