g n a p rt
TO:
FROM:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Department of Water and Power
July 11, 2022
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH G.B. COOKE, INC. FOR THE LABOR AND MATERIALS TO REPAIR AZUSA
CONDUIT FOR THE WATER AND POWER DEPARTMENT FOR AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $319,000
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1 . Find that the proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Existing Facilities; and Section 15302, Replacement or Reconstruction; and that there are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt classes and, therefore, there are no unusual circumstances; and
2. Accept the bid dated June 10, 2022, submitted by G.B. Cooke, Inc. in response to Specifications to furnish and deliver Repair Azusa Conduit; reject all other bids, and authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with G.B. Cooke, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $319,000 which includes a base contract amount of $290,000 and a 10% contingency to provide for any necessary change orders.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Pasadena ("City") owns and operates the Azusa Hydroelectric Power Plant ("Plant") as well as the Azusa Conduit ("Conduit"). The Conduit consists of approximately five miles of tunnels and pipelines alongside the steep rugged San Gabriel Mountains, and conveys water from San Gabriel and Morris Dams to the Plant to generate electricity. The Conduit was built in 1897 using unreinforced masonry. The City is responsible for repairs and mainten~nce of the Plant and Conduit. During normal operation, this water is discharged from the Plant to an open canal, which is then delivered to the various water rights holders, collectively known as the San Gabriel River Water Committee. When the Plant is not in operation, the water bypasses the MEETING OF 0J/11/22 AGENDA ITEM NO. _5 ___ _
Contract with G.B. Cooke, Inc.
July 11, 2022
Conduit. The City does not hold the title to the water other than the right to generate electricity from the water delivered to the Plant.
In August 2019, Pasadena Water and Power ("PWP") staff discovered that a Conduit section of approximately four feet in length had suffered a failure in an area about one mile north of the Morris Dam. The event caused a sidewall blow out, which resulted in a large leak. Due to the rugged mountain terrain, the failed section of the Conduit can only be reached by entering at the Morris Dam and walking for approximately one mile inside the Conduit. All repair materials and necessary tools have to be hand carried inside the Conduit.
In September 2019, PWP staff contracted with Kewo Engineering ("Kewo") to inspect the Conduit and determine options for repair. Over the next several months, testing of the Conduit was performed to determine its structural condition. After selecting the preferred repair option, Kewo prepared the necessary engineering design for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval. The project also required permits from the US Forest Service and the County of Los Angeles Public Works.
On May 12, 2022, a Notice Inviting Bids for Furnish and Deliver Repair Azusa Conduit Specification was pu_blished in the Pasadena Press and the Pasadena Journal, as well as posted on PlanetBids. The posting generated notices to 3,903 vendors who have previously registered with the City for this particular commodity class, including 193 local vendors. A total of 58 vendors downloaded the Specifications, of which four were local. A total of three responsive bids were received by the bid opening date, none were from a local firm. G.B. Cooke, Inc. was determined the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Bid results are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
Vendor Location Bid Amount
G.B. Cooke, Inc. Fullerton, CA $290,000
W. A. Rasic Construction Long Beach, CA $344,998
Company, Inc.
Abhe & Svoboda, Inc. Alpine, CA $459,802
G.B. Cooke, Inc. submitted the lowest responsive and responsible bid, which complies with all requirements of the Specifications. It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract not to exceed $319,000, which includes the base contract amount of $290,000 and a contingency of $29,000 to provide for any necessary change orders for a duration of 12 months from the date of execution or until the amount of the contract has been expended, whichever occurs first. Since 2015, G.B. Cooke, Inc. has not been awarded any contracts with the City. The contract will be managed by PWP's Power Supply Business Unit.
Contract with G.B. Cooke, Inc.
July 11, 2022
The proposed contract complies with Competitive Bidding and Purchasing Ordinance P.M.C. 4.08 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The project was bid as a prevailing wage project and workers employed will be paid the general prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the California Director of Industrial Relations.
The project will meet the requirements of prevailing wage law under California Labor Code Sections 1720 through 1861 and Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed contract supports the City Council Strategic Planning Goal to improve, maintain, and enhance public facilities and infrastructure. It also supports the Public Facilities Element of the General Plan by maintaining public facilities to enhance the quality of life of the community.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed action is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Class 1: Existing Facilities) and 15302 (Class 2:
Replacement or Reconstruction). Class 1 exempts from environmental review "the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use." Class 2 exempts the replacement and/or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity. The proposed action is for repair work on existing publicly-owned facilities used to provide electric power that will not result in an increase in capacity or an expansion of existing use. There are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt classes and, therefore, there are no unusual circumstances.
Contract with G.B. Cooke, Inc.
July 11, 2022
FISCAL IMPACT:
The maximum cost of this action will be $319,000, which includes a base contract amount of $290,000 and $29,000 to provide for any unforeseen change orders. Funding for this action will be addressed by the utilization of existing appropriations in the Power Capital Fund CIP 3236 - Power Production Facility Improvements. It is expected that $290,000 will be spent in Fiscal Year 2023.
The approval of this action will have no impact to other operational programs or capital projects.
Prepared by:
ROBERT BOTKIN
Principal Engineer
Water and Power Department
Approved by: