Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Ray’s Electric for Streetlight Conduit Replacement on Fernside Boulevard Project, P.W. No. 06-23-18, in an Amount, Not-to-Exceed $824,369, including Contingency.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). (Public Works 310)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Underground streetlight service and the conduit it resides in require periodic replacement to ensure a continuity of service. The project consists of removing and replacing streetlight conduits, conductors, streetlight pull boxes, and other items shown on the contract drawings for Fernside Boulevard from Tilden Way to High Street. Staff requests City Council award the contract to Ray’s Electric, the lowest responsive bidder, in an amount not-to-exceed $824,369, including contingency.
BACKGROUND
Street, parking lot, and park pathway lighting has either above ground or underground electrical services to the light. Underground electric services are installed in a conduit that, depending on the material and the surrounding environment (roots, corrosive soils, groundwater, etc.), has an expected useful life before the conduit and wire must be replaced. Based upon the rate of failure of lighting service conduit, Public Works prepared a master plan to replace conduit when it reaches the end of its useful life, and ideally prior to failure. The master plan identifies annual project areas to replace service conduit based upon expected budget.
Fernside Boulevard between Tilden Way and High Street was identified as high priority conduit replacement to prevent streetlights from being out of service due to conduit failures. The project will remove and replace streetlight conduits, conductors, and streetlight pull boxes to ensure continuity of service.
DISCUSSION
To solicit the maximum number of bids and most competitive price, plans and specifications were provided to 18 separate builders’ exchanges throughout the Bay Area. Notices were also sent to contractors on the Public Works Department Contractor List. In addition, notices were placed on the City of Alameda’s (City) website and published in the Alameda Journal on August 10, 2023. Bids were opened on August 31, 2023. After a bidding period of 21 days, three contractors submitted bids. The bid results are as follows:
|
Bidder |
Location |
Bid |
|
Ray’s Electric |
Oakland, CA |
$749,426.00 |
|
Bay Area Lightworks, Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
$770,000.00 |
|
Columbia Electric |
San Leandro, CA |
$974,097.00 |
Public Works staff contacted two references provided by the lowest bidder and received positive feedback on the ability of the company to meet the project requirements and the quality and timeliness of their work.
Staff recommends awarding a contract to Ray’s Electric for a total amount of $824,369, which includes a 10% contingency in the amount of $74,943. The contractor is not guaranteed any of the contingency amount and use of the contingency will be at the sole discretion of the City for work not originally anticipated in the plans and specification. The specifications also informed the successful bidder that they shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations. The contract is attached as Exhibit 1.
ALTERNATIVES
• Awarding a contract to Ray’s Electric for a total amount of $824,369.
• An alternative is to not implement the project and to replace individual sections of conduit in response to failures. This alternative approach may have increased overall costs given multiple mobilizations and reduced economy of scale on volume of work.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Budget for this project is included in the Public Works Department Capital Improvement Project (CIP) C16000 funded with monies from General Fund and the Construction Improvement Tax. The CIP has sufficient appropriations to cover the costs of the contract proposed for approval
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 Section 15301 (Existing Facilities).
CLIMATE IMPACT
Construction materials and equipment will temporarily increase greenhouse gas emissions during construction. However, City contractors are required to recycle a minimum of 65% of removed concrete, rock, and other similar.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Ray’s Electric for Streetlight Conduit Replacement - Fernside Boulevard Project, P.W. No. 06-23-18, in an amount, including contingency, not-to-exceed $824,369.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
By,
Robert Vance, Deputy Public Works Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Agreement