{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Adopting Specifications for Citywide Pools and Splash Pads Maintenance Services.
1) Resolution Adopting Specifications for the Citywide Pools & Splash Pads Maintenance Services Project, Specification No. 4005, and Directing the City Clerk to Advertise for Bids.
2) Resolution to dispense with competitive bidding and authorize the City Manager or designee to extend Purchasing Contract No. 8002370 with Sea Clear Pools, Inc. through March 31, 2025, and increase its not-to-exceed (NTE) amount by $15,000, for a total NTE amount of $65,000, to provide uninterrupted pool maintenance and equipment services.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for December 10, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Community Services & Parks (CSP) Department contracts with a third party to service the Pacific Community Pool and Palmer Wading Pool. The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Heath requires that public swimming pools with a recirculating system be monitored and maintained by a County-certified swimming pool service technician. CSP has contracted this service out to Sea Clear Pools, Inc. since the opening of the Pacific Community Pool, and the transition of Palmer Wading Pool from a “fill-and- drain” pool to a recirculation system. This has proven to be more cost-effective than establishing a full-time City staff position to handle the required monitoring, while still requiring a contractor to perform the specialty repairs of pool equipment.
With the upcoming four splash pads (Pacific Park, Fremont Park, Cerritos Park, and Central Park), staff will add maintenance services to the existing scope of work. All of the new splash pads contain a recirculation system and will require a County-certified technician to monitor. With this addition, the contract for pool monitoring, maintenance, and repair must be opened to formal bidding.
2{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
5 7
0 0
In the interim, staff proposes to extend the existing contract for maintenance and equipment services with Sea Clear Pools, Inc., which is set to expire on December 31, 2024, by three months, through March 31, 2025, and increase it by $15,000, for uninterrupted services until a new contract is awarded and executed to include maintenance and repairs of all pools and splash pads citywide.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve (1) a Resolution adopting specifications for the Citywide Pools & Splash Pads Maintenance Services Project and directing the City Clerk to advertise for bids; and (2) a Resolution to dispense with competitive bidding and authorize the City Manager or designee to extend Purchasing Contract No. 8002370 with Sea Clear Pools, Inc. through March 31, 2025, and increase its NTE amount by $15,000, for a total NTE amount of $65,000.
ANALYSIS
Sea Clear Pools, Inc. has maintained the Pacific Community Pool since its grand opening. It has consistently been awarded the maintenance contract due to its low pricing in multiple competitive bidding processes. The existing contract in the amount of $50,000 for the maintenance of Pacific Community Pool and Palmer Wading Pool is set to expire December 31, 2024. This contract was last competitively bid in October 2019, and Sea Clear Pools, Inc. was awarded three annual purchasing contracts, each with an NTE amount of $50,000. The contractor agreed to keep its pricing constant, allowing the City to issue two additional, one-year purchasing contracts, the latter of which expires December 31, 2024.
Maintenance of the two existing pools includes two (2) minimum visits per week to each location that has a recirculation system. The contractor checks the water quality, pumps and sensors, backwashes the filters as needed, and logs all information in an on-site logbook as well as online. These must be made available to the County for inspection at any scheduled or unscheduled inspection. In addition, the contractor performs larger maintenance services monthly and semi-annually, such as cleaning all sensors and probes, checking the chlorine injector, rebuilding the chemical pumps, and replacing the filter media as needed. At Palmer Wading Pool, the contractor also assists with opening the pool annually for the summer season, filling it with water, balancing the chemicals, and ensuring the filters are working properly. At the end of the summer season, the contractor winterizes the wading pool by turning off all pumps and filters and covering the pool. Due to the imminent opening of Pacific Splash Pad and Fremont Splash Pad, as well as upcoming construction on Central Park Splash Pad and Cerritos Splash Pad, CSP determined that the maintenance of all sites should be consolidated under one contract. This will allow staff to have one point of contact for all locations and provide consistency in the maintenance of each facility. The selected contractor will be responsible for the above-mentioned maintenance services at the two pools, as well as similar duties at the splash pad locations. In addition, the contractor will open the splash pads prior to the start of each season, balancing all water chemicals, preparing the chemical and filter pumps, and inspecting and ensuring all spray nozzles are operational. At the end of each season, the contractor will winterize 3{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
5 7
0 0
the splash pads by decommissioning all of the equipment and emptying all of the tanks, similar to winterizing the wading pool.
With the addition of the splash pad maintenance service, the annual cost of maintenance is projected to increase to approximately $230,000, thus requiring a formal bid process with specifications. This is an estimate, as old splash pads used fresh water and didn’t have the same maintenance/monitoring requirements that come with a recirculation system. In addition, the current contractor has endeavored to keep its cost of services constant for the Pacific Community Pool and Palmer Wading Pool, but constant costs are not expected going forward, especially with the addition of splash pad maintenance.
Given the need for a formal bid process, with specifications, staff is requesting an extension of the existing contract with Sea Clear Pools, Inc. through March 31, 2025, and an increase of $15,000, for an NTE amount of $65,000 to continue servicing the pool through the formal bid process and award of a new contract. Extension of the existing contract with Sea Clear Pools, Inc. will provide enough time to solicit bids, review them, and bring a report back to Council for approval and award. Without the extension, Pacific Community Pool would have to close because there would be no technician to maintain it.
It is unknown at this time what the fiscal impact of the new contract amount will be on the existing budget. Based on the bid results, staff will likely return to City Council to request appropriation of additional funds, as the pool costs are expected to increase and additional services for the Fremont Park and Pacific Park Splash Pads were not originally budgeted in the FY 2024-2025 budget. Funding for maintenance of the Cerritos and Central Park splash pads will be budgeted in future fiscal years as those projects near completion.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The Community Services & Parks Department provides outdoor recreational activities throughout the City to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. By utilizing contractors to maintain and repair all pool and splash pad equipment and maintain water quality, staff ensures the safety of participants and meet the requirements set by the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health.
Stakeholders include:
•City Employees
•City Residents
•Visitors to City Facilities
Public outreach for these ongoing maintenance contracts is not customary.
FISCAL IMPACT
The contract amendment with Sea Clear, Inc. will cost $15,000, which was included as a part of the FY 2024-25 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time. 4{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
5 7
0 0
The City Council approved funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$15,000 43110-1010-CSP-3009-P5261 General Fund
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of specifications and the advertisement for bids at this time. The estimated annual cost for the new maintenance and repair contract for the pools and splash pads across all locations is approximately $230,000 per year. When staff returns for Council to award the contract, staff will request an additional appropriation to continue operating the pools and open the new splash pads as the projects complete construction.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The action being considered is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 in that consists of the operation, repair, or maintenance of existing public facilities involving negligible or no expansion of former use. Moreover, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, it is exempt from CEQA. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).)
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: The City Council may reject the resolutions to hire staff to provide these services in-house. This option would cost more than the proposed contracts by requiring the City to hire additional certified staff, and purchase and maintain additional equipment.
Alternative 2: The City Council may choose to approve fewer services than recommended. Deferring approval would prevent the operation of one or more aquatic facilities or delay preventative maintenance and repairs of equipment, likely adding costs in the future for larger repairs due to lack of maintenance.
Alternative 3: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services & Parks Prepared by:
Gabrielle Goglia, Community Services Manager
Tereza Aleksanian, Assistant Director of Community Services & Parks 5{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
5 7
0 0
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
None.