REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 9, 2023
FROM
BRENDON BIGGS, Director, Department of Public Works - Special Districts
BEAHTA DAVIS, Director, Regional Parks Department
SUBJECT
Title
Reject Bids and Re-Advertise for the Entry Monument Sign Project at Glen Helen Regional Park
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Reject all bids received on April 7, 2023, for the Glen Helen Regional Park - Entry Monument Sign Project and find that rejection of the bids is in the best general interest of the County.
2. Approve the revised plans and specifications for the Glen Helen Regional Park - Entry Monument Sign Project.
3. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to re-advertise the Glen Helen Regional Park - Entry Monument Sign Project for formal bids.
(Presenter: Brendon Biggs, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Funding in the amount of $165,000 for the Entry Monument Sign Project at Glen Helen Regional Park (Project) was approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on December 7, 2021 (Item No. 56). The budget was increased by $110,000, from $165,000 to $275,000 on November 15, 2022 (Item No. 84). The funding consists primarily of a Proposition 68 grant issued by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Grants and Local Services to the County's Regional Parks Department (Regional Parks).
Appropriation and revenue for the Project are included in Regional Parks' 2022-23 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets as needed.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Project involves removal of existing center median signage at the entrance (Gate 1) of Glen
Helen Regional Park and installation of a ground level median monument sign and overhead sign that will reflect the renewed branding of Regional Parks.
On March 14, 2023 (Item No. 38), the Board approved the following recommendations in relation to the Project:
1. Find that the Project is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act, Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations Section 15311(a), Class 11, Accessory Structures.
2. Approve the Project as defined in the Notice of Exemption and direct the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to file and post the Notice of Exemption.
3. Approve the Project’s plans and specifications.
4. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to advertise the Project for formal bids.
On April 7, 2023, the Department of Public Works - Special Districts (Department) received only one bid for the Project. The total bid amount of $845,640, by Jergensen Construction, Inc., was substantially higher than estimated and significantly more than the Project’s available funding. As a result, the Department is recommending that the Board reject all bids for the Project, approve the Project’s revised plans and specifications, and authorize the Director of the Department to re-advertise for formal bids. California Public Contract Code (PCC) section 22038, in addition to the provisions of the bid solicitation, allows the Board to reject any bids presented and re-advertise the Project for bids. The Department provided notice to the apparent low bidder, pursuant to PCC section 22038, of the County’s intent to reject all bids.
To attract more competitive bids, the Department has revised the plans and specifications by, among other changes, adding language to the Special Conditions to include multiple contractor coordination, changing certain technical specifications to performance specifications that will allow the contractor to determine the materials used, including additional days to the Project completion time for procurement of signage, and making additional revisions to the contract drawings in a way that will allow work to be accomplished with the available funding.
PROCUREMENT
The Project will be re-advertised for bids in accordance with Public Contract Code section 22037. The Department will also continue to advertise the Project for bids to contractors through the County’s Electronic Procurement System (ePro) and encourage the previous bidding contractor to re-bid. These actions are essential for ensuring that the resulting construction contract is awarded to the lowest responsible bidder and Project funds are spent in a fiscally responsible manner.
The Department anticipates returning to the Board in June 2023 with a recommendation for award of the Project’s construction contract.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455 and Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 17, 2023; Finance (Tom Forster, Administrative Analyst, 387-4635 and Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052) on April 21, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on April 24, 2023.