The San Clemente pumping station in Corte Madera on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Corte Madera officials have selected a contractor to carry out the redevelopment of the San Clemente pumping station in the east of the city.
The city council voted unanimously to award the contract to JMB Construction of South San Francisco. The contract value is $2,834,300 and a 10% contingent liability for a total of $3,117,730.
The ruling also cleared San Francisco-based Mitchell Engineering of a bid proposal with a clerical error that reduced the cost of its bid by nearly $600,000. Mayor Charles Lee withdrew from voting because he owns land within 500 feet of the site.
The city has received four bids, said RJ Suokko, the city’s director of public works.
“This is a very important rainwater pumping station. It’s one of our larger stormwater pumping stations,” he said.
Built in 1987 to deal with flood risks, the San Clemente pumping station is one of nine flood protection systems in Corte Madera. It is located on Madera Del Presidio Drive on Paradise Drive.
The station’s 54-inch diameter drain pipe runs beneath the streets. It collects water from a 410-acre watershed and directs it to San Clemente Creek, which empties into the bay.
The project is rehabilitating the 805-foot pipe that has corroded in recent years and caused multiple sinkholes.
JMB Construction’s original bid was $3,159,300. The city removed optional work to install internal joint seals in the 770-foot reinforced concrete drain pipe, reducing costs by $325,000.
Mitchell Engineering was initially the seemingly lowest bidder at $2,673,500, but withdrew his bid because it should have been $585,000 higher than submitted.
Officials anticipate that the bulk of construction will begin in the spring.
The project is funded by Measure F, a sales tax introduced in the city in 2018. The city will use $1.2 million this fiscal year and $2,137,730 in fiscal year 2024-25.
Councilor Fred Casissa said he hoped future plans would involve drawing funds from Measure F to monitor spending.
“I don’t want to get to the point where we hit reserves,” Casissa said.
The downpipe is made of welded steel and reinforced concrete. It diverts water near Central Marin Fire Department Station 13 at 5600 Paradise Drive.
In 2010, the city replaced the pumping station’s outlet manifold. Corrosion drilled holes in the pipe, causing leaks that led to sinkholes in 2016 and 2021.
