REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Authorize the Use of City Electric Forces for New Dark Fiber Installations From 5453 Great America Parkway to 5200 Patrick Henry Drive to 2895 Northwestern Parkway, With an Estimated Cost of $9,741
Report
BACKGROUND
Section 1310 of the Santa Clara City Charter (Contracts on Public Works) states "that every contract involving an expenditure of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the construction or improvement (excluding maintenance and repair) of public buildings, works, streets, drains, sewers, utilities, parks and playgrounds shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder." The section further states that "the City Council may declare and determine that, in its opinion, the work in question may be performed better or more economically by the City with its own employees, and after the adoption of a resolution to this effect by at least four affirmative votes, it may proceed to have said work done in the manner stated, without further observance of the provisions of this section."
Silicon Valley Power (SVP) currently employs two Fiber Splicing Technicians to primarily perform maintenance and repairs to meet the performance standards of fiber customers, which includes City departments and commercial customers. Fiber Splicing Technician activities include basic splicing and distribution changes to fiber optic cables; pulling, laying, aligning, and positioning fiber optic equipment for new connections to SVP's fiber network; and performing fusion splicing at building entrances and in maintenance spaces.
DISCUSSION
Currently, the SVP fiber optic network serves SVP, other City departments, and various commercial customers. The Fiber Splicer Technician performs a variety of specialized activities from maintenance and repair to new or re-spliced interconnections to SVP's network. Each interconnection can be unique, involving different hours of labor depending on the number of fibers required to be spliced and the pa...
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