sr-092209-1dCity Council Meeting: September 22, 2009
Agenda Item:. ~ - p
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Lee E. Swain, Director of Public Works
Subject: .Construction Contract for City Hall Electric Room Addition
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Gonzalez
Construction in the amount of $500,000 for the City Hall Electric Room Addition;
and
2) authorize the City Engineer to issue any necessary change orders to complete
additional work within budget authority.
Executive Summary
The City Hall Electric Room Addition Project is required to provide additional electrical
supply to the City Hall Jail Area Tenant Improvement (TI) Project. The Jail Area TI
Project requires electrical supply that exceeds the existing capacity of the City Hall
electric room. The existing electrical room cannot be increased due to size limitations in
City Hall. As a result, an electric room addition for City Hall is required. The new
electric room addition was approved by City Council and Landmarks Commission in
early 2008 and will be located on the southeast corner of City Hall. This project is
funded by the City's General Fund and is the first phase of the federally funded City Hall
Seismic Retrofit Project.
Background
The City Hall Seismic Retrofit Project is partially funded by FEMA as part of a Hazard
Mitigation Grant developed after the 1994 Earthquake. The Seismic Retrofit Project will
renovate the existing vacant jail space in City Hall into staff offices and a new Data
Center. The new use of this area which includes offices, a new elevator, a new data
center, and a new HVAC system, requires electrical supply that exceeds the capacity of
the existing electrical room in the basement of City Hall. Due to the existing conditions
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in the basement, it is impossible to expand and create a code compliant interior
electrical room.
On November 13. 2007, City staff presented the exterior electrical room addition to the
City Council and proposed that the room be constructed on the northeast corner of City
Hall. Council members then directed staff to look at an alternative location on the
southeast corner of City Hall. On February 12. 2008, City Council approved the exterior
electrical room addition on the southeast corner of City Hall. On March 10. 2008,
Landmarks Commission provided approval of this southeast corner location as well.
Discussion
The design of the City Hall Electric Room Addition Project began in 2007, utilizing
industry standard copper conductors. Over the course of the design process,
construction costs increased at an unexpected rate, especially for copper conductors.
As a result, the design consultant suggested a less expensive alternative, aluminum
conductors. Although construction costs have slightly decreased in the last year, the
City requested contractors to provide base bids for aluminum conductors and alternative
bids for copper conductors as a comparison. ,
Upon receipt of the bids, the cost of aluminum is generally less then copper conductors.
However, three of the copper bids are within City construction costs estimate of
$450,000 and budget authority of $500,000. Copper is the industry standard and
therefore, City staff recommends this preferred material for the City Hall Electric Room
Addition. Project.
Contractor/Consultant Selection
Notice Inviting Bids was advertised on the City's website on July 13, 2009. A total of 54
contractors registered on the site for project information, 16 companies attended the
pre-bid job walk, and nine sealed bids were received by the City and-were publically
opened on July 21, 2009 by the City Clerk's staff. The bid results are as follows:
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Bidder Aluminum Copper
G Coast Construction, Inc. $407,000.00 $427,000.00
Gonzalez Construction $458,277.50 $479,277.50
Mel Smith Electric, Inc. $428,445.00 $495,712.00
H.C. Olsen Construction $405,065.00 $501,590.00
Minako American Corporation $478,700.00 $555,700.00
Union Construction Co. $575,400.00 $575,400.00
Lindseth Construction, Inc. $522,720.00 $607,320.00
Westpoint Development, Inc. $642,000.00 $692,000.00
ROD Builders, Inc. $639,000.00 $722,000.00
A selection committee comprised of City staff and the project consultant evaluated the
bids based on competitive pricing, understanding of the project .scope, accuracy in
bidding, and references for projects that included high quality exterior finish work.
City staff contacted the reference. agencies provided by the lowest bidder, G Coast
Construction, and the respondents cannot confirm their experience with high quality
exterior finish work. City staff then contacted the reference agencies provided by the
next lowest bidder, Gonzalez Construction, and all respondents confirmed their
experience with high quality exterior finish work, which is particularly important given the
status and visibility of this addition to a registered historic landmark. In addition, the
respondents reported that Gonzalez Construction work was completed in a timely and
cost-effective manner while maintaining consistent quality. Furthermore, Gonzalez
Construction demonstrated a clear understanding of the scope of the electrical work.
Based on the evaluation criteria, Gonzalez Construction is the recommended overall
best bidder.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
Funds in the amount of $500,000 are available in account C024002, City Electrical
Room Upgrade.
Prepared by: Alex Parry, Architect
Lee E. Swain, Director
Department of Public Works
Manager
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Approved: Forwarded to Council: