HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 24-1865INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 24-1865
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
June 4, 2024
Page 1 of 2
SUBJECT: TRINITY RIVER WATERWHEEL INITIATIVE UPDATE
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide an update on the Trinity River Waterwheel Initiative
which is a collaborative and innovative partnership project between the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant
Regional Water District (TRWD), Streams & Valleys, Inc. and private donors to support a clean and
healthy Trinity River. This report supplements the information provided in a previous Informal
Report issued on October 24, 2023 and will provide an update on anticipated project timing.
Waterwheel Procurement and Funding Status
Funding for the waterwheel project comes from the following sources listed in the table below.
Donations and Commitments (as of June 2024)
Funding & donations received
$240,700
City of Fort Worth
$350,000
Tarrant Regional Water District
$350,000
Other committed donations
$400,000
Available project funding
$1,340,700
Waterwheel Fundraising
The City and its partners continue to engage in private fundraising efforts. Fundraising efforts
include outreach to corporations, private foundations, and individuals who are being referred
through partners. Additional donors will be announced as donations are received. The City, TRWD,
and Streams & Valleys offer special thanks to our current donors, included in the table, below.
Christine A Miller & Gary H Glaser Charitable
Fund
Mrs. Renfro's
Freese & Nichols
Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation
Greater Fort Worth Assoc. of Realtors
Terracon
GWR Foundation Fund
TTI, Inc.
Leggett & Platt
Wilkes Family Charitable Fund
M ETA
U S ire
Fort Worth City Credit Union
Plummer Associates, Inc.
Keep Texas Beautiful
Other Individual Donors
The City, TRWD, and Streams and Valleys continue to work together to strategize on additional
donors.
Project Procurement and Estimated Costs
The initial Request for Proposal (RFP), released in 2023, was for the installation of two
Waterwheels in the Trinity River. Funding was inadequate to install waterwheels in two locations
therefore, the City and its partners focused on fundraising and installing a single Waterwheel at the
Purcey Street Outfall. A second (RFP) was issued, and closed in January 2024. The responses
were evaluated and for the second time, each response exceeded available funding. The presented
prices for the scope of work exceeded the engineering estimates provided in the RFP and available
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 24-1865
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
June 4, 2024
Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: TRINITY RIVER WATERWHEEL INITIATIVE UPDATE
project budget. Cost drivers are related to increased construction material prices for steel and
concrete, subcontractor availability, and the increased cost of labor.
After evaluation and interviews, staff requested last and final proposals from respondents. Last and
final proposals did not reduce the cost estimates. The proposals received in January 2024 are listed
in the table below.
Proposals Received January 2024
Proposal
A
B
Construction of Mooring Pilings
$1,274,200
$1,203,450
Waterwheel
$582,000
$582,000
Project Expenses
$1,856,200
$1,785,450
Current Project Funding Available
$1,340,700
$1,340,700
Funding Gap
$515,500
$444,750
Waterwheel Next Steps
The next steps include a detailed review of the costs associated with each proposal and the impacts
by inflationary factors. Adjustments to the RFP scope of work and continued outreach to the
fundraising community will be made to advance the project. An update on fundraising efforts
needed to close the gap will be provided at a work session in the Fall of 2024.
To learn more about the waterwheel project, and project donors to date, or to contribute, please
visit: www.fortworthtexas.gov/waterwheel.
For questions regarding information in this report, please call: Environmental Services Director,
Cody Whittenburg, at (817) 392-5455.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS