City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: August 11, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Christopher Dishlip, Director of Public Works, Engineering Services Division Subject: Award Bid #SP2756 to Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc., for Construction Services for the Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project - Phase 3 Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award Bid #SP2756 to Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc. for Phase 3 of the Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project for the Public Works Department; and
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $5,661,851 (including a 15% contingency).
Summary
The City of Santa Monica (City) is committed to ensuring a safe experience for visitors to the Santa Monica Pier (Pier). The below-deck fire sprinkler system, which protects the wooden decking and substructure of the Pier from fire, requires ongoing phased replacement due to corrosion and deterioration caused by salt air, moisture, and environmental exposure. The Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project – Phase 3 (Project) continues this effort and focuses on the replacement of additional portions of the system, protecting approximately 31,000 square feet of the Pier deck, with corrosion-resistant materials and upgraded components to restore functionality, reliability, and performance. Staff recommends awarding a construction contract to Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $5,661,851 (including a 15% contingency) to provide construction services for the Project. 2 of 6
Discussion
The Pier is composed of combustible wood decking on top of a combination of both combustible and non-combustible substructure elements. In 1996, a below-deck fire sprinkler system was installed to protect the wooden decking and substructure against fire. In 2015, at the request of the Fire Department and Office of Pier Management, the Public Works Department retained the fire protection engineering services of Cosentini Associates, Inc. for a visual inspection and review of the existing Pier fire protection system. The resulting report recommends replacing the existing Pier fire sprinkler system (Attachment D). The report identifies corrosion of the sprinkler heads, pipe supports, and riser piping due to exposure to salt air and seawater. Corrosion could have detrimental effects on the performance of the sprinkler heads, cause pipe supports to fail, and lead to leaks in the riser piping. The report also identifies discoloration of the existing chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sprinkler piping due to prolonged exposure to the sun. The discoloration could signify damaged piping at risk of failure during a fire event. The report calls for replacement of the sprinkler heads, pipe supports, and sprinkler piping with corrosion-resistant materials.
Project Phasing
The Project is the third of six planned phases to replace the existing Pier below-deck fire sprinkler system. Phase 1 was completed in March 2021, followed by Phase 2 reaching completion in June 2024. Phase 3 is expected to be completed by the fall of 2027 and would replace the westernmost fire sprinkler systems protecting approximately 31,000 square feet of the Pier deck. These systems are heavily deteriorated due to their location over the water with increased exposure to the elements. Staff anticipates that the remaining three phases (Phases 4-6) could be completed by 2033, provided funding for the subsequent phases is approved. The total cost for Phases 4-6 is estimated to be between $15 and $20 million.
Early Procurement Allowance
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To minimize construction schedule risk and ensure timely availability of long-lead fire suppression equipment and components, the City included in the bid an Early Procurement Allowance in the amount of $250,000. To initiate early procurement services prior to execution of the construction contract, the City would execute a separate Contractual Services Agreement (CSA) with Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000. The Early Procurement Allowance was not bid separately due to the nature of the early procurement services, which go hand in hand with the construction contract and must be provided by the best bidder selected to provide construction services. Therefore, the Early Procurement Allowance was included in the construction bid and awarded to the best bidder as detailed in the following vendor selection table.
Early procurement services would include:
• Preparation of shop drawings and submittals for fire suppression systems and equipment;
• Coordination with equipment manufacturers and suppliers to secure long-lead materials (sprinkler heads, valves, fittings, and corrosion-resistant piping); • Initiation of Fire Department permit applications and approvals; and • Pre-construction logistics planning and material staging.
This approach allows the contractor to begin procurement activities immediately upon CSA execution, reducing the risk of schedule delays caused by extended lead times for specialized marine-grade fire suppression equipment and Fire Department permit approvals.
Vendor Selection – Construction Services
Bidder Recommendation
Best and Only Bidder Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc.
Submittals Received Selection Criteria
Jilk Heavy
Construction, Inc.
$4,923,349* Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.100(a)
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*Base Bid Amount. Does not include $250,000 Early Procurement Allowance.
Evaluation Criteria Price; the ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to perform the services; the capacity of the bidder to perform the contract within the time specified; the sufficiency of the bidder's financial resources and the reputation and
experience of the bidder.
Bid Data
Date Posted Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date
Publicly
Opened
04/30/2026 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
37 06/18/2026
Additional Vendor Outreach & Justification to Award
Staff conducted additional outreach to the vendors who downloaded the bid documents to understand why they did not submit a bid. Responses indicated that vendors cited concerns regarding the specialized marine construction expertise required for below-deck work on an active public facility, and the complexity of coordinating work in a saltwater environment with strict operational constraints. Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc. is recommended as the best and only bidder based on the following criteria:
The vendor possesses extensive specialized experience in marine pier construction and fire protection system installation. As the contractor for Phase 2 of this same project (completed in June 2024), Jilk demonstrated proven capability to successfully execute complex below-deck work on the Santa Monica Pier while maintaining schedule and quality standards.
Community Outreach
Construction is anticipated to begin in December 2026 and continue through the fall of 2027. Prior to and during construction, City staff and the contractor would notify Pier tenants and adjacent properties of upcoming work, potential impacts, and schedule updates. Notifications would be distributed as needed, and social media may be used to provide general project updates to the public.
Environmental Review
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The project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15302 of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15302 (Replacement/Reconstruction) exempts the replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced. This project would replace the existing fire sprinkler system with a new fire sprinkler system and would continue to provide fire safety for the Pier. Therefore, the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15302. Furthermore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines, apply to this project.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
March 28, 2017
(Attachment A)
Authorized an agreement with Jensen Hughes, Inc. to
provide fire protection engineering services to design the Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project.
October 15, 2019
(Attachment B)
Awarded Bid #SP2364 for construction services for the Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project – Phase 1.
January 10, 2023
(Attachment C)
Awarded Bid #SP2676 for construction services for the Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project – Phase 2.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Pier Fund to award a contract with Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc. to provide construction services for the Pier Below Deck Fire Sprinkler Replacement Project – Phase 3. Funds are currently budgeted in the Capital Improvement Program budget and have been set aside for this project.
Contract Request
FY 2026-27
Request Amount CIP Account # Total ContractAmount
$5,661,851 C5306150.689000 $5,661,851
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval. 6 of 6
Prepared By: Mohammad Dakwar, Civil Engineering Assistant Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. March 28, 2017 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. October 15, 2019 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. January 10, 2023 Staff Report (Web Link)
D. Pier Fire Protection Assessment Report
E. Oaks Form (Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc.)
F. Levine Act Disclosure (Jilk Heavy Construction, Inc.)