TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Erick Lee, Public Works Director
Katherine Doherty, City Engineer
Eduardo Pech, Senior Civil Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Awarding a Construction Agreement to BlueViolet Networks for the Citywide Security Cameras Project - Phases 1 and 2 for $523,820.17, Including Contingency and a Maintenance Contract; and Adoption of a Determination of Exemption Pursuant to Sections 15302(b)(3) and 15301 of the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (Public Works Director Lee).
(Estimated Time: 30 Mins.)
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 23-0113
Line
_________________________________________________________
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:Body
Staff recommends that City Council take the following actions:
A. Adopt Resolution No. 23-0113:
1. Awarding a Construction Agreement to BlueViolet Networks for the Citywide Security Cameras Project - Phases 1 and 2 (Project) for $523,820.17; and
2. Authorizing the City Manager and/or his or her designee to execute the agreement.
B. Adopt a determination of exemption pursuant to CEQA.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The construction agreement under consideration with BlueViolet Networks is for a not-to-exceed amount of $523,820.17. The Project is included in the 5-Year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) with a project budget of $970,000. There are sufficient funds available in the project budget to cover the work under this agreement.
BACKGROUND:
In response to various safety and security concerns, the City’s leadership team and an employee safety committee evaluated options to enhance the safety and security of employees and visitors at City Hall and other facilities. Staff brought updates on the existing and proposed safety and security measures to City Council on January 7, 2020, under the subject Security Enhancement Measures for City Hall and other Municipal Facilities. The discussion included the planned Capital Improvement Project for camera installation at key City facilities, which has culminated into the current construction agreement.
In February 2021, the City finalized an agreement with Triad Consulting and System Design Group (Triad) to perform services for the Project for $41,000 with an agreement term end of December 30, 2022. Services included the assessment of the existing City video surveillance program and recommendations for equipment, cameras, camera placement, installation standards, and recorded video storage for the seven identified City facilities. Triad Consulting also provided operational and physical security findings and recommendations, along with electronic security recommendations, that will assist the City in achieving industry best practices and provide direction and guidance regarding security improvements.
In August 2021, Triad completed its assessment and provided video surveillance, operational security, and physical security recommendations for the sites with rough order magnitude (ROM) cost estimates. The cost estimates for the video surveillance equipment and systems were broken down into three Phases.
In June 2022, City Council approved Amendment No.1 to the Professional Services Agreement with Triad, which included additional design services for the Project, increasing the contract amount by $45,435 to $86,435. Additional design services included repackaging the project phases to minimize construction impacts to City staff and services at these facilities and to ensure compatibility with the access card system. Amendment No. 1 also extended the term of the agreement to June 30, 2024. Subsequently, in March 2023, Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with Triad was approved, which included additional design services for access control associated with the Security Camera Upgrade and other design services that the City may deem necessary in the future. The contract amount was increased by an additional $49,930 for a total of $136,365. In July 2023, Triad completed its design work and provided final drawings to the City. As designed, the system will include data capacity to store video for up to 366 days. In coordination with the Safety Committee and City departments, staff determined that the Avigilon video management system best meets the flexibility and compatibility needs of the City.
Phase 1 of the Project includes security system upgrades and new camera installations at the Public Works Yard and City Hall. Phase 2 is located at the joint Police/Fire Facility at Civic Center. Phase 3 consists of Joslyn Community Center, Live Oak Park, and the Manhattan Heights Community Center. Phase 3 has completed design and will be advertised for construction bids in Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
During budget discussions in early 2023, the City Council approved approximately $3.92 million over five years to initiate further phases of citywide security camera installations with the primary objective of improving public safety. Planning and prioritization of future phases will begin in 2024 and will involve the Police, Information Technology, Community Development, Human Resources, and Public Works Departments.
Additionally, staff is in the process of developing a Public Safety Camera System (PSCS) Policy that will govern the administration of the program, including this Project and future cameras that maybe installed within the system. The policy is intended to provide safeguards and specify rules of acceptable use of the PSCS in order to enhance safety at City facilities without compromising the right to privacy held by the public and City employees. Once the draft policy has been developed, staff will present it to the City Council for consideration, and staff will engage with the City’s labor associations on any impacts associated with the draft policy.
DISCUSSION:
Base and additive bids for the Project were solicited on a competitive basis in accordance with the provisions of the California Public Contract Code in July 2023. The Project was advertised on the Public Works Department Bid Opportunities webpage and the City’s Bid Portal with PlanetBids (an online service that connects vendors, suppliers, and contractors to government procurement opportunities). The Project was advertised as the City Facility Security Cameras Project at the Public Works Yard and City Hall, Fire Department and Police Department, which correlate to the Phases 1 and 2 of the Citywide Security Cameras Project in the CIP. A mandatory pre-bid meeting and site visit was conducted with potential bidders on August 8, 2023, to examine the project sites prior to bidding.
Seven bids were received on August 28, 2023. The bids ranged from a low bid of $476,200.15 to the highest bid of $1,358,912.50 as follows:
|
Contractor |
Total Bid Amount |
|
A3 Communications, Inc., dba BlueViolet Networks |
$ 476,200.15 |
|
L.A. High Tech Enterprises, Inc. |
$510,835.39 |
|
ADT Commercial, LLC. |
$536,033.67 |
|
In the Light Electric Inc. |
$671,116.04 |
|
Convergint Technologies |
$721,371.00 |
|
SOV Security |
$881,587.95 |
|
Reliable Monitoring Services |
$1,358,912.50 |
All bid packets were analyzed for arithmetical errors, completeness, accuracy, etc. BlueViolet Networks’ bid was reviewed by staff and found to be responsive. Representatives of agencies where work has been performed by BlueViolet Networks have indicated that the work performed was comparable to the Project scope of work and to their satisfaction. The current project was discussed with representatives of the firm, and they expressed confidence in their bid and a desire to perform the work in a timely and acceptable manner.
The total bid amount includes the base bid plus additive bid. The total Project scope includes installation of 98 high definition security cameras at the Public Works Yard, City Hall, Fire Department, and Police Department and the associated equipment and services necessary to support the implementation of this system (including pre-acceptance and acceptance testing, programming, wiring, and a maintenance contract).
The low bid amount includes:
|
Bid Schedule |
Bid Amount |
|
Base Bid (Public Works Yard and City Hall) |
$ 226,666.82 |
|
Additive Bid (Fire Department and Police Department) |
$ 249,533.33 |
Given the low bid received and the anticipated additional project expenses identified in the attached Budget and Expenditures summary report, staff is recommending an award of contract for the base bid scope of work plus the additive bid scope. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council award a Construction Agreement to BlueViolet Networks for $476,200.15 and that the City Manager and/or his or her designee be authorized to approve change orders up to $47,620.02 for additional work.
Construction is anticipated to begin in November 2023 and conclude by June 2024.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Staff has determined that community public outreach is not required for this project. Outreach has been ongoing with City employees and will continue as the PSCS Policy is developed.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed Citywide Security Cameras Project and associated contract for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (the “common sense” exemption) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the project is exempt from CEQA. Additionally, the project qualifies for a categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the State CEQA Guidelines, given that the project consists of minor alterations of existing public structures, with negligible or no expansion of use. Furthermore, there are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt class; therefore, there are no unusual circumstances.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 23-0113
2. Agreement - BlueViolet Networks
3. Bid Proposal
4. Plans and Specifications
5. Budget Expenditure Summary Report
6. Location Map
7. PowerPoint Presentation