DATE:
February 21, 2023
TO:
Paul Buddenhagen, City Manager
FROM:
Mohamed Alaoui, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A First Amendment To The Maintenance Agreement With DC Electric Group, Inc. For On-Call Traffic Signal And Street Light Maintenance To Extend the Termination Date To June 30, 2024 And To Increase The Contract Amount By An Additional $881,310 For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed $1,505,145; Delegating Authority To The City Manager To Renew The Contract For Fiscal Year 2024/25 But Limit The Contract Amount Increase To The Bay Area Consumer Price Index Or 5%, Whichever Is Lower; Budgeting The Contract To Complete Routine Maintenance Tasks Using The Existing Operating Budget Of The Public Works Department; Budgeting The Contract To Complete CIP Projects In The Amount Of $40,000 (Fund 264) From CIP Project No. 15240017, $150,000 (Fund 475) From CIP Project No. 17475014, $245,765 (Fund 475) From CIP Project No. 20475008, $24,235 (Fund 262) From CIP Project No. 15240017, $110,000 (Fund 242) From CIP Project No. 17240005, $55,000 (Fund 475) From CIP Project No. 16475036, $30,000 (Fund 495) From CIP Project No. 16495005, And $70,000 (Fund 475) From CIP Project No. 15475002; Appropriating $55,000 From Fund 262 Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the above-entitled resolution.
Background
The City periodically issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Traffic Signal and Street Lighting Maintenance Services. The last one was issued in October 2020, which granted the City Manager authority to enter into a Maintenance Contract through FY 22/23 with a qualified entity. In the original RFP, the contract was described as being for three (3) years, plus two (2) possible one-year options up to a maximum total contract duration of five (5) years. When there is satisfactory performance under the contract, it is the Public Works Department’s typical procedure and process to have the City Manager extend maintenance and professional services contracts for up to two (2) additional one-year periods before issuance of a new RFP.
On December 20, 2020, the Emeryville City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a maintenance agreement with DC Electric Group Inc. (“DCE”) in the amount of $623,835 for years 2021, 2022, and 2023 to provide Electrical Maintenance services on Traffic Signals and Street Lights (Resolution No. 20-135).
Discussion
The City has been utilizing DCE’s On-Call services for the routine maintenance of traffic signals and streetlights citywide. Every year, there are funds in the maintenance contract to cover a number and extra work items that occur with lighting/signal equipment as accidents or issues arise throughout the City. The on-call services have also included, but have not been limited to, calibrating automated pedestrian, vehicle, and bicycle detection systems at the intersections at primary traffic corridors, optimizing coordinated signal timing along those same corridors, and furnishing/constructing improvements related to the proper function of Capital Improvement Program elements.
Currently, Public Works has four active three-year contracts with maintenance contractors with an option for two one-year extensions. This staff proposal is consistent with the current practice.
DCE has performed their tasks effectively with knowledge of the City’s lighting/signal systems and above average response times to emergencies. Due to DCE’s good performance and knowledge of City lighting/signal systems, staff recommends that the City continue DCE’s contract through the end of FY 23/24 and amend the scope of their services to include support for the delivery of lighting/signal related Capital Improvement Program projects.
If the 1st Amendment is approved by the City Council, DCE will provide the following italicized services through June 30, 2024:
Traffic Signals
The original maintenance contract with DCE requires that they routinely visit each traffic signal every 60 days to ensure that the signal is in proper working order. The scope of services also covers the maintenance of City Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) equipment and on-call services as requested by the City. This task will be extended through June 30, 2024.
Streetlights and Safety Lighting
The original maintenance contract requires that DCE perform a monthly night check of the lighting systems and perform necessary repairs as required. It also requires DCE to repair reported street light outages within seven calendar days of being reported. Staff and residents can report outages and issues via the City’s website, the Contractor’s website, or via a toll-free number. This task will be extended through June 30, 2024.
USA Tickets
The original maintenance contract required that DCE perform the locating and marking of the City’s underground lighting and signal circuits in a timed response based on 811 (Dig Alert) requests that are received by the City. The original contract budgeted this task using an expected cost of $1,300 per month, but the sheer amount of requests that came in the first four months of the contract quickly used up the available budget. The monthly costs for this task averaged $6,955 in the first four months of the contract. Per California Government Code 4216, a public agency is allowed to maintain maps of its underground facilities and share the maps as a response to 811 (Dig Alert) requests. The GIS survey and resultant maps will cost $140,000 and the maps can be used for many years to come as Public Works staff plans to maintain the database as new facilities are installed or re-configured. The estimated annual cost of for the current model of responding to every 811 request is $83,640. Therefore, the breakeven point for this work is twenty months, after which the city can expect to save approximately $6,955 each month minus minimal expenses related to upkeep and updates to the database. Additionally, there are benefits to the speed of City’s planning/design processes and as-built requests from other agencies once the GIS survey is complete. This task has been added in the proposed Extra Work tasks below.
