City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: APRIL 16, 2024 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: RATIFY A PURCHASE ORDER FOR THE PURCHASE OF POLYMER FOR THE RIVERSIDE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL PLANT FROM SNF POLYDYNE, INC. OF RICEBORO, GEORGIA, IN THE AMOUNT OF $254,886.20, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $1,654,886.20 ISSUE:
Ratify Purchase Order No. 231670 in the amount of $254,886.20 for a revised total of $1,654,886.20 for the chemical purchase of polymer for the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant through June 30, 2023 with SNF Polydyne, Inc. of Riceboro, Georgia.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council ratify Purchase Order No. 231670 with SNF Polydyne, Inc., of Riceboro, Georgia, for the chemical purchase of polymer for the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, in the amount of $254,886.20 for a revised total of $1,654,886.20.
BACKGROUND:
The Public Works Department Wastewater Division is responsible for the collection and treatment of wastewater generated within the City of Riverside and the communities of Edgemont, Highgrove, Jurupa, and Rubidoux at the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP). To satisfy the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, wastewater must be treated to achieve regulatory water quality standards. The RWQCP treatment processes require various chemicals, including citric acid and ferric chloride to achieve water quality objectives.
DISCUSSION:
Due to transportation hauling challenges during the COVID pandemic, RWQCP could not expeditiously remove the sludge from the plant and was forced to store sludge until the hauling and disposal services were fully restored. The transportation challenge started in FY 21/22 and expanded into the first nine months of FY 22/23. The biosolids transportation and disposal services started to stabilize in the fourth quarter of FY 22/23. The RWCQP took the opportunity to increase the biosolids production and started removing stored sludge from the facility to restore the plant’s operations back to normal. The increase in biosolids production in the fourth quarter of FY 22/23 affected the usage and purchase of chemical products, mainly polymer. Three additional loads of polymer were purchased and delivered at the end of FY 22/23 to complete the biosolids production. Each delivery consisted of 44,500 lbs of polymer and the average cost for each load was $86,000.
At the end of FY 22/23, Purchasing approved the change order to Purchase Order No. 231670 and the FY 22/23 invoices were subsequently paid after the change order was approved. During staff’s review of chemical purchase receipts, it was discovered that the ratification of Purchase Order No. 231670 did not proceed to the City Council as initially planned. This critical step was inadvertently overlooked resulting in a delay to the ratification of the purchase order.
To ensure that the Public Works and Purchasing Department are in alignment with the City’s procurement compliance practices, staff is requesting that City Council approve the requested ratification.
The ratification of change order request is in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 23914, “Section 1104. Change Orders. Modifications to a Purchase Order shall be made only by Change Order. Subject to the availability of funds, Change Orders may be utilized for purposes of (1) adding and/or deleting quantity of items being procured… Unless otherwise specifically authorized by the Awarding Entity, Change Orders which cumulatively exceed the following will require Awarding Entity approval…b) Any Change Order which causes the contract price to exceed $50,000, if the Contract and/or Purchase Order was not previously approved by the Awarding Entity”.
The Purchasing Manager concurs that the actions to ratify are in compliance with Purchasing Resolution No. 23914, Section 1104.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item supports Strategic Priority No. 4 – Environmental Stewardship and Goal 4.2 - Sustainably manage local water resources to maximize reliability and advanced water reuse to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable water to our community.
Furthermore, this item aligns with each of the following five Cross-Cutting Threads:
Community Trust – Conducting regular water treatment routines ensures wastewater discharges do not negatively impact the community and environment. The RWQCP requires chemicals to treat wastewater, such as polymer to comply with federal, state, regional and local regulatory requirements.
Equity – The purchase of the chemicals supports RWQCP efforts in protecting the public’s health and environment by ensuring wastewater treatment is performed efficiently in compliance with federal, state, regional, and local regulatory requirements.
Fiscal Responsibility – The purchase of the chemicals supports RWQCP efforts in minimizing inefficiencies and develop control methods to maximize reliability and ensure efficient wastewater treatment.
Innovation – The purchase of the chemicals exemplifies a collaborative partnership between SNF Polydyne, Inc., of Riceboro, Georgia to enhance operational reliability by achieving measurable improvements through proper wastewater treatment.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The purchase of these chemicals supports the implementation of sustainability to treat wastewater that is generated within the City of Riverside and the communities of Edgemont, Highgrove, Jurupa, and Rubidoux at the Riverside Water Quality Control Plant.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is $254,886.20. Sufficient funds are budgeted and available in the Sewer Fund, Sewer Systems Treatment, Chemical Supplies account number 4125200-426600.
Prepared by: Inge Tunggaldjaja, Principal Management Analyst Approved by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Ratification of Change Order for Polymer