Agenda Item AGENDA STAFF REPORT ASR Control 25-000170
MEETING DATE:	08/26/25
legal entity taking action:	Orange County Flood Control District
board of supervisors district(s):	5
SUBMITTING Agency/Department:	OC Public Works (Approved)
Department contact person(s):	Kevin Onuma (714) 647-3939
	Justin Golliher (714) 667-1675

Subject: Approve Cooperative Agreement for San Juan Creek Bridge

ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

3 Votes Board Majority

Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost: $2,000,000

Annual Cost: N/A

Staffing Impact:

# of Positions:

Sole Source: N/A

Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

Funding Source: Fund 401: 100%	County Audit in last 3 years: No
Levine Act Review Completed: N/A

Prior Board Action: N/A

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Approve the Cooperative Agreement with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority for the San Juan Creek Bridge Replacement Project to design and implement reconstruction of the San Juan Creek Bridge in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000, effective upon execution of all necessary signatures until project completion.

Authorize the Director of OC Public Works or designee to execute amendments to the Cooperative Agreement for the San Juan Creek Bridge Replacement Project that do not materially alter the terms or financials obligations of the Orange County Flood Control District.

Authorize the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to execute temporary construction easements and other deeds and accept deeds in accordance with the Cooperative Agreement for the San Juan Creek Bridge Replacement Project when pertinent conditions have been met; and to carry out the terms of each when it becomes effective.

SUMMARY:

Approval of the Cooperative Agreement for the San Juan Creek Bridge Replacement Project will reduce associated flood risk and channel maintenance costs.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The existing San Juan Creek Bridge, built in 1917, is located in the City of San Juan Capistrano near the Camino Capistrano exit of the Interstate 5 (I-5). The bridge is operated and maintained by Metrolink/Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Authority) and is used by Metrolink, Amtrak and BNSF trains.

The San Juan Creek Bridge Replacement Project (Project) proposes to replace the existing single-track bridge with a new single-track bridge to improve safety and reduce maintenance needs by increasing the load rating and the foundation depths. The new bridge will be constructed adjacent to the existing structure to maintain rail service until the replacement is complete.

In 2011, Orange County Flood Control District (District) completed channel improvements to San Juan Creek immediately upstream and downstream of the bridge. The improvements included the installation of sheet pile walls intended to become the future channel walls. Sheet pile walls were not installed on the Authority’s property in 2011, as the work was deferred to a future project phase.

The proposed Cooperative Agreement MA-080-25011369 (Agreement) with the Authority will enable the design and construction of sheet pile channel walls within both Authority and District property, tying into the 2011 channel improvements. The Project will replace existing timber bridge piles and reduce maintenance costs related to flood scouring. The new bridge and sheet pile installation will enhance rail safety and reduce flood risk. On May 5, 2017, the Authority, as lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the replacement project of the San Juan Creek Bridge on the Orange County Line, made a finding that the Project is statutorily exempt pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080(b) (10) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15275(a).

Completion of the Project requires the District to convey temporary construction easements and maintenance easements over District property to accommodate the sheet walls and tiebacks, as shown in the Location Map (Attachment B).

OC Public Works is recommending the Board of Supervisors (Board) approve the Agreement with the Authority for the Project, effective upon execution of all necessary signatures until Project completion, in an amount not to exceed $2 million; authorize the Director of OC Public Works or designee to execute amendments to the Agreement that do not materially alter the terms or financials obligations of the District; and authorize the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to approve, grant and accept temporary construction easements, maintenance easements or other instruments necessary to carry out the terms of the Agreement.

Compliance with CEQA: This action is not a project within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 and is therefore not subject to CEQA, since it does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. The approval of this agenda item does not commit the County to a definite course of action in regard to a project since it is an approval of a Cooperative Agreement between the Authority, the County and the District to provide funds to carry out the Project. This proposed activity is therefore not subject to CEQA. Any future action connected to this approval that constitutes a project will be reviewed for compliance with CEQA.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

Appropriations for this Agreement are included in Fund 401, OC Flood - Capital Projects, FY 2025-26 Budget.

An initial payment of $94,030 will be paid within 30 days of statement submitted by the Authority after execution of the Agreement. Upon completion of the redesign and engineer’s final cost estimate, an additional lump sum payment, not to exceed $1,905,970, will then be paid to the Authority for construction. The Authority will provide statements for charges against the deposited amounts and upon completion of the Project, the remaining balance will be returned to the District.

The Agreement includes a clause permitting mutual termination by the Authority or the District, provided it is done in writing. It also allows the Authority to suspend or terminate the Agreement with 30 days' prior notice if funding is unavailable or restricted. In that case, the District is only responsible for paying actual costs incurred up to the termination date.

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A

ATTACHMENT(S):

Attachment A - Cooperative Agreement MA-080-25011369
Attachment B - Location Map