Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Construction Agreement with Branco Construction, Inc. for the Fire Station No. 4 Dormitory Conversion and Renovation Project for an Amount Not-to-Exceed $263,000.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities), 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction), and (15303 New Construction of Small Structures). (Public Works C41000)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This project converts the single room dormitory at Fire Station No. 4 into seven separate, individual sleeping compartments. The project is a scheduled activity in the City of Alameda’s Capital Improvement Plan and funded through the Capital Facilities Internal Service Fund. Staff recommends City Council award the proposed construction agreement to Branco Construction, Inc. for an amount not-to-exceed $263,000.
BACKGROUND
Fire Station No. 4 is located at the corner of Mecartney Road and Aughinbaugh Way on Bay Farm Island. It is a single-story firefighting facility, designed and constructed in 1989. Despite its age, the facility is in good condition with contemporary design and is code compliant. Station No. 4 has a firefighting apparatus bay and housing quarters for the crew. Accommodations include: a kitchen, sleeping quarters, separate male and female restrooms, locker rooms and showers, laundry facilities, a dining room, a day room, and an exercise room.
Currently, the sleeping quarters for the entire crew are in a single room and comprised of seven separate sleeping stations separated by curtains. To provide a more private gender-neutral sleeping and dressing environment for all firefighters and one that supports the reduction of sleep deprivation associated with working 24-hour shifts, the Fire Department requested conversion of the existing dormitory into seven separate, individual, enclosed sleeping rooms. Each will be approximately fifty square feet in size, have individual doors, full height walls, an acoustical ceiling, and the necessary Life-Safety, HVAC and MEP extensions and infrastructure improvements necessary to meet California Building Code.
DISCUSSION
Private rooms are important for firefighter mental and physical health particularly by reducing sleep deprivation issues. Benefits for single rooms include:
• Privacy for all fire fighters (sleeping, dressing, private calls, relaxing, studying);
• Allowing for zone alerting of rooms so that not all firefighters are awakened if only one apparatus is dispatched at night (sleep deprivation reduction); and
• Reducing the impact of roommate's noise/light pollution (snoring, computers/TV, reading lights, etc.) (sleep deprivation reduction).
To solicit the maximum number of bids and most competitive price, plans and specifications were provided to 16 separate builders’ exchanges throughout the Bay Area. Notices inviting bids were placed on the City of Alameda’s (City) web page and published in the Alameda Journal on Thursday, August 24, 2023. After a bidding period of 21 days, eight (8) Contractors submitted bids. The bids were opened on Thursday, September 14, 2023, with the following results:
|
Bidder |
Location |
Bid |
|
|
|
|
|
Branco Construction, Inc. |
Lodi, CA |
$228,720 |
|
Foundry Construction, Inc. |
Oakland, CA |
$265,000 |
|
G & G Builders, Inc. |
Livermore, CA |
$318,377 |
|
Streamline Builders |
El Sobrante, CA |
$346,900 |
|
Onward Construction |
San Jose, CA |
$349,500 |
|
Galaxy Construction Services, Inc. |
Pleasant Hill, CA |
$378,000 |
|
RK & Associates dba Escon Builders* |
Union City, CA |
$378,700* |
|
Bhogal Brothers Construction, Inc. |
Hayward, CA |
$398,300 |
*Bid deemed non-responsive.
Public Works Staff contacted references provided by the lowest responsive bidder and received positive feedback on the ability of the company to meet the project requirements and the quality and timeliness of its work. Staff recommends executing an agreement with Branco Construction, Inc., for a total amount of $263,000, which includes the base bid of $228,720 and a 15% contingency of $34,280. The contractor is not guaranteed any of the contingency amount and the use of the contingency will be at the sole discretion of the Public Works Director for work not originally anticipated in the plans and specifications.
Fire Station No. 4 will continue to be fully staffed and operational during construction with minor inconveniences to firefighter staff. There will be no interruptions to services.
ALTERNATIVES
• Award the project as proposed.
• Do not award the contract and elect not to do this project. Funds would be returned to the Internal Service Fund.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funds for this project are budgeted in the Public Works Department budget for the Capital Improvement Program (Project No. C41000, City Buildings). There is no impact on the General Fund.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with CEQA, this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities), 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction), and (15303 New Construction of Small Structures).
CLIMATE IMPACT
The City’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan recommends the electrification of new buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This project, being a ‘minor’ renovation of a circa 1989 facility, does not fall within the requirements for facility electrification currently.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a construction agreement with Branco Construction, Inc. for the Fire Station No. 4 Dormitory Conversion / Renovation Project for an amount not-to-exceed $263,000.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
By,
Jack Dybas, Project Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Construction Agreement