DATE: June 4, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Award Contract 23-26-C, Water Meter Replacements
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve proposed Amendment to the County of Fresno’s American Rescue Plan Act - State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA-SLFRF) expenditure plan by revising the approved scope of work and budget for replacement water meters to still include County Service Areas 10, 10A, 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34G, 39AB, 43W, 44C, 44D, 47, 49, and Water Works Districts 37, 38, 40, 41, and 42 as well as the purchase of new meters for in County Service Areas 1 and 14, and omit County Service Areas 5 and 23 from the water meter installation project PWP Program 10, with a funding commitment of ($1,900,000).
2. Adopt specifications for 23-26-C Water Meter Replacements and award to the lowest bidder, West Valley Construction Company, Inc., 603 Campbell Technology Parkway, Campbell, CA 95008, in the total amount of $998,328.
REPORT
Approval of the first recommended action will amend the County’s ARPA-SLFRF expenditure plan to revise the scope of work and budget for the installation and replacement of water meters to County Service Areas (CSA) and Waterworks District(WWD) to include CSAs 10, 10A, 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34G, 39AB, 43W, 44C, 44D, 47, 49, and Water Works Districts 37, 38, 40, 41, and 42 and fund the purchase of new meters for in County Service Areas 1, 5,14, and 23 and omit County Service Areas 5 and 23 from the water meter improvement and replacement program PWP Program 10, with a funding commitment ($1,900,000). The second recommended action will adopt specifications for the water meter replacement project, and award the project to the lowest bidder, West Valley Construction Company, Inc. This item pertains to locations in Districts 1, 4, and 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, the approved ARPA-SLFRF amount and scope of work for the water meter program will remain the same and the water meter replacement project will not be awarded.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The anticipated contract construction cost for 23-26-C Water Meter Replacements, based on the low bid, the Director’s allowance for change orders of $62,416, is $1,060,745. The water meters that will be replaced as a part of this contract, as well as new meters that will be installed under different construction contracts with other funding sources for installation, were acquired through a purchasing agreement at a cost of $658,628. The total funds needed for this project, including design and construction engineering costs of $180,627, are estimated at $1,900,000.
Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Public Works and Planning - Org 8870 FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget. Costs for the recommended actions will be reimbursed through Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector Org 1033 - Disaster Claiming, Fund 0026, Subclass 91021.
DISCUSSION:
First Recommended Action
On December 13, 2022, your Board approved $2,300,000 in ARPA-SLFRF funding to the Department of Public Works and Planning for the water meter replacements at CSAs 10, 10A, 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34G, 39AB, 43W, 44C, 44D, 47 and 49 and WWDs 37, 38, 40, 41, and 42 and add new water meters for CSAs 1, 5 ,14 and 23. The first recommended action updates the scope of work which would allow for the purchase of water meters for CSAs 1, 5 ,14 and 23, and remove the planned new water meters at CSAs 23 and 5.
As shown in Exhibit A, the Department’s Special Districts Administration unit prioritized the CSAs and WWDs to receive replacement water meters from 1 to 18. Priorities 19 to 22 were for new water meters. The project recommended for award today includes all 18 water meter replacements as originally allocated but does not include any of the initially planned new meter installation. Priorities 19 and 20, new water meters for CSAs and 1 and 14, were purchased with ARPA program funds but will not be installed as part of the project recommended for award today; rather, they will be installed under other contracts with additional improvements to their facilities funded by other sources. These CSAs 1 and 14 will undergo a Proposition 218 process as part of these improvement projects that will allow for a usage-based rate structure. Priorities 21 and 22, proposed new meters for CSAs 23 and 5, do not have any planned near-term infrastructure projects or Proposition 218 processes that would allow for metering to be used in the rate structure at this time.
Second Recommended Action
The work to be done for Contract 23-26-C, consists, in general, of inventorying approximately 3,200 water meters in various locations of the County, replacing and programming County furnished meter encoders, installing and programing County furnished endpoints, replacing water meter box lids, and replacing meter bodies with associated plumbing in one District.
A bid opening was held on April 11, 2024. One bid was received. The low bid of $998,328, from West Valley Construction Company, Inc., was $37,253 or 3.88% higher than the engineer’s estimate of $961,075.
CEQA Analysis and Conclusion
Specifications for the project was prepared by Department Staff and are on file with the Department. Department staff has determined that the project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA under Section 15301(b) - Existing Facilities. It is anticipated that construction will commence in late June 2024 and will be completed in September 2024.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #64, December 13, 2022
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Maps
Exhibit A
CAO ANALYST:
George Uc