City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Architecture Services Subject: Award Bid SP2744 and Construction Contract for the Police Department Smart Center Project
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15302 (Replacement/Reconstruction) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award contract for Bid #SP2744 to Urban Professional Builders, INC. for the construction of the SMART Center Project for the Public Works Department; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Urban Professional Builders, INC., in an amount not to exceed $1,290,000 (including a $76,000 contingency).
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Summary
The Santa Monica Police Department (“SMPD”) seeks to renovate space at the City’s Public Safety Facility (“PSF”) to develop the Santa Monica Analytical Real-Time Center (“SMART Center”). The City of Santa Monica (“City”) was awarded an Organized Retail Theft Prevention Program grant for $6,125,000 from the Board of State and Community Corrections (“BSCC”), that was accepted by the City at the City Council’s regular meeting on October 24, 2023 (Attachment A). The SMART Center would facilitate and enhance SMPD’s ability to deter, detect, locate, and investigate organized retail thefts, vehicle thefts, and catalytic converter thefts in the City. Staff recommends awarding the construction services contract to Urban Professional Builders, INC. for the SMART Center Project (“Project”) for an amount not to exceed $1,290,000, which includes a $76,000 contingency.
Discussion
The Organized Retail Theft Prevention Program grant comes from the State of California through the State Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 154). Funding was available to California city police departments, sheriff departments, and probation departments to support local law enforcement agencies in preventing and responding to organized retail theft (“ORT”), motor vehicle theft, or motor vehicle accessory theft.
On July 7, 2023, SMPD submitted a grant application to develop a SMART Center and was notified of its award on September 15, 2023. The City Council authorized acceptance of the grant on October 24, 2023. Per the grant requirements, funds must be expended by December 31, 2026, and all reimbursement requests must be completed no later than June 1, 2027. No local match was required and SMPD staff continue to pursue funding opportunities for ongoing technology maintenance following the grant term.
The SMART Center would be a local crime fighting tool, as well as a regional criminal intelligence resource, for fighting ORT and catalytic converter theft. The SMART Center would be operational 24 hours per day for at least six days per week and would be used to direct all City technology assets to address ORT and other crime related issues 3 of 6
through the 3-year grant period. The SMART Center would be designed to serve as the hub of the City’s intelligence-driven crime fighting efforts beyond the grant period, subject to available funding.
On March 12, 2024, the City issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to pre-qualified consultants for on-call professional design services for the Project. Only one proposal was received, and that bidder (John Wyka Architecture, Inc.) was awarded the contract for an amount not exceeding $50,300. The design work incorporated the SMART Center Project’s scope of work and is now complete.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder Urban Professional Builders, INC.
Evaluation
Criteria
Price, Experience, Team; the quality of the material or services offered; the ability, capacity and skill of the bidder to perform or provide the materials or services; the capacity of the bidder to perform the contract or provide the service promptly, within the time specified, and without delay or interference; the sufficiency of the bidder’s financial resources; the character, integrity, reputation, judgment, training, experience and efficiency of the bidder; any other factor that will further the intent set forth in Section 608 of the City Charter.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Bid Data
Date
Posted Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
12/11/2024 OpenGov Santa Monica Daily
Press
09 01/13/2025
Best Bidder Justification
On December 11, 2024, the City issued a formal Request for Bids (“RFB”) to obtain construction services for the Project. The City received a total of six construction bids; however, the bids received from BNS Construction, Estate Design and Submittals Received
Urban Professional Builders, INC. $1,214,000
Olympos $1,346,153
Waisman Construction $1,432,000
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Construction Inc., and Ramco, General Engineering Contractor, Inc. did not meet the basic requirement of the RFB and were considered nonresponsive, and were rejected without evaluation. An evaluation panel composed of Architecture Services and Police Department staff evaluated the remaining three bids and recommended Urban Professional Builders, INC. as the best and lowest bidder.
Therefore, staff recommends Urban Professional Bidders, INC. as the best bidder based on bid price, experience, and project team. The recommended bidder has demonstrated the ability to perform and complete quality work on past projects in Los Angeles.
Environmental Review
The project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 and Section 15302 of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15301 exempts Class 1 (Existing Facilities) projects from CEQA, which include the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, 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. Section 15302 exempts Class 2 (Replacement or Reconstruction) projects which include the replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located in the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced. The project would renovate the existing city facility at 333 Olympic Boulevard, and therefore, it has been determined that the project would fall within the Class 1 and Class 2 categorical exemptions.
Furthermore, none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, section 15300.2 apply to this project.
Past Council Actions
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Meeting Date Description
10/24/23
(Attachment A)
Authorization to Accept Grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections for the Organized Retail Theft
Prevention Grant Program
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Miscellaneous Grants Fund and the General Fund to award a contract to Urban Professional Builders, INC. for the construction services for the Project.
Contract Request
Funding
Source
Department
Account #
FY 2025-26
Request
Amount
Future
Years
Amount
Total
Contract
Amount
BSCC Grant 20180001.556631 $1,214,000 $1,214,000
General Fund 01180005.529140 $76,000 $76,000
Total $1,214,000 $76,000 $1,290,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Jared Schultz, CIP Project Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. October 24, 2023 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. Urban Professional Builders Inc - Levine Act
C. Urban Professional Builders Inc - Oaks Initiative