Consent Calendar Item 4j
STAFF REPORT
City Council Consent Item
DATE: June 21, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Christopher Christianson, Chief Treatment Plant Operator THROUGH: Merritt Perry, City Manager
SUBJECT: Approve a Supplemental Budget Request and Authorize the Purchase of Wastewater Treatment Plant Grit System Components
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve supplemental budget request and authorize the purchase of wastewater treatment plant grit system components.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The wastewater treatment plant grit system suffered a catastrophic failure in May. Various bearings, shafts and sprockets in the grit channel broke due to age, wear and tear, and corrosion from the hazardous environment in which this equipment functions.
Staff maintain the grit system on a regular basis. In this case, the equipment that failed existed and operated in an extremely harsh environment, working around hydrogen sulfide gases, and hard, unforgiving material. When one part broke, it caused a cascading series of events that broke many other parts. Immediately following the failure, staff worked to remove the broken parts and identify the items needed for repair or replacement.
Every day the grit system is offline, grit is accumulating and flowing through into downstream processes. If allowed to continue, this situation will build into more costly and detrimental results, and therefore a resolution to this issue as quickly as possible is required.
Section 2.50.070 of the Fortuna Municipal Code, Exceptions to Bidding, provides for the purchase of supplies or equipment if there is an emergency need, as determined by the City Manager (A). It also states that bid procedures are not necessary when the supplies or equipment can be obtained from only one vendor (B). Both of these conditions apply to this purchase.
Walker Process Equipment is the sole supplier of parts and equipment for the City’s grit system, as detailed in the attached letter. They are the original equipment manufacturer. As seen in the attached quote, the cost for replacement parts is currently above the purchasing limit of the City Manager, and therefore staff is requesting authorization from the Council for this purchase.
As soon as the parts are received, City plant staff will move forward with installation. Once installed, this equipment should last for 20 years.
Consent Calendar Item 4j
FISCAL IMPACT:
The financial impact to the City will be approximately $42,000, which is the cost of the replacement parts (per the attached quote), and estimated tax and shipping costs. The City will be paying for the cost of the materials from the treatment plant’s equipment repair fund (550-5720- 6600), which has a current unencumbered balance of approximately $15,000. Staff request an additional budget appropriation of $30,000 from Wastewater Reserves to cover the anticipated cost beyond the existing available budget.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Consent Agenda vote.
ATTACHMENTS:
Quote from Walker Process for necessary grit system replacement parts Sole Source letter from Walker Process Equipment
Supplemental Budget Request