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AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO ODYSSEY LANDSCAPE COMPANY, INC. FOR THE IRRIGATION CONTROLLER UPGRADE, PROJECT NO. PW1506
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion authorizing the City Manager to:
1. Approve findings which support and justify an exception to the competitive bid process.
2. Approve plans and specifications for the Irrigation Controller Upgrade, Project No. PW1506.
3. Award a Construction Contract in the amount of $686,003 to Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. of Lodi, CA.
It is further recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
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Summary
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 adopted Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) allocated $735,000 to purchase and install automated, weather-based irrigation controllers for the City’s General Fund parks to improve irrigation efficiency, conserve water, and reduce maintenance costs. On February 1, 2016, a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Irrigation Controller Upgrade project was issued. Six contractors submitted proposals for the project. The proposals were evaluated by staff, including interviews with each firm. At the conclusion of this process, the proposal from Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. of Lodi, CA, utilizing Calsense irrigation controllers, received the highest ranking.
It is recommended that Council approve the plans and specifications for the project and award a Construction Contract, in the amount of $686,003, with Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. It is anticipated the project will begin in July 2016 and be completed in early 2018.
DISCUSSION
Background
The FY 2015-16 adopted CIP allocated $735,000 of one-time funds for Irrigation Controller Upgrades to convert outdated irrigation controller technology in the City’s General Fund parks to automated, weather-based computer controlled technology. This technology, known as “smart irrigation”, allows each irrigation controller to automatically update its schedule based on weather conditions. The technology, similar to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system used for the Municipal Utilities Department, and the Traffic Signal Control System used for Public Works, allows monitoring and operation of each system remotely. Remote monitoring provides an alarm when water use increases unexpectedly due to vandalism, line breaks, or malfunctioning valves. Without monitoring, such incidents result in significant loss of water before being detected. Remote monitoring and operation also saves labor hours by providing an opportunity to troubleshoot and respond to concerns quickly without traveling to the site. The project is thus an efficiency and conservation initiative, as it will optimize water use and reduce costs for maintenance and adjustment of controllers.
Since 2002, 12 newly constructed, City-owned park sites have been utilizing smart irrigation. In addition, the Stockton Soccer Complex, located at 10055 North Hwy 99 West Frontage Road, was converted to similar technology several years ago, and the conversion of Weber Events Center will be completed in the spring of 2016. Experience with these systems has been very positive. However, there are 49 City owned and maintained park sites still using outdated irrigation controller technology, some with irrigation controllers more than 20 years old. None of the outdated technology systems provide remote access or automatic adjustment for weather conditions.
Present Situation
On February 1, 2016, an RFP for construction services for the Irrigation Controller Upgrade Project (PW1506) was advertised on the City’s Bid Flash webpage and in The Record. On March 3, 2016, proposals were received from the following firms:
• Central Control Systems (with Motorola), Woodland, CA
• Heritage Custom Landscape (with Hydropoint), Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• Jensen Corporation (with Calsense), Sacramento, CA
• Marina Landscape, (with Calsense) Orange, CA
• Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. (with Calsense), Lodi, CA
• Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. (with RainMaster), Lodi, CA
Staff reviewed the proposals and interviewed each firm, giving each the opportunity to present their proposed solution. At the conclusion of the interview process, staff ranked all proposals based on a number of weighted factors, such as: solution concept, feature flexibility, system reliability, customer support, project implementation methodology, and commitment to the City’s budget. Upon conclusion of this process, Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc., with Calsense as the irrigation controller manufacturer and technical support services provider, was selected as the most qualified and preferred firm.
Both Odyssey and Calsense have an excellent customer service record with the City of Stockton. The City’s experience with Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. extends over 15 years on the construction side, and over 10 years on the maintenance side. During this time, Odyssey Landscape, Inc. has provided the City with excellent customer service, quality construction projects, and reliable cost effective maintenance services.
The City has utilized automated, weather based Calsense controllers at two park sites for over five years. During that time Calsense representatives have been responsive, and the hardware has proven to be reliable. The City’s positive experiences with Calsense were reinforced during reference checks for the project, which offered a history of excellent customer support, and long- term equipment reliability provided by Calsense, going as far back as 1988.
Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc.’s submitted fee proposal of $686,003.00 is reasonable for a project of this type and complexity and is within the budgeted funds that are available for the project.
Staff recommends Council approve a motion authorizing the City Manager to execute a Construction Contract with Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc. in the amount of $686,003.00 for the Irrigation Controller Upgrade Project (PW1506) (Attachment A). It is anticipated the project will be completed in early 2018.
Findings
In accordance with the Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070, the following findings support and justify exceptions to the competitive bidding process to utilize the RFP process for the hiring of a firm to provide Smart Irrigation installation and support service:
1. The project requires specialized field analysis of 49 (forty-nine) parks, and provision of site specific hardware, programming solutions, and specialized internet based services by an experienced service contractor who has successfully developed and implemented such projects and it is in the best interest of the public to use such an experienced service contractor.
2. The City does not have the hardware, programming expertise, nor available staff to develop the specialized irrigation management system solution required for this project.
3. Use of the RFP process is appropriate for this project as it utilizes the specialized expertise of contractors and vendors to evaluate the specialized and customizable products available in the market and propose solutions that best meets the City’s irrigation management needs.
4. Stockton Municipal Code 3.68.070(A)(3) allows for award of a negotiated contract following solicitation of competitive proposals.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is sufficient funding of $735,000 in the Public Works, Capital Improvement Program Budget (301-3070-640) PW1506, Irrigation Controller Upgrade.
There is no impact to the City’s General Fund or to any other unrestricted fund as a result of taking the recommended action.
Attachment A - Construction Contract with Odyssey Landscape Company, Inc.