TITLE
Recommendation to adopt Plans and Specifications No. R-7187 and award a contract to E2 Contracting, Inc., of Irvine, CA, for construction of the Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Facility Phase 1C Wetlands Project, in the amount of $2,689,210, with a 20 percent contingency in the amount of $537,842, for a total contract amount not to exceed $3,227,052; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary amendments. (District 1)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into a contract with E2 Contracting, Inc., to provide construction services for the Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment (LB-MUST) Facility Phase 1C Wetlands Project (Project).
LB-MUST will consist of a stormwater treatment facility and a new wetland habitat area near the Shoemaker Bridge at 901 De Forest Avenue (Attachment A). The goal of LB-MUST is to improve Long Beach’s water quality to benefit aquatic life and recreational beach activities. By capturing and cleaning urban stormwater runoff, the Project will reduce pollution that would otherwise discharge into the Los Angeles River (LAR) and enter City beaches. The recycled water from the facility will help sustain a wetland habitat proposed as part of the Project. These activities ensure compliance with the City of Long Beach (City) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
Project work under this contract will construct the LB-MUST Wetlands, which is a new 1.9-acre greenspace including constructed wetlands, landscape irrigation, educational signage, and a perimeter pedestrian path and facilities with connectivity to the LAR trail and City sidewalks. The Project will demolish a vacant light industrial building and parking lot at the site and includes appurtenant utility work in the project vicinity associated with demolition, site excavation, and establishment of the wetlands. The LB-MUST Facility (Facility) parking lot across the street includes public access for the wetlands (Attachment B). Prior construction completed for LB-MUST include street and ground improvements. The Facility is currently in construction under a separate contract. Completion of the Facility and wetlands is targeted for early 2023.
The bid was advertised in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on September 29, 2021, and 81 potential bidders were notified of the bid opportunity. Of those bidders, 77 downloaded the bid via the City's electronic bid system. The bid document was made available from the Purchasing Division, located on the sixth floor of City Hall, and the Division’s website at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing <http://www.longbeach.gov/purchasing>. A bid announcement was also included in the Purchasing Division’s weekly update of Open Bid Opportunities, which is sent to 39 local, minority-owned and women-owned business groups. Two bids were received on November 18, 2021. Of those bidders, none were Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs), Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs), or Long Beach businesses (Local). E2 Contracting Company, Inc., of Irvine, CA (not an MBE, WBE, or Local) was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder and is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Very Small Business Enterprise (VSBE), and has been certified as an SBE through the City’s SBE Program Certification on PlanetBids.
Local Business Outreach
To align with the City's outreach goal, Long Beach businesses are encouraged to submit bids for City contracts. The Purchasing Division also assists businesses with registering on the PlanetBids database to download the bid specifications. Through outreach, four Long Beach vendors were notified to submit bids, of which four downloaded and none submitted a bid. The Purchasing Division is committed to continuing to perform outreach to local vendors to expand the bidder pool.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy R. Webber on December 14, 2021, Purchasing Agent Michelle Wilson on December 20, 2021, and by Budget Operations and Development Officer Rhutu Amin Gharib on December 28, 2021.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Project has been awarded Envision Platinum certification, and the Facility is expected to be LEED Silver certified. Additionally, treated water from the Facility will offset potable water use by sustaining the wetland and strives for future water resiliency with the potential to irrigate other City facilities.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to adopt Plans and Specifications No. R-7187 and award a contract concurrently is requested on January 18, 2022, to ensure the contract is in place expeditiously to meet all grant funding requirements for this project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of the requested contract will not exceed $3,227,052, inclusive of a 20 percent contingency. The total cost of the LB-MUST project is currently estimated at $39,709,510, which includes the design, construction contract award amount of $3,227,052, construction management, labor compliance, and project oversight. The Public Works Department has sufficient appropriation to support the contract in the Capital Projects Fund Group.
The project is supported by $24,000,000 from the California Department of Transportation grant funding, $2,000,000 in grant funding from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, $1,000,000 from the Harbor Department (Port) Community Infrastructure Grant Program, $209,510 from General Capital Projects funds, $500,000 from the California Coastal Conservancy Grant, $200,000 from the Measure W SCWP Municipal Program Funds, $1,000,000 Measure A funds, and $10,800,000 Measure W Regional Program Funds which are currently appropriated in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. The number of additional local jobs created by this action will not be known until the contractor completes their hiring and construction has commenced.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
ERIC LOPEZ
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER