FROM: Robert Thompson, General Manager
Originator: Mike Dorman, Director of Engineering
SUBJECT:
title
CONTROL CENTER OFFICES AND DAY TRAINING ROOM REMODELING AT PLANT NO. 1, PROJECT FR1-0007R
end
GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: Recommend to the Board of Directors to:
A. Receive and file Bid Tabulation and Recommendation for Control Center Offices and Day Training Room Remodeling at Plant No. 1, Project No. FR1-0007R;
B. Award a Construction Contract to A 2 Z Construct, Inc. for Control Center Offices and Day Training Room Remodeling at Plant No. 1, Project No. FR1-0007R, for a total amount not to exceed $348,000; and
C. Approve a contingency of $34,800 (10%).
body
BACKGROUND
The Control Center Building at Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) Plant No. 1 is a two-story office building housing mainly operations staff. The Day Training Room in this building is typically used by 17 Plant Operators during day shift and seven Plant Operators during night shift, including four Lead Operators. The room is also used for frequent meetings among operators.
OC San workspace standards call for four-foot-wide workstations for Plant Operators, eight-foot by eight-foot cubicles for Lead Plant Operators, and approximately 10-foot by 10-foot individual offices for Supervisors. Operator workstations are not dedicated to individual Operators, so the same workstations are used by more than one Operator over the course of a day. Individual offices are needed for supervisors to conduct sensitive and private discussions with staff.
OC San awarded a previous FR1-0007 Contract in May 2021 and the Contractor failed to perform in accordance with the contract and scope of work for the project. The contract work was not completed, which required a readvertise of the project under FR1-0007R. Only the Day Training Room demolition work was performed, resulting in the inability to use this space.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
• Comply with California Public Contract Code Section 20103.8, award construction contract to lowest responsive, responsible bidder
• Provide a safe and collegial workplace
PROBLEM
The layout and furnishings of the Day Training Room do not effectively use the space and the existing furniture; and cubicles are in substandard condition. The room also lacks a conference table large enough to accommodate all the operators present in one shift. With the Day Training Room space not useable due to the FR1-0007 Contractor not performing the work, staff had to move into other conference rooms to work, which limits the availability of the conference rooms for other purposes. The Control Center Building also lacks sufficient individual offices for supervisors.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Award a construction contract for Control Center Offices and Day Training Room Remodeling at Plant No. 1, Project No. FR1-0007R. This project will remodel the Day Training Room including lighting improvements, 14 new workstations, five new cubicles, and a large conference table. The project will also convert an area with two offices and two cubicles into an area with three individual offices and a common space for staff to layout large-format plans.
TIMING CONCERNS
If this project were delayed, the collaboration among operations staff would continue to be inhibited due to being spread out in different areas of the Control Center Building conference rooms and other process areas throughout the Plant.
RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION
Not completing this project would continue to result in the Day Training Room being unusable and make it difficult for staff to collaboratively work together and have space for staff meetings.
PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS
May 2021 - Awarded a construction contract to Thomas Solar Energy for Control Center Offices and Day Training Room Remodeling at Plant No. 1, Project No. FR1-0007, for an amount not to exceed $256,790, and approved a contingency of $25,679 (10%).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OC San pursued all contractual procedures and remedies, ultimately resulting in the termination of the FR1-0007 contract with Thomas Solar Energy in April 2022. Subsequently, OC San filed a claim against the contractor’s performance bond and coordinated with the contractor’s surety company, Liberty Mutual, who ultimately opted to tender payment of the penal sum. A claim from the FR1-0007 Contractor (Thomas Solar Energy) was received and denied in January 2023.
To complete the original scope of the project, OC San readvertised the project for bids under Project No. FR1-0007R on August 15, 2023. Four sealed bids were received on October 10, 2023. A summary of the bid opening follows:
|
Engineer’s Estimate |
$ 331,000 |
|
Bidder |
Amount of Bid |
|
A 2 Z Construct, Inc. |
$ 348,000 |
|
R Dependable Const. Inc. |
$ 495,270 |
|
US Builders & Consultants Inc. |
$ 518,000 |
|
Golden Gate Steel, Inc. |
$ 532,483 |
The bids were evaluated in accordance with OC San’s policies and procedures. A notice was sent to all bidders on November 17, 2023 informing them of the intent of OC San staff to recommend award of the Construction Contract to A 2 Z Construct, Inc.
Staff recommends awarding a Construction Contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, A 2 Z Construct, Inc., for a total amount not to exceed $348,000.
CEQA
This project is exempt from CEQA under the Class 1 categorical exemptions set forth in California Code of Regulations Section 15301 because the project involves repairs, replacement, and or minor alteration of existing facilities involving no expansion of use or capacity.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
This request complies with the authority levels of OC San’s Purchasing Ordinance. This recommendation will be funded under the Repairs and Maintenance line item for Division 870, Plant No. 1 Operations (Budget Update Fiscal Year 2023-2024, Page 39) and the available funding is sufficient for this action.
ATTACHMENT
The following attachment(s) may be viewed on-line at the OC San website (www.ocsan.gov) with the complete agenda package:
• Draft Construction Contract
RD:tk