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APPROVE MOTION TO AWARD A SERVICE CONTRACT TO COMFORT AIR, INC. FOR CITY OF STOCKTON FACILITIES ON-CALL PLUMBING MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion to:
1. Award a Service Contract in the amount not to exceed $225,000 annually to Comfort Air, Inc. of Stockton, CA, for City of Stockton On-Call Plumbing Maintenance and Repair Services, Project No. OM-17-112 and to authorize up to two one-year extensions to this contract.
2. Approve findings pursuant to Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070 in support of an exception to the competitive bidding process.
It is also 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 City requires routine preventative maintenance and on-call emergency plumbing services for all City facilities. The previous contract for these services with Pipe and Plant Solutions, Inc. was mutually terminated on March 15, 2017. On April 13, 2017, the City advertised a Request for Proposals (RFP)for City of Stockton Facilities On-Call Plumbing Maintenance and Repair Services, Project No. OM-17-112. This contract will retain one contractor to provide plumbing services as needed with set response times and competitive pricing.
Three firms submitted proposals for this project. The Selection Committee evaluated the proposals, interviewed each proposer, and found Comfort Air, Inc. of Stockton, CA, to be the most qualified and highest ranked firm.
It is recommended that Council approve a motion authorizing the City Manager to execute a Service Contract in the amount not to exceed $225,000 annually with Comfort Air, Inc. (Attachment A). Contracted services will begin upon Council approval until June 30, 2018, with the option of two one-year extensions. The contract will be funded from various general fund and special revenue department accounts, which have already been budgeted in the FY 2017-18 Department Operating Budgets.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City is responsible for maintaining plumbing systems at every City facility and park. Routine preventative and as-needed emergency services are required to keep City facilities and assets functional, and to prevent property damage. The City does not have sufficient numbers of qualified staff or the variety of specialized equipment needed for all unscheduled repairs or unique repairs that arise throughout city-wide plumbing systems. Past practice has been to solicit local plumbing contractors for individual services on a case-by-case basis.
To be more cost-effective and efficient, a contract was developed to retain an on-call service provider at set rates to provide plumbing services. The City advertised a RFP for City of Stockton Facilities On-Call Plumbing Maintenance and Repair Services, Project No. OM 16-026 on March 24, 2016. On August 29, 2016, the City entered a contract with Pipe and Plant Solutions, Inc. of Berkeley, CA, for City of Stockton On-Call Plumbing Maintenance and Repair Services. On March 15, 2017, the contract with Pipe and Plant Solutions, Inc. was mutually terminated.
Present Situation
On April 13, 2017, the City advertised a RFP for the City of Stockton Facilities On-Call Plumbing Maintenance and Repair Services project. On May 4, 2017, three proposals were received from the following firms:
• C&M Plumbing, Inc. (Stockton)
• Comfort Air, Inc. (Stockton)
• Roto-Rooter Plumbers (Stockton)
A Selection Committee comprised of Public Works and Municipal Utilities Department staff evaluated and ranked all proposals based on each firm’s experience, quality of work, qualifications of staff, communication capabilities, reports and invoices, and cost. The Selection Committee then conducted interviews with all three firms to complete the evaluation process. Comfort Air, Inc. received the highest ranking based on the noted criteria and was determined to be the most qualified firm for this project.
Staff recommends Council approve a motion to award a Service Contract in the amount not to exceed $225,000 annually to Comfort Air, Inc. for City of Stockton Facilities On-Call Plumbing Maintenance and Repair Services, Project No. OM-17-112 (Attachment A). The initial contract will expire on June 30, 2018, with the option for two one-year extensions by mutual agreement of the parties.
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 vendor to provide on-call plumbing services:
1. The City-wide on-call plumbing services involve specialized, variable plumbing service requests that require an experienced, qualified contractor who has successfully provided services of similar frequency and scope.
2. The City does not have sufficient numbers of qualified staff or the variety of specialized equipment needed for all the unscheduled repairs or unique repairs that arise throughout city-wide plumbing systems.
3. Maintenance of city-wide plumbing systems is in the public interest.
4. Use of the RFP process is appropriate for this Service Contract, because, in addition to cost, it relies on the evaluation of professional qualifications and performance as the primary basis for selection of a vendor. Use of this criteria helps ensure selection of a vendor that will provide professional, responsive, and timely service.
5. This is a negotiated contract following solicitation of competitive proposals.
Based on these findings, an exception to the competitive bidding process was justified for use of an RFP process to obtain these services as necessary.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The contract is proposed to be funded from various department accounts as listed in the table below:
|
ACCOUNT NAME |
ACCOUNT NUMBER |
NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT |
|
Public Works Facilities Maintenance, Crafts |
010-3092-540.20.25 |
$140,000 |
|
Public Works Parks |
010-3070-540 |
$40,000 |
|
|
072-6917-590 |
$2,000 |
|
|
072-6910-590 |
$2,000 |
|
|
072-6915-590 |
$2,000 |
|
|
072-6906-590 |
$2,000 |
|
|
072-6909-590 |
$2,000 |
|
Municipal Utilities Wastewater Plant |
431-4331-575 |
$20,000 |
|
Municipal Utilities Water Field Office |
421-4231-571 |
$7,500 |
|
Municipal Utilities Delta Water Treatment Plant |
421-4234-575 |
$7,500 |
|
TOTAL |
|
$225,000 |
Attachment A - Service Contract with Comfort Air, Inc.