Welcome to the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Chapter 3 - Design
The scope of the tasks in this chapter includes all the steps necessary to move from a project concept to final plans and bid documents. This includes not only design services, but also coordination with utilities, railroads, other affected entities, and the public.

This chapter is not intended to provide guidance on the design itself – i.e. design criteria and standards. The Designer shall refer to the SUDAS (Statewide Urban Design and Specifications) Design Manual and the Cedar Rapids General Supplement to SUDAS Design Manual, latest versions, for guidance.

This chapter contains the following sections:

The following flow chart summarizes the tasks involved during the Design phase.
chapter 3 flowchart
Project Team
The project team will consist of City staff from Public Works Engineering division as well as other Public Works divisions (Real Estate, Traffic, Streets Maintenance, Sewer Maintenance). The team may include other City departments (Community Development, Development Services, Parks and Recreation, Transit, Utilities), and possible outside agencies. For most CIP projects, the project team will also include a design Consultant.

The project team will be led by a City Project Manager (PM). All references to PM throughout this chapter shall mean the City PM. The design may be performed by City staff or a Consultant. References to Designer throughout this chapter may mean City or Consultant, whichever is utilized.

Project Team Communications
Effective communication within the project team is critical to the success of any project. The PM shall establish the methods of communication at the start of the project so that everyone has the same expectations. Depending on the complexity of the project, the communications may include face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings, phone calls, written progress reports, or a combination of the above.

PROJECT TEAM KICK-OFF MEETING
With the scope, schedule, and budget identified in the design contract, the project team can begin work. The kick-off meeting gives the entire project team the opportunity to interact with each other to demonstrate team unity and resolve any initial issues before work on plans begins.

The agenda may include:

Project introduction – Define the goal, lines of authority and supervision, standard procedures, quality control measures, and communication/correspondence plan.
Scope of work and services – If a Consultant is utilized, identify what services the Consultant is providing and what (if any) services the City is providing. Review the schedule, including key milestones and delivery dates.
Invoicing procedures (Consultant design) – Discuss the process for submitting invoices.
Team organization – Discuss key positions with roles and responsibilities. Discuss key interface responsibilities between the project team and stakeholders (e.g. who will lead communication with the public, elected officials, etc.)
Changes in scope – Discuss the approval process for changes prior to implementation of the work.
Document control and records management – Discuss the City’s standard for naming documents and project records management and retention.

PROJECT REVIEW MEETINGS
These meetings are typically held at the end of each phase of the design to review progress and to discuss specific elements of the project design. Meeting minutes shall be prepared for all project meetings to record the understanding of the issues, decisions, and proposed actions discussed. When a Consultant is utilized, the frequency of project review meetings and responsibility for preparation and distribution of meeting minutes shall be determined at the time of the PSA.

MONITORING PROJECT SCHEDULE
As mentioned in Chapter 2, without a schedule, a project would likely never get done. However, there are also other reasons for maintaining a project schedule:

Cash flow – The project schedule defines when funding is available and when expenses will be paid. If the project schedule falls behind, funding may need to be redistributed.
Resource Needs – The project schedule indicates which member of the project team is needed and at what time. This allows individual project team members to plan their individual schedules. This is especially important when right-of-way acquisitions are involved.

The PM will utilize Microsoft Project to monitor project schedule and manage resources. See Chapter 2 for additional information.

When a Consultant is utilized, the Consultant shall prepare and submit regular progress reports so that the PM stays up to date on project progress. This may be a simple brief email or a more formal written progress report. Regardless of the type, the report should be issued at the same time at an agreed upon interval (e.g. every other Friday afternoon) and include the following:

What was accomplished during the last time period
What is planned for this time period
Problems encountered and recommended solutions
Scope changes planned/approved
Budget status
Schedule status

If design work is not progressing in a manner to comply with the anticipated completion date, provide a brief summary of the actions to be taken to reduce or eliminate any delays in completing the design in accordance with the agreed upon schedule

Input needed and the date it is needed by
Other issues or concerns

MONITORING PROJECT SCOPE
While every effort is made to clearly define the scope, schedule, and fee at the beginning of a project, items may arise that result in activities not previously identified. The entire project team shares in the responsibility to identify any activities that may result in a change of scope. Such activities should be discussed and identified as early as possible.

When a Consultant it utilized, it will be the responsibility of the Consultant to make the PM aware of any services required which may not be included in the scope of the original design services contract. This notice must occur prior to any extra services being performed. Only those services approved by the City are eligible for compensation.

