REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 22, 2023
FROM
DON DAY, Director, Project and Facilities Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Re-Advertise for Competitive Bids for the 800MHz Searchlight New Generator Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Find the bid proposal from Herca Telecom to be nonresponsive for failing to submit bid bond documents as required in the Bid Proposal and by Public Contract Code section 20413.
2. Find the bid proposal from Advanced Tower Services to be nonresponsive for failing to submit bid bond documents and a non-collusion declaration as required in the Bid Proposal and by Public Contract Code sections 20413 and 7106.
3. Find the bid proposal from Arizona West Builders to be nonresponsive for failing to submit a non-collusion declaration and bid proposal as required in the Bid Proposal and by Public Contract Code section 7106.
4. Authorize the Director of the Project and Facilities Management Department to re-advertise for competitive bids for the 800MHz Searchlight - New Generator Project.
(Presenter: Don Day, Director, 387-5000)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The 800Mhz Searchlight - New Generator Project (Project) (WBSE 10.10.0989) budget of $566,627 is funded with Discretionary General Funding that was included in the overall budget for the 800 MHz Radio Upgrade Project (WBSE 10.10.0009), as approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) as part of the 2023-24 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of this recommendation will allow the Project and Facilities Management Department (PFMD) to solicit competitive bids for the Project. The Project is being performed on an existing site leased and/or otherwise under use by San Bernardino County (County) for the past several years to facilitate the County communications system. Originally, the site was selected due to the County not owning sites that would satisfy the antenna’s high-altitude requirement to provide line of sight without obstructions between various 800 MHz antenna sties. The site is currently subject to existing long-term lease and/or other use agreements. The Project is located in a leased building, subject to a license agreement (Contract No. 05-19) between American Tower Corporation and County, in the City of Searchlight, within Clark County, Nevada. On January 11, 2005, the Board of Supervisors approved Contact No. 05-19.
The Project scope of work includes the demolition of an existing ground tank, exhaust duct, day tanks, and storage cabinet; and the installation of a new emergency backup power generator with a belly tank, new concrete equipment pad, new Automatic Transfer Switches, new Manual Transfer Switches with integrated camlocks, and minor electrical work. Critical facilities and emergency systems need the emergency generator to successfully provide continuous backup power on a 24-hour basis. Although solar panels are a source of power, they do not provide the essential power at night or during cloudy days to properly support the continuous power the facility requires.
The capital improvements at the Project site will provide reliable, cost-effective backup electrical power for emergencies during power outages and support the signal transmission from the site to multiple first responders, including but not limited to, County Fire, Sheriff, and Emergency Medical Responders, thereby supporting the County and Chief Executive Officer goals and objectives of improving county government operations and to operate in a fiscally-responsible and business-like manner.
On February 28, 2023 (Item No. 40), the Board found that the Project is exempt under Section 15303, class 3, New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures, subclass (d) Relative to electrical improvements, of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (Title 14, California Code of Regulations) and directed the Clerk of the Board to file and post the Notice of Exemption for the Project.
This Project is consistent with County Administrative Office approved CIP Project No. 20-209.
PROCUREMENT
On February 28, 2023 (Item No. 40), the Board authorized PFMD to advertise for competitive bids for the Project. PFMD advertised for bids in the Daily Press on March 3, 2023, six Plan Rooms, and on the County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro). On March 28, 2023, three contractors attended a mandatory job walk.
On April 4, 2023, Addendum No. 1 was issued to revise the bid date, the meeting invite link from Go-To to a Zoom link, the contractor license requirements, and the Request for Information deadline; a secondary mandatory pre-bid meeting was also added. On April 20, 2023, one contractor attended the second mandatory job walk. Contractors who attended the first mandatory job walk were not required to attend the second mandatory job walk. On May 8, 2023, Addendum No. 2 was issued to respond to the bidder’s pre-bid questions. On May 15, 2023, the following three bids were received:
|
Name |
Location |
Bid |
|
Advance Tower Services, LLC |
Albuquerque, NM |
$208,385 |
|
Herca Telecomm Service, Inc. |
Perris, CA |
$302,702 |
|
Arizona West Builders and Communications, Inc. |
Mesa, AZ |
Unknown |
Advance Tower Services, LLC failed to provide the bid bond and non-collusion declaration as required in the Bid Proposal and by Public Contract Code sections 20413 and 7106. Advance Tower Services, LLC was notified by certified mail that PFMD would recommend the Board find their proposal to be non-responsive.
Herca Telecomm Service, Inc., failed to provide the bid bond as required in the Bid Proposal and by Public Contract Code section 20413. Herca Telecomm Service, Inc., was notified by certified mail that PFMD would recommend the Board find their proposal to be non-responsive.
Arizona West Builders and Communications, Inc., submitted a bid bond but failed to provide their bid proposal and the non-collusion declaration as required in the Bid Proposal and by Public Contract Code section 7106. Arizona West Builders and Communications, Inc., was notified by certified mail that PFMD would recommend the Board find their proposal to be non-responsive. No protests were received.
PFMD evaluated all three bids received and consider each to be non-responsive. In the absence of a re-bid, the Project cannot move forward. PFMD recommends the Board authorize the PFMD Director to re-advertise for competitive bids.
Upon Board approval, PFMD will re-advertise for competitive bids for the Project on August 25, 2023. A mandatory pre-bid meeting for prospective bidders is scheduled at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 7, 2023, in the Chevron Gas Station parking lot located at 670 US-95, Searchlight, NV 89046. At 10:10 a.m. the attendees of the bid walk will caravan in their own vehicles and follow the Project Manager, who will escort them to the Searchlight Project site. The bid opening for the Project is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on October 3, 2023, at PFMD.
Pursuant to California Public Contract Code Sections 22032 and 22039, the Board shall adopt plans, specifications, and working details for public projects exceeding $200,000. Plans and specifications are on file with the Clerk of the Board.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Katherine Hardy, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 5, 2023; Innovation and Technology (Tim Trager, Division Chief, 388-5500) on July 10, 2023; Purchasing (Leo Gomez, Purchasing Manager, 387-2063) on July 26, 2023; Project and Facilities Management (Robert Gilliam, Chief of Project Management, 387-5000) on July 26, 2023; Finance (Garrett Baker, Administrative Analyst, 387-3077) on August 8, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Diana Atkeson, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4376) on August 9, 2023.
(EG: 329-0165)