SR-12-08-2015-3K
City Council
Report
City Council Regular Meeting: December 8, 2015
Agenda Item: 3.K
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director, Public Works, Public Landscape
Subject: Airport Park Turf Replacement Project
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award Bid #4229 to Hellas Construction, Inc, a Texas-based company, for the
removal of the current Airport Park artificial turf sports field and the purchase and
installation of a new artificial turf sports field;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contractual service
agreement with Hellas Construction, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $816,000
(including a 10% contingency of $74,645);
3. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
section of this report.
Executive Summary
This project would replace the existing Airport Park artificial turf sports field which
utilizes recycled crumb rubber infill and was installed in 2006, with a new artificial
surface sports field that uses organic material as infill. In November 2015, the City
solicited bids to remove the existing artificial turf sports field with crumb rubber infill and
purchase and install a new artificial turf sports field with ZeoFill infill. Staff recommends
Hellas Construction, Inc. as the best bidder for this project for a total project cost of
$816,000.
Discussion
The Airport Park artificial turf sports field is an active recreational space utilized primarily
for team sports. The majority of the field’s use is year-round adult and youth league
soccer. The next most common uses of the field are high school football practice in the
fall and youth lacrosse during the winter. Combined, these sports account for
approximately 95% of the field’s use. The field’s current condition is very poor as
evidenced by worn and fraying artificial fiber, uneven distribution of crumb rubber infill,
and black turf appearance due to crumb rubber weighing down the weakened turf fiber.
The existing artificial turf is anticipated to require replacement with one to two years.
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Due to ongoing safety studies on crumb rubber and co ncerns expressed by residents,
staff desired an alternative infill for the replacement artificial turf sports field. The infill is
the base layer that supports the artificial grass fiber and adds dimensional stability. City
staff met with staff from other agencies and visited local artificial turf sports fields that
use a natural substance infill instead of crumb rubber to assess their quality and
performance. Some agencies continue to use crumb rubber infill while others, such as
the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the Los Angeles Unified
School District, decided in 2008 and 2009 respectively, that all new artificial fields
purchased must use a different infill material.
During site visits, staff learned about and examined an infill named ZeoFill, which is
used at a number of artificial turf sports fields in California and locally within some
artificial turf sports fields in the City of Los Angeles. ZeoFill is composed of zeolites,
which are naturally occurring minerals found in specif ic types of sedimentary rocks.
Zeolites are widely used in California and the rest of North America in a variety of uses
including storm water management, environmental cleanup, and water filtration. ZeoFill
holds water to help cool the field during hot months and helps prevent molds from
occurring in the turf when foreign organic materials, such as leaves, natural turf from
shoes, and animal waste, contact the field. ZeoFill is listed for organic use by the
Organic Material Research Institute (OMRI), which is the international nonprofit
organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic
production and processing. In addition, ZeoFill is not named under California
Proposition 65, which requires the state to maintain and update a list of chemicals
known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
The project was originally approved as a Capital Improvement Project to extract and
replace the existing artificial turf infill material. After reviewing the extraction and
replacement process with the field manufacturer, staff learned that process could
damage the existing field further due to its current worn condition. The existing field is
anticipated to require replacement within one to two years, as the fields generally h ave
a useful life of about 10 years. Due to these conditions, and to avoid closing the field to
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user groups a second time in the near future, staff recommends that the entire field be
replaced at this time. Staff recommends that additional funding be appropriated to allow
for the replacement of the entire field at this time as the most effective alternative at the
lowest cost. The expected life of the new field is estimated at eight to ten years.
Vendor Selection
On November 2, 2015, the City published Notices Inviting Bids #4229 to remove the
existing artificial turf sports field with crumb rubber infill and the purchase and
installation of a new artificial turf sports field with ZeoFill infill, as required by the Public
Works Department’s Public Landscape Division, in accordance with City scope of work.
The bid was posted on the City’s on-line bidding site, and notices were advertised in the
Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance with City Charter and Municipal Code
provisions.
A total of 1,780 vendors were notified and 42 vendors downloaded the bid. Three bids
were received and publicly opened on November 17, 2015. Bid results are as follows:
Bidder Bid Amount
Ohno Construction Company $994,000
Asphalt Fabric & Engineering, Inc. $787,073
Hellas Construction, Inc. $741,355
Bids were evaluated based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.072, including price, ability to
deliver, quality of product, and compliance with City specifications. Hella Construction,
Inc. was the lowest bidder, confirmed that they co uld complete the work within the
project timeline, and received positive reviews from all of their references. Based upon
these criteria, Hellas Construction, Inc. is recommended as the best bidder to remove
and replace the existing artificial turf sports field and infill in accordance with City scope
of work, for a total contract amount not to exceed $816,000.
Protest
On November 19, 2015 City staff posted a pending award notification on the City's
online bidding site, putting all vendors on notice that staff's recommendation to Council
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would be to award Bid #4229 to Hellas Construction, Inc. On November 19, 2015 the
City's Purchasing Agent received a timely protest from Asphalt, Fabric & Engineering,
Inc. (AFE).
The protest questioned the selected vend or’s ability to meet the City’s specification, and
whether their low bid price would result in substitution of lower quality products to
achieve their lump sum total. On November 23, 2015 after reviewing the submitted
protest documents and speaking with staff who had conducted the bid and selection
process, the Purchasing Agent denied the protest based on the lack of evidence.
On December 1, 2015 AFE submitted a timely appeal of the Purchasing Agent's
decision to the Finance Director. The appeal made claims almost identical to those set
forth in the original protest letter, with more specific evidence referencing the selected
vendor’s bid submittal and City specifications. AFE contested the selected vendor’s
work experience and ability to provide the required material.
On December 4, 2015 after conducting her independent review of the Purchasing
Agent's decision, speaking with involved staff, and reviewing the appeal letter submitted
by AFE, the Finance Director denied the appeal, finding that the vendor met bid
specifications regarding work experience removing and replacing artificial turf sports
fields, as well their intent to use the required material. The selected vendor exceeded
minimum reference requirements, and all references were positive. Per the City's
Purchasing Ordinance, the Finance Director's decision is the final determination.
Now that there is a Director's final determination to deny the appeal, staff recommends
that Bid #4229 be awarded to Hellas Construction, Inc.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to Hellas Construction, Inc. is for an amount not to exceed
$816,000 (including a 10% contingency of $74,645). In addition to funds of $500,000
available in the FY 2015-16 Capital Improvement Program budget in account number
C019111.589000, award of the contract requires the following budget changes:
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1. Release fund balance from reserve account 1.380006 (capital project
contingency) of $316,000; and
2. Appropriate $316,000 to account C019111.589000.
Prepared By: Hector Kistemann, Public Landscape Manager
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Reference:
Agreement No.
10231
(CCS)