REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SITTING AS THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE FOLLOWING:
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 17, 2024
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director and Chief Flood Control Engineer, Department of Public Works - Transportation and Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts and Contract Amendment for On-Call Public Works Maintenance Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Acting as the governing body of San Bernardino County:
a. Approve contracts with the following two contractors, in the amount of $1,500,000 each for the period of January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2028, for on-call services including routine maintenance services, emergency services, and public projects not exceeding the amount specified in Public Contract Code Section 22032(a):
i. All of the Above Tree Services LLC (Crestline, CA)
ii. United Pumping Service, Inc. (Industry, CA)
b. Approve Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 23-86 with Vance Corporation, for on-call services including routine maintenance services, emergency services, and public projects not exceeding the amount specified in Public Contract Code Section 22032(a), increasing the contract amount by $2,500,000 from $5,000,000 to $7,500,000 with no changes to the contract term of February 7, 2023, through January 31, 2028.
2. Acting as the governing body of San Bernardino County Flood Control District, approve contracts with the following two contractors, in the amount of $1,500,000 each for the period of January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2028, for on-call services including routine maintenance services, emergency services, and public projects not exceeding the amount specified in Public Contract Code Section 22032(a):
a. All of the Above Tree Service LLC (Crestline, CA)
b. United Pumping Service, Inc. (Industry, CA)
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director and Chief Flood Control Engineer, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Department of Public Works - Transportation (Department) is funded by Gas Tax revenue, fee revenue, and other local, state, and federal funding. The San Bernardino County Flood Control District (District) is funded by property tax revenue, fee revenue, and local, state, and federal funding. As these are contracts for on-call services including routine maintenance services, emergency services, and public projects not exceeding the amount specified in Public Contract Code Section 22032(a), currently $60,000 but set to increase to $75,000 on January 1, 2025 (collectively, Public Works Maintenance Services), the specific projects have not yet been determined. Depending on the project, one of the above funding sources will be used to fund the cost of the contract. The total contract amount assigned to each new contractor listed in Recommendation Nos. 1.a. and 2 are $1,500,000 for the Department and the District.
Although the total contract amount for Vance Corporation will be $7,500,000, the annual contract expenditures will be limited to the budgeted annual funds of $1,500,000 for the Department and $750,000 for the District. Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the Department and District’s respective 2024-25 budgets and will be included in future recommended budgets.
In the event of an emergency, the Department and District will initially finance emergency costs from their annual budget appropriation. Subsequently, both the Department and District will submit reimbursement claims to the California Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as may be applicable.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department and the District can call upon a list of pre-approved contractors to provide Public Works Maintenance Services. Contractors on the pre-approved list may be utilized for routine maintenance projects, public projects not exceeding the amount specified in Public Contract Code Section 22032(a), and emergency projects (following applicable provisions of the Public Contract Code). As projects are identified, the Department and District will contact pre-approved vendors to request bids. The lowest bidder is then selected to provide the requested services for the project. Requesting qualifications from contractors before projects or emergencies occur reduces delay in the procurement process, which supports the goal of operating in a fiscally responsible and business-like manner, as well as providing for the safety of county residents.
On October 24, 2022, the Department and District released Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. PWG 123-OPERA-4710 through the County’s Electronic Procurement System (ePro) to solicit and create a list of qualified contractors to provide the Department and District with Public Works Maintenance Services for work performed on County roads and District facilities. On February 7, 2023 (Item No. 52), the Board approved contracts with 13 contractors for the Department and the District each to provide on-call public works maintenance services for the five-year period of February 7, 2023, through January 31, 2028. Vance Corporation was awarded contract 23-86 during this session.
On April 3, 2023, the Department and District released RFQ No. PWG 123-OPERA-4895. On July 11, 2023 (Item No. 54), the Board approved contracts with six additional contractors for the Department and the District each to provide public works maintenance services from July 11, 2023, through January 31, 2028.
On February 7, 2023 (Item No. 52), the Board of Supervisors (Board) awarded Contract No. 23-86 to Vance Corporation, in the amount of $2,500,000, for the term of February 7, 2023 through January 31, 2028.
On August 7, 2023, the Department and District released RFQ No. PWG 123-OPERA-4896. On December 19, 2023 (Item No. 114), the Board approved contracts with 10 additional contractors for the Department and the District each to provide public works maintenance services from December 19, 2023, through January 31, 2028.
On April 10, 2024, the Department and District released RFQ No. PWG 124-OPERA-5290. On August 6, 2024 (Item No. 57), the Board approved contracts with two additional contractors for the Department and the District each to provide public works maintenance services from August 6, 2024, through January 31, 2028.
On December 19, 2023 (Item No. 114), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 23-86 with Vance Corporation for the Department and the District to revise the types of service Vance Corporation can provide with no other changes to the contract or contract term of February 7, 2023 through January 31, 2028.
On January 23, 2024 (Item No. 46), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 23-86 with Vance Corporation for the Department to increase the contract amount from $2,500,000 to $5,000,000 with no changes to the contract or contract term of February 7, 2023, through January 31, 2028.
The Department monitors contract expenditures monthly, and Contract No. 23-86 with Vance Corporation is approaching its not-to-exceed limit. Vance Corporation has often been the lowest responsive bidder for various services including concrete work and crack sealing services. Upon approval of Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 23-86 with Vance Corporation, the not-to exceed- amount will increase from $5,000,000 to $7,500,000 to continue to allow the Department to receive and award bids to Vance Corporation for service. Projects awarded under this on-call list include routine maintenance services, emergency services, and public projects not to exceed the amount specified in Public Contract Code Section 22032(a).
PROCUREMENT
On August 5, 2024, the Department and District released RFQ No. PWG 124-OPERA-5291 and received two proposals from contractors not already on the on-call list. The Department and the District, therefore, recommend awarding contracts with the two vendors identified in Recommendation Nos. 1.a. and 2. Approval of this item will bring the total number of approved contractors to 35. The Department also recommends approval of Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 23-86 with Vance Corporation as it is frequently the low bidder. Approval of this amendment will allow the Department to continue to request bids and award projects.
The RFQ shall remain open through March 2027 with semi-annual deadlines for proposal submission. The Department and District will return to the Board for approval of subsequent pre-approved vendors.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest and Sophie A. Curtis, Deputies County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 7, 2024; Purchasing (Michael Candelaria, Lead Buyer, 387-8258) on October 17, 2024; Finance (Jessica Trillo, Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on November 22, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on December 2, 2024.