REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
August 20, 2015
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
THROUGH: SCOTT W. KRAUTER, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Street Maintenance Division
BY: AARON A. AGUIRRE, Public Works Manager
Public Works Department, Landscape Maintenance Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a Requirements Contract with AAA Backflow Prevention Service in the amount of $66,000.00 to provide annual backflow assembly testing and certification
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends an approval of a Requirements Contract with AAA Backflow Prevention Service in the amount of $66,000.00 to provide annual backflow assembly testing and certification.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Works, Landscape Maintenance Division, solicited proposals for professional backflow assembly testing and certification for roughly 1,600 irrigation system backflow devices throughout the City. The locations include median islands, trails, greenways and roadside landscapes that all have these devices. After evaluating the four proposals received, it was decided that AAA Backflow Prevention Service was the best overall value. This contract shall be in effect for one (1) year from the date of the Notice to Proceed and may be extended, at the City’s sole discretion, for two (2), one-year increments.
BACKGROUND
The State of California Code of Regulations Title 17 requires that all irrigation backflows need to be tested annually. This service was previously performed by the City Department of Public Utilities Water Division for consumers/owners who had these devices. This service was eliminated by the Water Division and now has become a requirement of the owner to annually test and certify their backflow devises.
A backflow preventer devise is required to keep water from the consumer owned and maintained system, that can become contaminated, from reversing flow and entering the Public Utility maintained clean water supply in the water main. Therefore, a backflow prevention device is required between the public water system and the private consumer system.
The Specifications were prepared, and a Notice Inviting Bids was published in the Business Journal on February 4, 2015. Specifications were distributed to 14 prospective bidders. Four sealed bid proposals were received from bidders and were opened in a public bid opening on February 24, 2015. Bid proposal prices ranged from $57,200.00 to $163,000.00. The Bid Evaluation is included as an attachment to this staff report.
The Evaluation Committee was comprised of staff from the Public Works Department and the Public Utilities Department. The Committee evaluated the proposals based on the following criteria: conformance to the terms and conditions of the RFP, ability to meet the stated service requirements, past performance, experience, stability, and cost of service. The committee selected AAA Backflow Service as the vendor with the best overall value that met all the criteria as specified in the RFP. The attached Bid Evaluation provides more detail on the received proposals and the selection process.
Council may award a contract to AAA Backflow Prevention Services. The contract will be in effect for one (1) year from the date of the Notice to Proceed with provisions for two (2) one-year extensions at the City’s discretion.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Routine landscape maintenance is not defined as a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and does not require an environmental finding.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because the Fresno Municipal Code does not require the City to provide a local preference for landscape maintenance services. The selected vendor has worked for the Department of Public Utilities in the past and satisfactorily performed the work to meet their standards.
FISCAL IMPACT
The funds for this contracted service are included in the existing FY 2016 budget and will be paid out of Community Sanitation and Community Facility District funds.
Attachment:
Bid Evaluation Information (2 pages)
Committee Report (2 pages)