REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
DATE: 01/17/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Utilities Department
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH GSE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INC. FOR WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY NO. 2 SECONDARY CLARIFIERS REHABILITATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. UT-2023-07
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report requests the City Council to award Notice Inviting Bids 24-012CA to GSE Construction Inc. for the Water Reclamation Facility No. 2 Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation Project. The aging scum skimmers, with reduced reliability, pose a risk to the facility's operational efficiency and the ability to meet rigorous water quality and environmental protection standards. Equipment was last overhauled in 2004. To ensure the continued reliability and efficiency of the facility, staff is taking proactive steps to remove, upgrade and replace both 55’ diameter secondary clarifiers scum skimmers.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Award Notice Inviting Bids 24-012CA to GSE Construction Inc., for Water Reclamation Facility No. 2 Secondary Clarifiers Rehabilitation Capital Improvement Project No. UT-2023-07 as the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, for the total bid amount of $2,089,000 and waive all minor irregularities in the bidding documents as submitted by said bidder.
b. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $1,721,644 from the Sewer Utility Fund (572) to the Water Reclamation Facility No. 2 Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation Capital Improvement Project No. UT-2023-07.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Construction Contract with GSE Construction Inc., in the amount of $2,089,000 including any purchase orders, non-substantive extensions, change orders, and amendments up to 10% of the contract amount or $208,900.
That the Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct the City Council to take the above actions.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) No. 2 is located at 650 E. Harrison, where it processes approximately 3 million gallons of raw sewage per day. To ensure the facility’s smooth operation, the Utilities Department (UD) Maintenance Staff conducts weekly and monthly preventative maintenance inspections and makes necessary repairs to its components. Currently, two of the three secondary clarifiers at WRF No. 2 are due for rehabilitation. These Clarifiers are important components of the water reclamation operations to meet the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Santa Ana Region Order and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements.
If left unrehabilitated, the existing condition of both 55’ diameter secondary clarifiers and scum skimmer systems could potentially pose a risk to the facility’s operational efficiency and the ability to meet rigorous water quality and environmental protection standards due to equipment passing its useful life. The secondary clarifier units are equipped for sludge recovery and conveyance to offsite biosolids handling facilities. Scum skimmers play an important role in the clarifier's function, and are responsible for removing surface scum from the wastewater treatment process. However, due to wear and age, these equipment processes also require additional maintenance efforts, leading to operational inefficiencies. This project is essential to maintaining the wastewater treatment processes at WRF2.
ANALYSIS:
On August 21, 2023, Notice of Inviting Bids (NIB) 24-012CA was solicited following City of Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 3.08.110 Non-public projects - formal bidding procedure and purchasing policy through the City’s PlanetBids bidding portal. Project bidding was limited to the City’s prequalified contractors only. On August 29, 2023, five prime prequalified contractors along with electrical subcontractors and suppliers attended a mandatory job walk held at the project site. By the bid due date, November 14, 2023, two bids were received through the PlanetBids bidding service from the following vendors:
|
Vendor |
City |
Bid Amount |
|
GSE Construction Company Inc. |
Livermore |
$2,089,000 |
|
R C Foster Corporation |
Corona |
$3,183,400 |
To address these pressing concerns and ensure the continued reliability and efficiency of WRF No. 2, staff is taking proactive steps to remove, upgrade, and replace the 55’ diameter secondary clarifier and scum skimmers. The contractor is responsible for legally disposing of the removed equipment and installing all new equipment. The bid included the primary bid schedule (Bid Schedule A for Clarifier No. 1 and Bid Schedule B for Clarifier No.2).
|
Scope of Work |
Clarifier No. 1 (Bid Schedule A) |
Clarifier No. 2 (Bid Schedule B) |
|
Mobilization and Demobilization (less than 5% of bid amount) |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
|
Removal and replacement of existing counterbalancing rake, (2) skimmer arms, support and hinged skimmer (contractor to legally dispose of removed equipment, furnish and install all new equipment) |
$442,000 |
$442,000 |
|
Removal and replacement of existing sludge baffle (contractor to legally dispose of removed equipment, furnish and install all new equipment) |
$80,000 |
$80,000 |
|
Removal and installation of new scum collection box and center column (contractor to legally dispose of removed equipment, furnish and install all new equipment) |
$44,000 |
$44,000 |
|
Removal and replacement of existing water spray piping (contractor to legally dispose of removed equipment, furnish and install all new equipment) |
$17,000 |
$17,000 |
|
Removal of existing EIMCO C30 drive unit and installation of new drive unit (contractor to legally dispose of removed equipment, furnish and install all new equipment) |
$82,000 |
$82,000 |
|
Removal and replacement of existing walkway, staircase, weirs and brackets. (contractor to legally dispose of removed equipment, furnish and install all new equipment) |
$105,000 |
$105,000 |
|
Demolition of existing concrete stairs and installation of new concrete stairs (contractor to legally dispose of spoils) |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
|
Crack Sealing with Epoxy per Manufacturer's Specifications |
$22,500 |
$22,500 |
|
Blasting and Painting of Specified Surfaces |
$117,000 |
$117,000 |
|
Removal of all electrical conduits, lighting and installation of new conduits and lighting |
$35,000 |
$35,000 |
|
Engineered as-built drawings |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Startup and testing |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Subtotal for each Bid Schedule |
$1,044,500 |
$1,044,500 |
|
Project Total Cost |
$2,089,000 |
The City will engage construction management and inspection services through one of the on-call firms. Given the long lead items for this project, the selection of the firm will be made subsequently. The expected estimated cost for these services is $200,000. City staff will serve as the overall Project Manager to uphold the contract documents while interacting directly with the Contractor, lead progress meetings, prepare and maintain project reports, oversee the schedule and budget, verify proper procedures, and ensure that turnaround times for document review and approval are followed. The Project Manager will also ensure the overall quality and delivery of the project. To ensure compliance with the plans and specifications, an inspector will be on-site as needed. The estimated cost of project management by City staff is approximately $20,000.
Summary of Project Costs:
|
Project Management Support (City Staff) |
$20,000 |
|
Project Management and Inspection (On-Call Firm) |
$200,000 |
|
GSE Construction Inc. of Construction Contract |
$2,089,000 |
|
10% Change Order Authority |
$208,900 |
|
Total |
$2,517,900 |
City Staff recommends the award of NIB 24-012CA and the Construction Contract in the amount of $2,089,000 to GSE Construction Inc. for Water Reclamation Facility No. 2 Secondary Clarifiers Rehabilitation Project No. UT-2023-07. All licenses and references for GSE Construction Inc. have been reviewed and verified by City Staff, and all other required documentation is in order.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation in the amount of $1,721,644 from the Sewer Utility Fund (572) to Water Reclamation Facility No. 2 Secondary Clarifiers Rehabilitation Capital Improvement Project No. UT-2023-07. There is sufficient working capital for the recommended actions.
|
Fund |
Project No. |
Requested Appropriation |
FY 2024 Current Balance |
Project Balance* |
|
572 |
UT-2023-07 |
$1,721,644 |
$796,256 |
$2,517,900 |
**Total project balance after requested appropriation.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Action (CEQA), which states that “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 use beyond that existing at the time of the CEQA determination” and is therefore exempt from CEQA. This action involves repairs to existing infrastructure to maintain public health and safety and therefore is exempt from the requirements of CEQA. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: AFTAB HUSSAIN, MAINTENANCE MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: TOM MOODY, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Contract with GSE Construction, Inc.