REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/07/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Approve an Agreement with Pacific Play Systems, Inc. for the purchase of playground equipment for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project.
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The existing playground equipment at Mountain Gate Park was replaced in 2021. To better utilize the adjacent space and help fill the need for playground equipment for younger children, the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project was developed. This action will result in the execution of an agreement for the purchase of playground equipment for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve the Agreement with Pacific Play Systems, inc. for the purchase of playground equipment in the amount of $119,995 for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the attached agreement with Pacific Play Systems, Inc. for the purchase of playground equipment for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project.
c. Authorize the Purchasing Manager to issue a purchase order to Pacific Play Systems, Inc. in the amount of $119,995 for the purchase of playground equipment for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II.
d. Make a determination under Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.140(c) that competitive bidding has been satisfied based upon the reasons provided in the "Basis for Determination of Competitive Bidding" section of this report.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In October 2021, the dilapidated Mountain Gate Park playground was replaced with a dinosaur-inspired playground, complete with a new resident woolly mammoth named Tembo. The equipment was designed for use by children between the ages of five to twelve years. Mountain Gate Park is a 21-acre community park. Other similar-sized parks in Corona typically include at least two play areas - one for older children (5 to 12 years old) and one for younger children (2 to 5 years old). To achieve the same parity at Mountain Gate Park as in other Corona community parks, the installation of a playground for younger children is a logical next step for Mountain Gate Park.
Currently, a covered picnic area sits just a few hundred feet to the north of the existing playground. Immediately next to the existing playground is a roughly 3,000 square foot area containing decomposed granite and metal picnic tables. See Exhibit 1 for an overall map of Mountain Gate Park. There is no shade for the picnic tables in this area, and the covered picnic area in the vicinity already provides a more advantageous setting to park visitors. Utilizing this area for a tot lot will make better use of the space and enable families with children in different age groups to all play within the same immediate area.
ANALYSIS:
The newly installed playground equipment at Mountain Gate Park was purchased from Pacific Play Systems, Inc. City staff subsequently contacted Pacific Play Systems, Inc. and requested another playground equipment design for children ages two to five that would match the dinosaur-themed equipment currently at the site. The attached Exhibit 5 is the playground rendering. The design features a triceratops, baby brontosaurus, and a dinosaur egg. The design includes an integrated shade structure and features equipment with the same color and theme as the older children’s playground. The design also incorporates swings, which were eliminated from the five- to twelve-year-old playground due to space constraints. Staff is therefore requesting to purchase the playground equipment from Pacific Play Systems, Inc. for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project based on the following:
BAsis for DETERMINATION of Competitive Bidding
The Public Works Department is requesting to utilize Pacific Play Systems, Inc. for this project pursuant to Corona Municipal Code (C.M.C.) Section 3.08.140(c) based upon competitive bidding already being completed. "When the purchasing agent and authorized contracting party, with the approval of the City Manager, determines that:
(1) A competitive bid procedure has been conducted by another public agency including, but not limited to, another local agency, the state through the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS), the federal government through the General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, or the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA); and
(2) The price to the city is equal to or better than the price to that public agency."
Pacific Play Systems, Inc. has a current CMAS contract under CMAS Number 4-19-78-0095A, attached as Exhibit 3, for the term of April 30, 2019, through June 30, 2023. The contract is specific for the purchase warranty and installation of fitness, park, and playground equipment. The CMAS contract was awarded as a result of a competitive bid process conducted by the Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC) through the OMNIA Partners Program; the resulting contract is attached as Exhibit 4. The Region 4 ESC issued RFP #17-03 on February 1, 2017, in order to establish a national cooperative contract for playground systems, installation, service, and related items for use by itself and all state, local governments, school districts, and higher education institutions in the United States. The bid was sent to several vendors and was also advertised nationwide via 17 different websites and publications. Twelve companies responded, and the Region 4 ESC awarded contracts to five different playground manufacturers, including Playcraft Systems. Pacific Play Systems is the Southern California distributor of Playcraft Systems. Playcraft Systems is the equipment that was installed at three of the City’s playgrounds recently, including Cresta Verde, Tehachapi, and Mountain Gate Parks. The equipment being purchased for the Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II Project will complement the existing dinosaur-themed playground. By utilizing the CMAS program, the City of Corona is saving 10% off the list price, a total of $9,860.
Utilizing cooperative purchasing agreements is recommended by the California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO) based upon conducting extensive due diligence and market research. CAPPO recommends public procurement should consider the use of cooperative contracts in order to lower prices, lower administrative costs, increase competition, and obtain more favorable terms and conditions.
By purchasing the equipment directly from the manufacturer, the City can be confident that it will receive a quality product that meets the City’s requirements at a price that is consistent with what other agencies would pay. If the City solicited bids for equipment and installation at the same time, the contractor would be allowed to provide alternative as-equal substitutions of equipment and would charge a mark-up on the equipment as well. Based on these reasons and the previously conducted bid process by OMNIA, the Public Works Department requests to purchase the playground equipment from Pacific Play, Inc. in the amount of $119,995.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
This item was presented to the City Council on April 7, 2022, at the Spring Financial Workshop as part of a presentation on the draft Capital Improvement Projects for Fiscal Year 23.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is currently a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) No. 77340 titled “Mountain Gate Park Playground Phase II.” CIP No. 77340 currently has a balance of $150,000, which is sufficient for the purchase of the playground equipment. The installation of the equipment will be awarded in the future after a public works bidding process for installation services has been conducted.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is categorically exempt pursuant to Sections 15301 of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that 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 use beyond that existing at the time of the CEQA determination, and is therefore exempt from CEQA. This action involves the purchase of playground equipment for future installation at an existing park for the purpose of enhancing the experience at the existing public facility. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required, and staff will file a Notice of Exemption with the County of Riverside.
PREPARED BY: TRACY MARTIN, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Project Location Map
2. Exhibit 2 - Pacific Play Systems Equipment Rendering
3. Exhibit 3 - CMAS Contract for Pacific Play Systems
4. Exhibit 4 - Region 4 Education Services Center Omnia Partners Program Contract
5. Exhibit 5 - Pacific Play Systems Sales Proposal