REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Recommendation to Pre-Qualify Vendors and Award Purchase Orders on an As-Required Basis for Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Closed-Circuit Television Inspection Services
Report
BACKGROUND
The City’s sanitary sewer system consists of approximately 270 miles of sanitary sewer lines and 5,800 manholes. The Water and Sewer Utilities Department (Department) is responsible for the operations and management of the City’s sanitary sewer collection system. In order to effectively manage the system, the Department routinely assesses the current condition of the sanitary sewer lines and associated infrastructure to make informed decisions on maintenance, repairs, and potential replacement of the sanitary sewer lines.
The primary method used to assess the internal condition of the sanitary sewer lines is the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV). CCTV video inspections are conducted in accordance with the Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) and Manhole Assessment Certification Program (MACP) administered by the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) to standardize the rehabilitation and assessment of underground structures. The CCTV inspections are used by the Department to evaluate the sewer system and prioritize repair/improvement projects.
The procurement process described in this memorandum is designed to streamline the award process by pre-qualifying vendors that are most capable of performing sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection services. National Plant Services, Inc., AIMS Companies, and Pipe and Plant Solutions Inc. are recommended through a competitive pre-qualification process. As specific projects or tasks are identified, the City will utilize these pre-qualified vendors for the work and the award will be made to the lowest bidder. This process ensures that the City receives the highest quality of service at the lowest price for each project that is identified and scheduled. To support the Department’s ongoing condition assessment efforts, the pre-qualified list will be valid for five years, ending on June 30, 2024.
The cleaning and inspection services under this purchase order include:
• Phases III and IV of the Sewer Rehabilitation Program - Under the March 21, 2013 Settlement Agreement between the City of Santa Clara and Northern California River Watch, there are approximately 54 miles of sanitary sewer lines left to be assessed by March 21, 2021. The pre-qualified vendors will bid on a series of projects to complete the assessment by the deadline set in the Settlement Agreement.
• Preventative Maintenance - Cleaning and inspection of the sanitary sewer lines are part of regular maintenance activities for early identification of problems. The pre-qualified vendors will augment City staff and equipment on an as-needed basis.
• Emergency Response - The vendors will be used on an as-needed basis for emergency requirements. In the event the nature of the emergency prevents competitive bidding, purchase orders will be awarded on a rotational basis.
DISCUSSION
On May 16, 2019, staff issued a request for Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) to solicit proposals from qualified firms to provide sanitary sewer cleaning and CCTV video inspection services. The SOQ was published on BidSync, the City’s e-procurement system. A total of 35 companies viewed the SOQ, and the City received six proposals by the June 6, 2019 deadline from the following firms:
• AIMS Companies (San Leandro, CA)
• Coastline Water Resources (Rio Linda, CA)
• Innerline Engineering, Inc. (Loma Linda, CA)
• National Plant Services, Inc. (Hayward, CA)
• Pipe and Plant Solutions, Inc. (Oakland, CA)
• Professional Pipe Services (Walnut, CA)
The proposals were evaluated and scored independently by a three-member evaluation team against the criteria and weights shown in the table below.
|
Company Name |
Experience (40%) |
Technical Capability (60%) |
Total Score |
|
National Plant Services |
37 |
56 |
93 |
|
AIMS Companies |
36 |
51 |
87 |
|
Pipe and Plant Solutions |
33 |
51 |
84 |
|
Professional Pipe Services |
28 |
41 |
69 |
|
Coastline Water Resources |
32 |
33 |
65 |
|
Innerline Engineering |
27 |
37 |
64 |
On July 1, 2019, the City issued a Notice of Intended Award (NOIA) to National Plant Services, Inc., AIMS Companies, and Pipe and Plant Solutions Inc. as firms qualified to bid on future sanitary sewer cleaning and inspections projects based on receiving the highest overall scores as demonstrated in the table above. The SOQ process included a 10-day protest period which commenced with the issue of the NOIA and ended on July 10, 2019. No protests were received.
As described above in this memorandum, National Plant Services, Inc., AIMS Companies, and Pipe and Plant Solutions Inc. will exclusively compete for future sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection projects via a competitive bid process. A purchase order will be awarded to the lowest responsive bid for each project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Furthermore, the action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are existing appropriations in the FY 2019/20 Adopted Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget under the Sanitary Sewer System Condition Assessment project in the Sewer Utility Capital Fund.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the pre-qualified vendor list and authorize the City Manager to execute purchase orders for sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection services with National Plant Services, Inc. (Hayward, CA), AIMS Companies (San Leandro, CA), and Pipe and Plant Solutions Inc. (Oakland, CA) for a maximum aggregate amount not-to-exceed $5,000,000 through June 30, 2024. Final purchase orders will be awarded to the low bidder for each project, and subject to the appropriation of funds.
Staff
Reviewed by: Gary Welling, Director of Water & Sewer Utilities Department
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager