WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – After years of planning, Williams’ E Street Complete Streets Project took two major steps forward last week with the selection of a firm to oversee construction and the acceptance of additional grant funding.
The Williams City Council on Sept. 16 selected Placerville-based Webster Engineering to provide construction management, inspection and contract administration. The company ranked highest among three firms considered for the work.
Webster Engineering will receive approximately $980,000 for the primary services. Optional assignments covering water and sewer improvements and project coordination could raise the agreement to no more than $1.12 million, officials said.
Mayor Kate Dunlap said negotiations with the company demonstrated the city’s attention to project expenses.
“It is just further proof that everyone is watching every penny of the public funding that goes out for projects and costs incurred related to this,” Dunlap said.
Negotiations led by City Manager Yvonne Kimball and Finance Director Rex Greenbaum reduced the base cost by approximately $224,000. Reductions in the optional assignments brought the total potential savings to approximately $392,000, or 26%.
In addition to construction management, Webster Engineering will oversee inspections, materials testing, contract administration, public coordination and the project’s closeout.
The project includes accessible curbs, gutters and sidewalks, protected bicycle lanes, a landscaped median, pedestrian crossings, storm drainage, utility relocation and pavement rehabilitation in a Safe Routes to School corridor that connects downtown Williams with areas near the city’s elementary, middle and high school campuses.
The council previously awarded the $8.89 million construction contract to Teichert Construction.
The Williams City Council also approved an agreement with Colusa County to accept up to $2,406,513 in Regional Early Action Planning grant money for the E Street project.
The additional funding helps close the gap on a project expected to cost approximately $12 million, excluding proposed water and sewer line improvements, officials said. Williams plans to combine the money with a $9.14 million Active Transportation Program grant and approximately $453,655 from the General Fund.
“It does show that we do have a pathway to complete this project,” Greenbaum said. “We are in much better shape now, especially with the REAP funds helping bring us that much closer to the funding we needed.”
Colusa County received the REAP 2.0 money for a housing project approved in 2022 that did not materialize. The county and Williams worked with the California Department of Housing and Community Development to redirect the unused money to E Street, Kimball said.
The state approved the change on Aug. 3. Williams will serve as a subrecipient, requiring the city to submit expenses through the county rather than working directly with the state.
Williams has already requested reimbursement for nearly $1.6 million. Eligible expenses must be incurred by Dec. 31, although the final reimbursement request may be submitted to the state by June 30, 2027.
Kimball described the additional funding as a pleasant surprise that resulted from cooperation among the city, county and Williams Unified School District.
“We were able to put the grant application together within just a couple weeks and change the whole verbiage and get HCD’s approval,” Kimball said.
The city’s Active Transportation Program funding requires a $404,000 local contribution.