City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: December 18, 2023
Report #:2311-2251
TITLE
Approval of Professional Services Contract Number C24189293 with Nova Partners, Inc. in an Amount Not to Exceed $652,331 for Construction Management Services for the Capital Improvement Program Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project (PE-18004); CEQA Status – Exempt under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15302 and 15303
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Contract No. C24189293 with Nova Partners, Inc., to provide Construction Management Services for the Capital Improvement Program Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project (PE-18004) in a total amount not-to-exceed $652,331, including $593,028 for basic services and $59,303 for additional services.
BACKGROUND
Fire Station No. 4 was built in 1954 and is located at 3600 Middlefield Road. The existing fire station building does not serve the current needs of the Fire Department. The City Council included the replacement of Fire Station No. 4 in the 2014 Council Infrastructure Plan.
On May 23, 2022, Brown Reynolds Watford Architects (BRW Architects) was retained for design services including preparation of schematic designs, design development, construction documents, and LEED Certification.1 BRW Architects has completed schematic design and design development for the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project and obtained Planning entitlements for the new fire station design on November 8, 2024. The approved design is an 8,000 square-foot, single-story building located on the existing fire station portion of the larger parcel, which also includes a Utilities substation. BRW Architects is currently working on the construction documents set and will be submitting for building permit review in January 2024. 1 City Council, May 23, 2022; Agenda Item #2; SR #11691, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/public-works/engineering-services/cip-contracts/id.-11691- approval-of-fire-station-no.-4-design-contract.pdf
Prior to submittal of the building permit set, staff recommends contracting with a construction management firm (Consultant) to perform a constructability review, conduct value engineering, and prepare a third-party cost estimate of the design. The Consultant will also provide construction management services throughout construction of Fire Station No. 4 and close- out/warranty services at the end of construction.
ANALYSIS
A request for proposals (RFP) was posted on OpenGov Procurement, the City’s eProcurement platform, and 2,856 service providers were notified. The solicitation period was posted for 21 days, and five proposals were received. The solicitation closed on October 10, 2023.
Table #1: Summary of Request for Proposal
Proposal Description
Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project
Construction Management Services,
RFP No. 189293
Proposed Length of Project 3 years
Number of Service providers Notified 2,856
Number of Proposal Packages Downloaded 51
Total Days to Respond to Proposal 21 days
Pre-Proposal Meeting No
Number of Proposals Received 5
Proposal Price Range $593,028 to $1,685,001
Public Link to Solicitation https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo- alto-ca/projects/60077
The proposals were evaluated, and the five proposals received were determined to be responsive to the criteria identified in the RFP. Finalists were identified, and three firms were invited for interviews with the evaluation team on November 8, 2023. After the interviews, Nova Partners, Inc. was selected because of the quality and effectiveness of their services, the experience of their assigned field staff, their prior record of performance with the City, and their ability to provide future services. Additionally, Nova Partners’ cost for basic services ($593,028) was significantly lower than that of other proposals, with the next lowest cost proposal being $1,144,487. Staff recommends approval of Contract No. C24189293 (Attachment A), with Nova Partners, Inc.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for this contract is available in the Capital Improvement Program Fire Station No. 4 Replacement project (PE-18004).
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The City hosted several events for community engagement during schematic design prior to Architectural Review Board approval of the proposed design. Events included a virtual community meeting on April 6, 2023, a tabling event at the MSC Open House on July 15, 2023, and an online survey. An email newsletter is also available for the public to sign up for updates throughout design and eventual monthly construction updates.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review under section 15061(b)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines because the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project is categorical exempt under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15302 and 15303 and is not barred by one of the exceptions set forth in Section 15300.2. A notice of CEQA exemption was filed on October 26, 2023.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Contract C24189293 with Nova Partners, Inc.
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer