Title
Body
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Lars Ewing, Public Services Director
DATE: July 23, 2019
SUBJECT: 10:00 A.M. - Consideration of a) Bid for the Supply of Emergency Standby Generators and Transfer Switches and Authorize the Public Services Director / Assistant Purchasing Agent to Issue a Purchase Order; b) Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 2703, Animal Care and Control to Object Code 62-74, to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $75,000; c) Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 4014, Behavior Health, to Object Code 62.74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $85,000; d) Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 2112, Child Support Services to Object Code 62-74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $85,000; e) Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 5011, Social Services Administration, to Object Code 62-74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $175,000; and f) Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 2113, Victim Witness to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $35,000
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
As your Board is aware only certain County-owned or County-operated facilities are currently equipped with standby power generation capabilities sufficient to sustain day-to-day operations during emergency situations when prime power is not available. On June 27 the Space Committee convened to establish a plan for the provision of emergency standby generators, which resulted in the July 9 recommendation to your Board of the provision of emergency standby generators for five facilities that do not currently have backup power. Consequently your Board directed staff to solicit bids for the supply of emergency standby generators and the requisite transfer switches for the following facilities:
- Animal Control, 4949 Helbush Drive, Lakeport
- Behavioral Health, 7000B South Center Drive, Clearlake
- Child Support Services, 3980 Gard Street, Kelseyville
- Social Services, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake
- Victim Witness, 420 Second Street, Lakeport
To solicit bids staff expedited the County formal bid process which resulted in a timeline concluding with a bid opening of 9:00am on Tuesday, July 23. Therefore at the July 23 Board meeting staff anticipates presenting to your Board a tabulation of bids received along with a recommendation for award of the bid to the lowest apparent responsible bidder and delegation of authority to the Public Services Director to issue a purchase order. A draft of the proposed purchase order, absent the details of the to-be-determined low bidder name and bid amount, is attached for your Board’s consideration.
Concurrent with the invitation for bids for the supply of standby generators, staff prepared two separate solicitations for electrical contractors to install the appropriate electrical infrastructure at these five facilities. The five facilities were organized into two separate solicitations grouped according to location and size of the work in order to expedite the construction by spreading the work among multiple contractors while also increasing the potential of local participation. The procurement for that work follows the County’s informal public project bidding procedures as the cost is estimated to be in the range that allows for the Public Services Director to award each contract. Bids for those solicitations are due Monday, July 22. Therefore staff will apprise your Board on the status of these solicitations at the July 23 Board meeting.
In light of the differing funding sources and budget organizations for the departments operating in each facility, the separate departments proposing backup generators for their facilities each prepared a narrative explaining their need for the generator as well as recommending the necessary budget adjustments to accomplish the project. Those narratives are provided below. The budget adjustments are submitted to your Board because the funding is necessary for a capital asset which specifically requires Board action. It is important to note that the appropriations requested are the amounts estimated to be necessary to fund both the equipment purchases and electrical upgrades to the facility.
A. Animal Control, 4949 Helbush Drive, Lakeport
Lake County Animal Care and Control cares for animals that are stray, surrendered, and injured. It is mandated by law for the shelter to properly care for all animals that the shelter has impounded. The shelter also manages and uses drugs to help for any illnesses or needs the animals may have. It is important for these drugs to be kept at certain temperatures to prevent them from expiring. It is important that the shelter is operational within the law, to care for these animals and for the public to be able to get their animals in a timely fashion. It is also important that the public be able to bring in stray or injured animals. The shelter also takes in and stores deceased animals from county roadways and public. We keep the deceased in a large freezer to slow the process rot and decay. We use a vendor who picks up the deceased and transports them away and if our freezer is down we could run into potential issues with the only vendor available to us.
B. Behavioral Health, 7000B South Center Drive, Clearlake
Lake County Behavioral Health Services (LCBHS) operates multiple State-mandated programs serving an extremely vulnerable population in our community. In addition, LCBHS facilitates court-mandated programs and services that must be performed within a particular timeline based upon certain State regulations. The Department also maintains crisis services 24/7 and provides critical prescription medications to clients Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm.