Any changes to the scope, schedule, and fee originally negotiated in the Professional Services Agreement shall be made with a Professional Services Agreement Amendment (“PSAA” or “amendment”).

Refer to document: SOP – PSA CONTRACT AMENDMENTS

Survey
For most projects, a topographic survey is necessary in order to develop design plans. All survey must follow the Design Survey Standards in Chapter 1 of the City of Cedar Rapids General Supplement to SUDAS Design Manual.

When utilizing a Consultant, the level of detail of the topographic survey shall be identified in the PSA. When the design will be performed in-house, the On-Call Survey Contract shall be utilized.

Refer to document: SOP - ON-CALL SURVEY CONTRACT

Prior to performing any survey, the surveyor shall mail a Notice of Intent letter to each property along the corridor indicating that survey will be occurring.

Refer to document: SOP - NOTICE OF INTENT TO ENTER PROPERTY FOR SURVEY

Utility Survey
Public and private utility facilities will be identified using Iowa One Call’s Design Request System. The first step, the Design Information Request, provides the Designer with the names and contact information for all underground facilities within the proposed project area. This information can then be used to request maps from the various utility companies. Five (5) business days after the Design Information Request, the Designer can complete the second step, the Design Locate Request. This request generates a Design Locate ticket for the identified underground facilities, which directs utilities to locate and mark their facilities within five (5) business days.

Refer to website: IOWA ONE CALL DESIGN REQUEST SYSTEM

Once the designated time period has elapsed for utilities to field locate their facilities, topographic survey can be completed. The surveyor shall field locate visible utilities including, but not limited to: phone, gas, fiber optic, water, gas, overhead/underground electrical, utility accesses, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and in-pavement traffic control equipment (including power poles, pedestals, valves and manholes). The surveyor shall remove existing water main valve covers and measure from the surface to the valve stem to estimate water main depth. Once the topographic survey has been completed and thoroughly reviewed, locations of private utilities shall be plotted on the plans.

The Designer shall create a utility coordination log to track all utility correspondence, meetings, and responses. The locate tickets from Iowa One Call showing all utilities in the project limits and the marking status and shall be retained. Document if any utility has been non-responsive in providing either mapping of existing facilities or providing field locates. Notify the Project Manager of any issues that arise when coordinating with utilities immediately.

Depending on the probability and severity of potential utility conflicts, a subsurface utility investigation may be utilized. This investigation can locate critical utility locations including connection points and crossings. When a Consultant is utilized, the need for a subsurface utility investigation should be identified in the PSA. However, conflicts may be identified later in the design and subsurface utility investigation may be added to the scope via an amendment to the PSA.

Right-of-Way Survey
The surveyor shall determine the location of existing Right-of-Way (ROW) and identify property owners adjacent to the project. This task requires researching record documents at the City and County and locating existing monumentation (including, but not limited to, property pins, government corners, and other monuments) along the corridor.

Functional Design
Some projects may need a functional design completed. This effort goes above and beyond what was done in the Getting Started phase and provides the level of detail necessary to evaluate and budget for ultimate project improvement goals. In a functional design, multiple concepts may be developed to address the issues that are then evaluated based on various factors. Examples include evaluation of a roundabout vs. a traffic signal at an intersection, analysis of the storm water system and identification of BMP’s that can be implemented, or construction of sidewalk in a corridor that does not currently have sidewalk and the impacts construction would have on the adjacent properties.

Concept Development and Evaluation
Functional design typically begins with brainstorming no less than two and typically no more than five design concepts to address the issue(s) at hand. A drawing shall be developed for each concept clearly showing the schematic nature of the work proposed as part of that design concept. Staging and constructability issues shall be addressed in order to develop appropriate schedules and cost opinions. The level of effort and degree of detail in each concept plan shall be sufficient to clearly define the scope and provide information to establish a reliable project schedule and accurate project budget. When utilizing a Consultant, the criteria to be addressed in the functional design shall be identified in the PSA.

A tentative project schedule should be developed for each concept. This schedule should include completing the detailed design, acquisition of right-of-way, relocating utilities, obtaining required permits, and culminating with the completion of construction. This item is important, as schedule typically is a significant factor in establishing a budget.

