REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: NICHOLAS D. MASCIA, PE, Assistant City Manager
Interim Director - Capital Projects Department
BILLY ALCORN, Fire Chief
Fire Department
BY: francisco V. magos II, PE, Assistant Director
Capital Projects Department, Utilities and On-Site Project Management Division
MIKE MOONEYHAM, PE, Licensed Professional Engineer
Capital Projects Department, Utilities and On-Site Project Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the new Fire Station 12 Project: (Bid File No. 125000492) (Council District 1)
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15332/Class 32 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Environmental Assessment No. XC00050;
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the 29th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2024-122 appropriating $14,300,000.00 for the Fire Station 12 Construction Contract (Requires 5 Affirmative Votes) (Subject to Mayor’s Veto);
3. Award a construction contract in the amount of $14,299,313.54 for the Base Bid plus all three (3) Add Alternates to Solpac Construction, Inc. dba Soltek Pacific Construction Company of San Diego, California, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Fire Station 12 Project.
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council (1) adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff’s determination, pursuant to Section 15332/Class 32 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Environmental Assessment No. XC00050, (2) adopt the 29th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2024-122 appropriating $14,300,000.00 for the Fire Station 12 construction contract, (3) award a construction contract in the amount of $14,299,313.54 for the Base Bid plus all three (3) Add Alternates, to Solpac Construction, Inc. dba Soltek Pacific Construction Company of San Diego, California, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Fire Station 12 Project (Project), and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign a standardized construction contract on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Capital Projects Department (CPD) seeks to award a construction contract to Solpac Construction, Inc. dba Soltek Pacific Construction Company following a competitive bidding process which identified them as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in the amount of $14,299,313.54 for the base bid plus all three (3) Add Alternates for the Fire Station 12 Project. The Project will construct a new Fire Station 12 at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue to replace the existing Fire Station 12 at 2874 West Acacia Avenue. The new station will provide increased services and reduced emergency response time for the residents of northwest Fresno. The Project is anticipated to be fully funded through debt service support in the form of Lease Revenue Bonds, subject to Council approval. Approval of the 29th Amendment to the AAR will appropriate $14,300,000.00 from bond proceeds to fully fund the construction contract.
BACKGROUND
In 2021, the City acquired a 1.96-acre parcel located at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue, just east of North Valentine Avenue. The site is now vacant but was originally occupied by a 7,600 square-foot commercial building that has since been demolished.
On April 28, 2022, Council approved a Consultant Services Agreement with The Taylor Group Architects for the design and preparation of construction drawings for the new Fire Station 12. CPD now seeks to award a construction contract to build the new station. The new Fire Station 12 will help the Fire Department meet incident response time objectives and provide essential emergency services to the growing northwest portion of Fresno. The new four-bay station will initially be staffed by a crew of 4, but will have the capacity to accommodate additional staffing in the future. The existing Fire Station 12, located at 2874 West Acacia Avenue and built in 1977, houses a single engine company with four personnel.
On June 13, 2024, Council passed Resolution 2024-119 declaring the official intent to use proceeds of future indebtedness to reimburse the City for certain expenditures related to the construction of the new Fire Station 12. Funding has been identified and committed through debt service support in the form of Lease Revenue Bonds by the Fresno Joint Powers Financing Authority. Such bond issuance, tentatively expected to occur in early 2025, will be subject to Council approval.
A Notice Inviting Bids was advertised and published on the City’s website, PlanetBids, and the Business Journal on September 4, 2024. The Project plans and specifications were distributed to sixty-six (66) prospective bidders and posted at seven (7) building exchanges. Three (3) sealed bid proposals were received and publicly opened October 31, 2024, with bid amounts for the Base Bid plus all three (3) Add Alternates ranging from $14,299,313.54 to $15,803,489.00. Solpac Construction, Inc. dba Soltek Pacific Construction Company of San Diego, California, was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in the amount of $14,299,313.54. The bids will expire on March 3, 2025. If the bids are rejected or expire, the Project must be rebid which will result in a delay to the Project.
This contract is covered by the Community Workforce Agreement (PLA), adopted by Council in September 2021. The Contractor shall become signatory to the PLA by executing the Agreement To Be Bound.
Staff recommends that Council adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff’s determination, pursuant to Section 15332/Class 32 of the CEQA Guidelines, Environmental Assessment No. XC00050, adopt the 29th Amendment to the AAR No. 2024-122 appropriating $14,300,000.00 for the Fire Station 12 Construction Contract, award a construction contract in the amount of $14,299,313.54 for the Base Bid plus all three (3) Add Alternates, to Solpac Construction, Inc. dba Soltek Pacific Construction Company, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Fire Station 12 Project, and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to sign a standardized construction contract on behalf of the city of Fresno.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved as to form the construction contract.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Council adopted a finding of Categorical Exemption, per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15332/Class 32 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines on April 20, 2023, in conjunction with the award of a construction contract for demolition of the existing building and parcel clearing at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue.
Staff determined that this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15332/Class 32 for In-Fill Development. The project is consistent with the General Plan and zoning; occurs within the city limits on a site less than five acres; contains no habitat for endangered species; would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality; and can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.
None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to the project. Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant or cumulative effect on the environment. The project is not located on a hazardous waste site, a historical resource, adjacent to a scenic highway, or in an environmentally sensitive area.
Since the Council adoption of the initial Categorical Exemption, the square footage of the new Fire Station 12 has increased from 12,000 square feet to 15,842 square feet. The increase in square footage of the new Fire Station does not change staff’s determination that the project is categorically exempt from the requirements of CEQA. The updated Environmental Assessment and finding of Categorical Exemption is included as an attachment for Council adoption.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Pursuant to the Fresno Municipal Code (FMC) Section 4-108(d), the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is not a local business while the second lowest responsive and responsible bidder is defined as such. Pursuant to FMC Section 4-108(c), the preference sum of $75,000 was added to the bid from the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. As the bid from lowest responsive and responsible bidder with the addition of the $75,000 was still lower than the second lowest responsive and responsible bidder, the contract was awarded to the non-local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Fire Station 12 Project is located in Council District 1 and will be funded with bond proceeds. The debt service payments will be split with approximately half coming from Fire Impact Fees and half from General Fund resources. Such bond issuance, tentatively expected to occur in early 2025, will be subject to Council approval. Adoption of the attached 29th Amendment to the AAR No. 2024-122 will fully fund construction of the Project.
Attachments:
Categorical Exemption
29th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2024-122
Standardized Construction Contract
Bid Evaluation
Fiscal Impact Statement
Vicinity Map
Location Map