REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
DATE: 09/20/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Utilities Department
SUBJECT:
Title
MAINTENANCE AND GENERAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HERITAGE CUSTOM LANDSCAPES, INC. FOR WILD PIG DEPREDATION SERVICES
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve a Maintenance and General Services Agreement with Heritage Custom Landscapes, Inc. for wild pig depredation services as part of the Utilities Department’s in-kind services in lieu of lease payments for the property at 2205 Railroad Street.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve the Maintenance and General Services Agreement with Heritage Custom Landscapes, Inc. for wild pig depredation for two fiscal years in the amount of $600,000 per year.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Maintenance and General Services Agreement with Heritage Custom Landscapes, Inc. in the amount of $600,000 per year, including any non-substantive extensions, change orders, purchase orders, and amendments up to the amount authorized by Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.060(J), which is equivalent to 10% or $60,000.
c. Make a determination under Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.140(E) that competitive bidding is not required for this purchase based upon the reasons provided in this agenda report.
That the Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct the City Council to take the above actions.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
On January 4, 2023, City Council approved the Department of the Army Easement for City of Corona Water Reclamation Plant located on Prado Dam Flood Control Basin. The easement is for the operation, maintenance, and repair of Water Reclamation Facility No. 1 located at 2205 Railroad Street. The easement was signed by the Department of the Army on January 19, 2023. Under the terms of the easement, the Utilities Department is responsible for conducting in-kind services identified by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the amount of $2 million per year in years 1-4 and $1 million per year in years 5-7.
Following the execution of this easement agreement, USACE and Utilities Department staff met to identify a list of projects to be completed in 2023/2024. As one of the projects, USACE requested wild pig depredation services in the non-leased portions of the Prado Basin.
ANALYSIS:
Heritage Custom Landscapes, Inc. (HCL) provided the City a proposal to conduct wild pig depredation services for 1,000 wild pigs per year. The cost for these services is as follows:
• Set cameras, traps, and harvest - $200/pig.
• Butcher (field dress, cut, wrap, and flash freeze processed pork) - +/- $400/pig may vary due to the weight of each harvested pig.
• Landfill disposal costs (if needed for pigs that are not deemed edible) - actual costs as charged by landfill operator.
Due to nesting season, work in the Prado Basin can only be done between September 15th and March 15th. Based on field observations by the USACE biologists and prior work conducted by HCL, HCL believes there are enough pigs to achieve up to 1,000 wild pigs per year during this six-month time frame.
BASIS FOR EXCEPTION TO COMPETITIVE BIDDING
Staff believes that an exception to competitive bidding is warranted for this purchase pursuant to Corona Municipal Code (“CMC”) Section 3.08.140(E) which states as follows:
“Purpose of bidding is otherwise accomplished. When the purchasing agent and the authorized contracting party, with the approval of the City Manager, determine that it is in the best interest of the city and its administrative operations to dispense with public bidding for non-public projects under this chapter.”
Staff believes this contract is in the best interest of the City as HCL was identified by USACE staff as a preferred vendor for wild pig depredation services. Further, the City of Corona Police Department Animal Services & Enforcement Division has used HCL for wild pig depredation services on City-owned property in the past with great success. Due to the timing of the project and the need to complete these services between September 15 and March 15, and anticipating that some efforts could be delayed due to weather conditions during the winter, it is in the best interest of the City to move ahead with a contract with HCL for the purpose of trapping up to 1,000 wild pigs per year. Under this contract, all meat is donated and never sold. Wild pigs not deemed edible are disposed of at the landfill.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended action is available in the Water Reclamation Facility No. 1 Lease Operating and Maintenance Project No. 77640.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action involves pig depredation and there is no possibility that approving this project will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: KATIE HOCKETT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
REVIEWED BY: TOM MOODY, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
Attachment:
1. Exhibit 1 - Maintenance and General Services Agreement