Project cost shall be used as one of the comparison criteria to evaluate the various concepts. As mentioned in the Getting Started chapter, it is important that a total budget be prepared, and not simply a construction budget. Items such as right-of-way and easement acquisition, consulting services, internal costs, and other miscellaneous costs must be included in the estimate. See the Budget Estimate section of the Getting Started chapter for additional information regarding cost estimates for the various items.

With the proposed concepts, schedules, and costs, the options can be evaluated. The evaluation criterion includes, at a minimum, the following:

Constructability and impact to users of the project area
Total project costs
Maintenance requirements

Other evaluation criteria may include:

Effect on growth and development
Operational benefit
Benefit/Cost ratio

Refer to document: FLOWCHART – PLAN REVIEW PROCESS – FUNCTIONAL SUBMISSION

Based on the evaluation criteria listed above and specific criteria established for the project, a concept recommendation shall be made. The project can then proceed with development of design plans.

Plan Design Development
Per Chapter 1 of the SUDAS Design Manual, “Detailed reproducible plans, certified by a licensed professional engineer in the State of Iowa, should be filed with the Jurisdiction for all work involved in Public Improvement
Contracts and/or agreements.”

Detailed Plans for Construction of Public Improvements
Design plans shall be prepared following Chapter 1 of the SUDAS Design Manual, Section 1D – Detailed Plans for Construction of Public Improvements, the latest version of the General Supplement to the SUDAS Design Manual, and the following:

Title Sheet – See the sample title sheet under Referenced Materials on the PDMM main page.

General Notes – Download the latest version located under Referenced Materials on the PDMM main page.

Bid Items – Find a complete list of SUDAS pay items, General Supplemental Specifications pay items, and standard Estimate Reference Information under “Resources” on the City’s SUDAS website.

Tabulations – Provide tabulations for all pay items other than those paid on a lump sum basis. Each tabulation shall include a total quantity at the bottom of the tabulation.

Stormwater Pollution and Prevention Plan (SWPPP) – Utilize the Iowa DOT Pollution Prevention Plan (Tab 110-12L).

Right of Way (H) Sheets – Refer to document: SOP – RIGHT OF WAY PLAN SHEETS

Parcel Numbers – Each parcel within a project’s limits must have a numerical parcel number assigned to it. The numbering shall start at the beginning of the project (either the west or south limit), on the right side. The numbering shall continue on that side to the end of the project, switch to the other side, and go back to the beginning of the project. Once parcel numbers have been assigned, they shall not be changed. The parcel numbers shall, at a minimum, be shown on the D, E, H, and Q sheets.

Property Owners – Property owner names shall be shown on the D, E, F, H, and Q sheets

Monumentation – All found monuments shall be shown on the H sheets

Preliminary Plans
Preliminary plans are typically the first level of engineering design. Refer to the Preliminary Plans Checklist tab in the Project Development Guide for a list of what should be submitted and what should be included on the plans.

Refer to document: TEMPLATE – PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

The preliminary submittal shall be reviewed by the PM for completeness. If there are any missing elements from the submittal, the PM shall contact the Designer for missing information. The review will not begin until all information is obtained from Designer.

Prior to completing the preliminary plan review, the PM, the Designer and others deemed necessary by the PM, may conduct a walk-through to review existing conditions and assess project impacts. A major focus of the walk-through shall be access control and traffic control/staging to minimize impacts to private properties as well as identifying potential property owner concerns.

When reviewing the plans, the PM may choose to provide comments directly on the plan sheets – either written or electronic – and upload the mark-ups to the project folder on the City’s FTP site. Or, the PM may choose to provide written comments on the Preliminary Plan Comments tab of the Project Development Guide.

Refer to document: SOP - PLAN REVIEW PROCESS

Refer to document: FLOWCHART – PLAN REVIEW PROCESS – PRELIMINARY SUBMISSION

Intermediate Plans
Intermediate plans are, as the name implies, about half-way complete. Refer to the Intermediate Plans Checklist tab in the Project Development Guide for a list of what should be submitted and what should be included on the plans.

Refer to document: TEMPLATE – PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

If right-of-way is needed for construction of the project, the first draft of acquisition plats and/or temporary easement exhibits shall be submitted at this stage.

The intermediate submittal shall be reviewed by the PM for completeness. If there are any missing elements from the submittal, the PM shall contact the Designer for missing information. This submittal shall include completion of the Designer responses section of the Preliminary Plan Comments tab as well as the Review of Preliminary Plan Comments section of the Intermediate Plans Checklist tab, both found in the Project Development Guide. Completion of these sections certify that each comment from the preliminary plan review has been considered and answered. The review will not begin until all information is obtained from Designer.

Prior to completing the intermediate plan review, the PM, the Designer and others deemed necessary by the PM, shall conduct a walk-through to assess the quality of the design completed to date. Issues such as property owner concerns; tree removals; coordination with utilities, railroad and other agencies; constructability; and maintenance aspects of the facilities shall be considered while making this review. Walk-through attendees may include Construction Engineering, the City Arborist, and Real Estate staff.

When reviewing the plans, the PM may choose to provide comments directly on the plan sheets – either written or electronic – and upload the mark-ups to the project folder on the City’s FTP site. Or, the PM may choose to provide written comments on the Intermediate Plan Comments tab of the Project Development Guide.

Refer to document: SOP - PLAN REVIEW PROCESS

Refer to document: FLOWCHART – PLAN REVIEW PROCESS – INTERMEDIATE SUBMISSION

At the completion of this stage, all design decisions affecting the location and dimension of the proposed facilities, construction area limits and required acquisitions shall be final. Final acquisition plats and/or temporary exhibits shall be submitted at the completion of this stage, with all review comments addressed. Modifying construction limits and acquisition needs will not be acceptable beyond this point unless requested by the City due to new information or negotiations with property owners. If modifications are required, an amendment to the design contract may be justified.

Final Plans
Final plans refer to the preparation of the final draft of the plans, Project Manual (including special provisions), and cost estimate prior to bid documents. If the project includes acquisition of right-of-way, the project may be dormant for several months between Intermediate and Final Plans.

Refer to the Final Plans Checklist tab in the Project Development Guide for a list of what should be submitted and what should be included on the plans.

Refer to document: TEMPLATE – PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

The final submittal shall be reviewed by the PM for completeness. This submittal shall include completion of the Designer responses section of the Intermediate Plan Comments tab as well as the Review of Intermediate Plan Comments section of the Final Plans Checklist tab, both found in the Project Development Guide. Completion of these sections certify that each comment from the intermediate plan review has been considered and answered. The review will not begin until all information is obtained from Designer.

When reviewing the plans, the PM may choose to provide comments directly on the plan sheets – either written or electronic – and upload the mark-ups to the project folder on the City’s FTP site. Or, the PM may choose to provide written comments on the Final Plan Comments tab of the Project Development Guide.

Refer to document: SOP - PLAN REVIEW PROCESS

Refer to document: FLOWCHART – PLAN REVIEW PROCESS – FINAL SUBMISSION

At the completion of this stage, the project can progress to bid documents.

Estimate of Probable Cost
Cost estimates are used to get a general idea about the approximate project cost to complete and are performed at each stage of the design. Accurate cost estimating is crucial for creating and maintaining a budget for the total project costs.

As mentioned before, it is important that a total budget be prepared, and not simply a construction budget. Items such as right-of-way and easement acquisition, consulting services, internal costs, and other miscellaneous costs must be included in the estimate. See the Budget Estimate section of the Getting Started chapter for additional information regarding cost estimates for the various items.

QA/QC
Poor quality design is, at its least, costly and at its worst dangerous. CIP projects utilize taxpayer dollars to pay for projects and it is the City’s responsibility to ensure that they are being fiscally responsible with that money. Design that does not meet standards, results in work being removed and replaced, or does not last as long as it should, reflects poorly on the City. That is why it is important to build quality assurance / quality control into every CIP project.

Refer to document: SOP - QUALITY ASSURANCE / QUALITY CONTROL

Utility Coordination
Utility coordination is one of the most important tasks in the design of any project. Failure to properly account for impacts to and from utilities can cause significant scope, schedule, and cost changes, especially during the construction phase. These tasks shall be followed for every CIP project, regardless of project size and complexity.

Joint Utility Coordination Meeting
The City holds a Joint Utility Coordination Meeting monthly as a forum for Designers to notify utilities about upcoming projects. The meeting also provides an opportunity to initiate detailed discussions regarding relocations and potential conflicts. Attendees at the meeting include representatives from the various public and private utilities located within the City as well as City staff and Consultants.