In order for LCBHS to continue its crucial operations during a power outage, I am hereby requesting the installation of a generator at the clinic located at 7000B South Center Drive, Clearlake. This installation will ensure that the aforementioned programs and services are available to the public during any planned or unplanned power outage. Funding for the generator will come from existing capital improvement dollars.
C. Child Support Services, 3980 Gard Street, Kelseyville
The Department of Child Support Services requests your approval for the purchase of a backup generator for our office located at 3980 Gard Street, Kelseyville. Both the State and Federal governments fund this department and the State of California has confirmed that this purchase would be categorized as a claimable expense. In addition, this department has sufficient funding to purchase and install a backup generator.
PG&E has informed the county that there is the potential for power to be shut off for extended periods. Should this occur there are a number of negative effects this would have on the Department.
1. The loss of collections through the Kiosk located in our lobby which brings in $12,000-$15,000 per month, most of which goes to families in our county.
2. Non-Custodial parents who don't pay their child support timely would automatically be submitted for license suspension and negative credit reporting.
3. We could be found out of compliance, which could cause audit findings with possible financial results.
4. If we do not spend our money, it goes back to the State which means our county loses out on money being spent within the county.
5. It is not good customer service to the families with cases in the Department.
On a positive note, we have space to house up to l0 county employees in our office to help with departments that do not have power.
D. Social Services, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake
The Lake County Department of Social Services is mandated to continue to provide specific public services during a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). In addition to meeting the minimum emergency mandates, the Department goal is to continue to serve the public as much as possible by having our employees work as productively as possible. The department provides services to the most vulnerable populations within our community. Therefore the department is requesting approval to purchase a generator for the Anderson Ranch site in Lower Lake. As the largest of the five facilities operated within the county by LCDSS, Anderson Ranch will serve as a hub for all DSS employees during a PSPS. Field workers will be able to recharge laptops and cell phones at this facility. Office workers will be able to temporarily relocate and work out of this site.
The LCDSS has leased the Anderson Ranch facility from the Margaret E. Lyons Survivors Trust for 22 years. The owners have agreed to the building and property modifications necessary for the installation of a generator and have offered to pay $9,500 towards the cost of the transfer switch. The owners have also signed permits required for the installation of the generator. The owners understand that in the event that LCDSS moves from the Anderson Ranch site, the generator will be moved as well.
E. Victim Witness, 420 Second Street, Lakeport
Lake County Victim Witness Division is housed in a separate building from the courthouse. In order to serve victims, write restraining orders, provide emergency services, court escorts and more, we will require power. Our grant specialist has assured us this expense will be reimbursable by the Victim Witness Assistance Grant.
FISCAL IMPACT: __ None __Budgeted _x_Non-Budgeted
Estimated Cost: $0
Amount Budgeted: $0
Additional Requested:
Annual Cost (if planned for future years):
FISCAL IMPACT (Narrative): The fiscal impact to the various departments is presented in the narratives above.
STAFFING IMPACT (if applicable): The provision of backup power at each facility will allow staff to continue operations at each facility in the event of a prime power loss.
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors A) Accept the Bid for the Supply of Emergency Standby Generators and Transfer Switches and Authorize the Public Services Director / Assistant Purchasing Agent to Issue a Purchase Order; B) Approve the Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 2703, Animal Care and Control, to Object Code 62-74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $75,000; C) Approve the Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 4014, Behavioral Health, to Object Code 62.74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $85,000; D) Approve the Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 2112, Child Support Services, to Object Code 62-74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $85,000; E) Approve the Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 5011, Social Services Administration, to Object Code 62-74 to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $175,000; and F) Approve the Budget Transfer in Budget Unit 2113, Victim Witness, to purchase and install a backup generator in the amount of $35,000.