Additional Maintenance, CIP Tasks, and Extra Work
The contract amendment includes additional Capital Improvement Project related tasks and other work to be added to DCE’s existing contract. Below is a list of proposed projects:
Greenway Trail Counter Installation/Repairs $10,000.00 South Bayfront Bridge Bike/Ped Counter Installation $27,500.00 City Hall EV Chargers Installation $150,000.00
Hollis Street Camera Upgrades for Passive Pedestrian Detection $264,000.00 Powell @ Watergate Towers – Paving, Conduit, and ADA Ramp $98,250.00 GIS Survey of Electrical Infrastructure for USA Tickets $140,000.00 Temescal Creek Park Playground Lighting $64,560.00
Subtotal ‘CIP Tasks, and Extra Work’ $754,310.00
Traffic Signals Maintenance (FY23/24):
Routine Maintenance of 30 City Owned Signals $25,599.60 Contingency Extra Work Call-outs $30,000.00
Contingency Accident Repairs $15,400.40
Subtotal ‘TS Maintenance’ $71,000.00
Streetlight Maintenance (FY23/24):
Routine Maintenance of Streetlights $30,348.96
Contingency Accident Repairs $25,652.04
Subtotal ‘SL Maintenance’ $56,000.00
Grand Total $881,310.00
The City Engineer has evaluated the above prices and considers them to be competitive. Further, the additional work was included in the RFP that was issued by the City in October 2020.
As a result, staff recommends increasing the contract amount by an additional $881,310.00 for a total contract amount not to exceed $1,505,145.00.
In addition, staff requests that the City Council delegate to the City Manager authority to renew the contract on an annual basis for FY 24/25 with any contract amount increase limited to a cost-of-living adjustment based on the Bay Area Consumer Price Index or up to a maximum of 5% per year, whichever is lower.
Fiscal Impact
The Operating Budget for the Public Works Department includes adequate funds in Traffic Signal Maintenance/Caltrans (Account 4060-77350 and 220-77350) and in Street Light Repairs (Account 4060-77340 and 220-77340) for the original contract through June 30, 2023, and for FY23/24 as indicated in the proposed 1st Amendment Contract.
Budgeting for the additional Capital Improvement Program and Extra Work tasks are proposed to be funded as shown in the table below. There is adequate funding in each CIP Project/fund to account for this allocation.
Budget to complete CIP and Extra Work Tasks
Project
Project No.
Fund
Amount
Greenway Trail Counter Installation/Repairs
15240017
264
$10,000
South Bayfront Bridge Bike/Ped Counter Installation
15240017
264
$30,000
City Hall EV Chargers Installation
17475014
475
$150,000
Hollis Street Camera Upgrades for Passive Pedestrian Detection 20475008
475
$245,765
Hollis Street Camera Upgrades for Passive Pedestrian Detection 15240017
262
$24,235
Powell @ Watergate Towers – Paving, Conduit, and ADA Ramp 17240005
242
$110,000
GIS Survey of Electrical Infrastructure for USA Ticket Response 16475036
475
$55,000
GIS Survey of Electrical Infrastructure for USA Ticket Response n/a
262
$55,000
GIS Survey of Electrical Infrastructure for USA Ticket Response 16495005
495
$30,000
Temescal Creek Park – Light Pole and Dog Park Drain
15475002
475
$70,000
Staff Communication with the Public
None.
Conflict of Interest
None.
Conclusion
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the above-entitled resolution.
PREPARED BY: Ryan O’Connell, Senior Civil Engineer
Approved and Forwarded to the
City Council of the City of Emeryville:
Paul Buddenhagen, City Manager
Attachments
Original Maintenance Contract
Draft Resolution
1st Amendment Maintenance Contract
Exhibit A-1 (Scope of Work)
1st Amendment Contract – DC Electric (On-Call Signal/Lighting Maintenance) City Council Meeting | February 21, 2023
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM