REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: DENIX D. ANBIAH, PE, Director
Capital Projects Department
PAUL AMICO, PE, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: CasSIE L. SCHOLZ, PE, Assistant Director
Capital Projects Department, Utilities Project Management Division
ANITA LUERA, Project Manager
Capital Projects Department, Utilities Project Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Award a Construction Contract to Alpha1 Engineering, P.C. of Fresno, California, in the amount of $1,790,937.60, to construct the Well Site Improvements at Pump Station 208-2 Project (Bid File 12601634) (Fresno County)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council award a Construction Contract in the amount of $1,790,937.60 to Alpha1 Engineering, P.C. (Alpha1), as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Well Site Improvements at Pump Station 208-2 Project, and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign and execute all documents on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pump Station (PS) 208-2 will replace PS 208 and be located on the same property. The replacement well for PS 208-2 has been drilled and site improvements are now required to equip the well and commission the pump station for service. The Capital Projects Department seeks to award a contract in the amount of $1,790,937.60 to Alpha1 for construction of the Well Site Improvements at PS 208-2 Project (Project) following a competitive bidding process that identified them as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Funding for the Project is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvement Budget within the Water Enterprise Fund.
BACKGROUND
The Department of Public Utilities operates and maintains more than 260 municipal groundwater wells and 3 surface water treatment facilities to meet the City’s water customers’ demands. The production wells provide between 40 and 50 percent of the water supply when surface water supplies are available, and may need to provide up to 100 percent of the water demands in dry years when surface water allocations are limited. PS 208-2 will replace PS 208 and be located on the same property.
The original well at PS 208 was drilled and commissioned in 1953 and destroyed in September 2006 after it collapsed and was no longer operable. In December 2020, after successful completion of groundwater monitoring investigations, the City entered into a Construction Contract with Nor-Cal Pump & Well Drilling, Inc. to drill a replacement production well on the same property, and a Professional Services Agreement with Aegis Groundwater Consulting, LLC, for associated hydrogeological services. On July 1, 2022, the City entered into a Construction Contract with Western Oilfields Supply Company to install the pump assembly. The construction plans and specifications for the well site improvements Project were prepared by City staff and include site piping, equipment building, electrical power, instrumentation and controls, and perimeter fencing. The Project will complete the pump station and allow the City to bring the replacement well into operation.
The Capital Projects Department solicited construction services for the Project through the formal bidding process. A Notice Inviting Bids was advertised and published on the City’s website, Planet Bids, on March 23, 2026. The Project plans and specifications were distributed to thirty-three (33) prospective bidders and posted at three (3) Building Exchanges. Three (3) sealed bid proposals were received and publicly opened on April 21, 2026, with bids ranging from $1,532,862.60 to $2,869,650.04. Harris Development Corp. of Clovis, California was the lowest bidder in the amount of $1,532,862.60, but ultimately withdrew their bid proposal, citing input error. Alpha1 submitted a bid in the amount of $1,790,937.60 and was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Bids are set to expire on June 24, 2026. If the bids are rejected or allowed to expire, the Project must be rebid. This will result in schedule delays and prevent utilization of the funding allocated to this Project for the current fiscal year.
Staff recommends that the City Council award a Construction Contract in the amount of $1,790,937.60 to Alpha1 as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for well site improvements at PS 208-2, and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign and execute all documents on behalf of the City. The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the contract documents as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
A Categorical Exemption was previously prepared for the Project and was adopted by Council on October 15, 2020. Staff have subsequently performed an evaluation and determined that the Project still qualifies within the previously adopted exemptions; Section 15301/Class 1 (Existing Facilities), Section 15302/Class 2 (Replacement or Reconstruction), and Section 15303/Class 3 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Facilities). Furthermore, none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2, apply to the Project.
Based upon these findings, it has been determined that no further environmental documentation is required.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Alpha 1 of Fresno, California is a local business, as defined by the Fresno Municipal Code.
FISCAL IMPACT
This Project is located within a Fresno County island, bounded by Council Districts 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7. It will have no impact to the General Fund. Funding for this Project is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvement Budget within the Water Enterprise Fund.
Attachments:
Bid Evaluation and Fiscal Impact Statement
Standardized Construction Contract