COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

DATE:

January 30, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 28, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Neil R. Cullen, Director of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Lighting Fixture Retrofit at 555 County Center, Redwood City (P11U1)

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution:

1)

rejecting the one bid received for retrofitting lighting fixtures at 555 County Center; and

2)

authorizing the Director of Public Works to re-advertise the project for bid.

Vision Alignment

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal 20: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

We believe that your Board rejecting the one bid received and authorizing the re-advertising of the project for bid, will allow us to obtain more competitive bids as new and less expensive lighting fixture retrofit kits, for the type of light fixtures at 555 County Center, are just becoming available.

Background

Previous Board Action

Adopted Resolution No. 067742 on December 13, 2005, authorizing the Director of Public Works to call for bids for the above-described project.

History

We recommended and your Board approved of the Director of Public Works calling for bids of the lighting retrofit work in December 2005, as energy rebates from the Local Government Energy Partnership (LGEP) through the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), were being made available for this work, if the project could be completed by March 31, 2006.

The project plans were developed on a “fast track” and bids were advertised and accepted on Wednesday, January 4, 2006.

However, only one bidder, Enlight Energy Efficient Lighting, Inc., submitted a bid for $225,563.74, which was 67 percent (67%) over the Engineer’s estimate of $135,000.00.

Discussion

We contacted the manufacturer of the lighting retrofit kits and determined that a special and more expensive retrofit kit is necessary for the lighting fixtures used at 555 County Center. However, a new retrofit kit is currently being manufactured and will be available in a few months, which can significantly reduce the cost of our lighting retrofit project.

We are recommending that the one bid received be rejected as provided by Section 22038 of the Public Contract Code and that the project be re-bid in order that work can commence in the summer of 2006.

We may not qualify for the LGEP rebate of approximately $35,000. However, we contacted LGEP and they indicated that there is a strong possibility that we can qualify for other third party energy rebate programs, that may become available this year.

A resolution has been approved as to form by County Counsel.

Fiscal Impact

Re-bidding the work is estimated to cost $3,000 and is proposed to be paid for with funds that have been appropriated in the 2005/06 Capital Projects Budget for energy projects. There is no additional impact to the General Fund.