September 12, 2023
Police Department
DATE: September 12, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Bisa French, Chief of Police
Subject:
First Contract Amendment with Bay Area Marine Services, LLC.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure of $30,000 is included within the approved fiscal year 2023-24 budget – account string 01191021-400538.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
July 19, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond Police Department staff planned for a three-
year maintenance and repair contract with Bay Area
Marine Services, LLC., but after thorough inspection,
significant repairs need to be completed prior to providing a safe and reliable marine unit for routine police patrol, and/or search and rescue use.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a first contract amendment with Bay Area
Marine Services, LLC. to continue providing repair and
maintenance services to Richmond Police Department’s
Marine Unit, increasing the contract by $30,000, for a
total contract amount not to exceed $80,000, with a term beginning August 1, 2022, and ending July 31, 2025 –
Police Department (Chief Bisa French 510-621-1802).
AGENDA
REPORT
September 12, 2023
DISCUSSION:
The Richmond Police Department staff requests an additional $30,000 for continued maintenance and repair services completed by Bay Area Marine Services, LLC. The Richmond Police Marine Unit is comprised of two vessels. One vessel is a 2012 Moose Boat with twin Cummings Diesel engines and Hamilton Jet outdrives. The second vessel is a 2002 Almar Rescue cruiser with twin Suzuki 250HP outboard engines.
These vessels are moored at the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor and both vessels sit on lifts to keep them as much out of the saltwater as possible.
These vessels serve in great capacity for the 3rd of July fireworks show, regular patrols of the Richmond Shoreline (including marinas), abandoned sailboats that wash ashore on the Richmond Shoreline, preventing derelict sailboats from trying to moor on Richmond shorelines, and when searching for missing persons/boaters.
In 2022, Richmond Police Department staff solicited bids for maintenance and repair services from local marinas. The large size of the 2012 Moose Boat prevents it from being hooked to a trailer, which limits the repairs to only be completed at a waterfront marina with a hoist lift, ideally within a short drive from the vessel’s current dock location, and with a qualified mechanic capable of working on turbo diesel marine engines. The original three-year contract was to create a regular maintenance and repair plan to get both vessels current according to their manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.
In August 2022, both vessels were removed from the water for the first time in years. It was evident that there would be a significant increase in maintenance and repair costs due to their age and corrosion from the bay waters. The 2002 Almar vessel’s hull sustained major corrosion and chipping on the bottom of the hull, which was causing paint chips to fall into the waterways. This vessel had to be immediately hauled out of the water and completely sanded down and repainted to prevent further damage and debris from entering the waterways. This was a cost that was not expected in the original budget, but needed to be taken care of quickly to prevent the vessel from further corroding and polluting the bay.
The 2012 Moose Boat suffered corrosion from the salt water on the port side, which caused the weld to weaken, letting water seep into the hull. This vessel had to be immediately hauled out of the water and repaired to prevent the vessel from sustaining a large crack and sinking. This vessel also suffered unexpected hydraulic line and hydraulic pump failures – both were custom order parts and were not included as part of the maintenance plan. These hydraulic lines and hydraulic pumps control the steering of the vessel, which is vitally important when maneuvering in narrow waters or when near people in the water.
Furthermore, corrosion had been found under the starboard hull of the 2012 Moose Boat and a thorough inspection of the vessel’s electronic system had to be completed in order to determine if electrical currents were causing the corrosion. The approved
September 12, 2023
mechanic installed new anodes to prevent electrical current from further corroding the hull of the vessel. This inspection and solution were not expected from the original budget.
In summary, the Richmond Police Marine Unit vessels are getting older and are requiring more maintenance and repair - the Moose Boat is 11 years old, and the Rescue vessel is 21 years old. The exposure to the sun and saltwater causes corrosion that needs to be addressed quickly and will continue to be carefully monitored. Luckily, both of the vessels are on lifts (hydro-hoist lift and jet dock) which prevents the vessels from sitting in the saltwater, although on windy days, saltwater spray can accumulate on the sides of the boat, and potentially onto the deck areas. The proposed amendment for $30,000, will assist in providing regular maintenance according to the original schedule, plus any other unexpected problems over the next two years.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original Contract
Attachment 2 – Amendment to the Contract