Refer to document: SOP - JOINT UTILITY COORDINATION MEETING

At a minimum, the Designer should attend a Joint Utility Coordination Meeting at both the end of the Preliminary Plan stage and between the Intermediate and Final Plan stage. The objective of the first meeting is to introduce the project to utility companies. At this time, the utility companies should be made aware of the project scope and schedule. If any utility conflicts have already been identified at this stage, they should be made known at this meeting. Ideally, this meeting occurs at least one year prior to the start of construction, to allow time for possible utility relocations. The burden of proof shall be on each utility company for providing evidence that proposed conflicts do not exist. Designers may want to allow for additional topographic survey at this point if utility companies wish to verify conflicts by field locating their facilities.

The objective of the second meeting is to review any potential conflicts identified in the design plans and develop a plan for utilities to move or adjust their facilities. Development of a plan may require one-on-one meetings with the various utilities, outside of the Joint Utility Coordination Meeting. The plan may also evaluate possible design adjustments to avoid conflicts.

Utility Relocations
If it is determined that a utility must be moved or adjusted, the utility company prepares the utility relocation plan, laying out the scope of their relocations and/or adjustments. The Designer shall work closely with the utility to ensure that this plan works with the design plans.

Refer to document: SOP - UTILITY RELOCATIONS

Railroad Coordination
If a project requires coordination with a railroad, allow substantial extra time – even as much as a year – and budget. Coordination with a railroad will be needed if a railroad crossing falls within the project limits and pavement improvements will be taking place adjacent to and/or possibly across the crossing or if a new/improved utility crosses under an existing railroad crossing. Generally speaking, a written agreement between the City and the railroad will be required any time City forces or the City contractor will need access to the railroad right-of-way. Because negotiating an agreement can take considerable time, the City should initiate negotiations with the railroad as soon as possible in the project development process and, at a minimum, at the preliminary design stage.

Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings
The project development of a City project may benefit from a joint project with the railroad to upgrade the rail crossing surface and approaches and/or the rail crossing signals. The Iowa DOT manages two highway-railroad crossing assistance programs that may be utilized to receive financial assistance for safety improvements at crossings.

Refer to document: SOP – HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS

Railroad Right-of-Way – Public Utility Crossings
If it is necessary to construct a utility within railroad right-of-way (i.e. storm sewer, water main, etc.), it will be necessary to obtain permission from the railroad for the crossing. As each railroad is different, the website of each should be consulted for the correct procedure to follow.

The general procedure for public utility crossing of railroad right-of-way is addressed in the Code of Iowa, Chapter 476.27 and the Iowa Administrative Code, Chapter 42.

Refer to website: IOWA CODE, TITLE XI - NATURAL RESOURCES, CHAPTER 476 - PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATION, SECTION 476.27 - PUBLIC UTILITY CROSSING - RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY

Refer to website: IOWA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, UTILITIES DIVISION (199), CHAPTER 42, CROSSING OF RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY

Additional Resources
Each railroad crossing is assigned a unique identifier - a U.S. DOT/AAR crossing inventory number, normally referred to as an FRA number. The number consists of six digits followed by a letter and is posted on a metal plate at each crossing. It will be necessary to know this number when referring to any highway-railroad crossing.

Refer to document: SOP – HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING IDENTIFIERS

The SUDAS Design Manual, Chapter 5 – Roadway Design, Section 5O – Railroad Crossings, includes general information concerning railroad-crossing improvements.

Refer to website: SUDAS DESIGN MANUAL - CHAPTER 5O

Iowa DOT Instructional Memorandum I.M. No. 3.670 – Work on Railroad Right-of-Way includes information and process for interacting with the railroads. IM 3.670 includes sections on Railroad Contacts, Design, Agreements, Specifications, Right-of-Way Entry Agreements, Flagging, Railroad Protective Insurance, and Notification and Coordination.

Refer to website: INSTRUCTIONAL MEMORANDUM NO. 3.670

If the project limits include 4th Street NE/SE from 1 Avenue E to 12th Avenue SE, information regarding the right-of-way can be found in the following document.

Refer to document: SOP - 4TH STREET NE/SE RIGHT OF WAY

Permits
Various regulatory permits may be required for the project. It is the Designer’s responsibility to obtain these permits in a timely manner so as not to impede the project schedule.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit
On projects that have one acre or more of disturbed area, a NPDES General Permit No. 2 for Construction Activities must be obtained from the Iowa DNR. This permit allows the discharge of storm water associated with construction activities.

Refer to website: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Refer to document: SOP - NPDES PERMITS - DESIGNER

Water Main Construction Permit
A public water supply construction permit must be obtained from the Iowa DNR prior to the construction or modification of any source, treatment, storage, or distribution system of a public water supply system. A fact sheet is available on the Iowa DNR website to assist in determining when a construction permit must be obtained. Contact Water Engineering for guidance on submitting a permit application.

Refer to website: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Sanitary Sewer Construction Permit
Construction, installation or modification of any wastewater disposal system, including sanitary sewer lining, reconstruction, or extensions, requires a construction permit issued by the Iowa DNR.

Refer to website: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Refer to document: SOP - WASTEWATER CONSTRUCTION PERMITS - DESIGN

Section 404 (Clean Water Act)
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes a program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands. Activities in waters of the United States regulated under this program include fill for development, water resource projects (such as dams and levees), infrastructure development (such as highways and airports) and mining projects. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers permits.

A Section 401 Water Quality Certificate is Iowa Department of Natural Resource's certification that a project will not violate state water quality standards and is required before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can issue a Section 404 permit. A Joint Application Form (Protecting Iowa Waters) shall be submitted to both agencies to begin the permit process. Refer to “Iowa” under “Nationwide Permits” on the US Army Corps of Engineering Rock Island District website: US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Additional information and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wetlands Permitting website: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Linn County
If any work will occur within Linn County right-of-way – including paving a driveway, installing a fence, planting or removing trees, installing a utility, or shaping a ditch – a Permit to Perform Work Within County Right-of-Way must be obtained.

Refer to website: LINN COUNTY

Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT)
If any work, including placement of traffic control, will occur within Iowa DOT right-of-way, an Application to Perform Work Within State Highway Right-of-Way must be obtained. In addition, if a new utility will be installed or an existing utility upgraded within or crossing Iowa DOT right-of-way, a Utility Application Permit must be obtained.

Refer to website: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Railroad Permits
If any work will occur within railroad right-of-way, a permit is required. The requirements for each railroad company differ. Refer to the railroad company’s website for information. The Iowa DOT Rail Transportation Bureau maintains a list of railroad contacts and railroad websites.

Refer to website: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bid Documents
Plans, specifications, and contract documents, i.e. bid documents, for City of Cedar Rapids CIP projects shall be ready to send to the printer at least two weeks prior to the City Council meeting at which they will be filed.

Refer to the Bid Docs Checklist tab in the Project Development Guide for a list of what should be submitted.

Refer to document: TEMPLATE – PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

Refer to document: SOP – BID DOCUMENTS

Plans, specifications, and contract documents for City of Cedar Rapids infrastructure projects are viewed and downloaded, from the Cedar Rapids IonWave bidding platform. After the bid documents are assembled, the project must be posted to IonWave.

IonWave does not offer printing services so the bid documents must also be uploaded to Rapids’ website.

Refer to document: SOP – PUBLISHING A PROJECT

Public Relations
Public relations/communication is an ongoing effort throughout the chapter 3 quote design phase of a project and may vary
depending on a project’s complexity.

Providing timely information to residents when work is planned in their neighborhood builds trust, reduces questions/confusion/fear, and cuts down on resident phone calls that often go to multiple departments seeking information.

Possible communication methods with the public may include, but are not limited to:

Public information meetings designed to inform the public or solicit feedback on a project/concept
Letters informing property owners and residents affected by proposed construction of the project’s details, timeline, and expected impacts
Meetings with individual property owners or businesses with significant impacts or coordination needs
Use of social media to communicate project information
News/media outlet interviews regarding a project or emergency repair
Interaction with other public agencies

The objectives of communication are to:

Communicate the “why” and provide “just in time” communication
Promote transparency, trust, and project understanding
Reduce questions and reported concerns

Refer to document: SOP - PUBLIC RELATIONS

All communications shall be in a timely manner, before any work occurs. The PM and others will evaluate when the best time to initiate contact with the public is. This may be very early on if heavy property owner impacts are anticipated, or later if funding is in question. The group will also evaluate the level of public participation.

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) identifies five levels of public participation, which increase with the level of impact upon the public, as detailed in the following table:
chapter 3 table

Post-Design Evaluation
For projects designed by an outside Consultant, the Project Manager shall complete two evaluations of the Designer’s work. The first evaluation shall be performed after the completion of 100% design documents, and the second, after construction is substantially completed.

The Project Manager, in coordination with their Program Coordinator, shall complete the post-design evaluation survey.

(Updated January 2021)