Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, September 06, 2022
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDER TO MB HERZOG ELECTRIC, INC. FOR THE REPAIR OF THE DAMAGED FEEDER TO THE MOTOR CONTROL CENTER (MCC) THAT POWERS THE POOL AT FOISIA PARK AND FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SWITCH GEAR AT CITY HALL (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
On July 4, 2022, Foisia Park experienced a malfunction with the electrical system. It was determined that the electrical lines that run to the motor control center (MCC) had shorted out and shut down the entire pool and park facility. The failure was so large it took out an SCE transformer.
In July, it was also discovered during routine maintenance procedures that the electrical switchgear system at City Hall had the possibility of failing at any time. It was determined that this was a critical situation and needed to be repaired under an emergency situation. If the electrical system went down, it would affect the City’s servers, the internet at all the City’s parks and the phone and internet systems at the Community Center would also go down. The time needed to receive replacement parts was unknown.
Several contractors were contacted and Herzog was the only responsive contractor that would effectively and efficiently fulfill the required services. The cost to replace the conductors, fuses, pull, and install new wire for Foisia totaled $42,017.38 and the cost for City Hall’s main breaker and switchgear totaled $19,187.00.
The Public Works Department determined that this event warranted an emergency purchase order (Exhibit 1) under Carson Municipal Code (“CMC”) Section 2611(d)(1). An emergency procurement report is required when Departments experience an emergency that warrants the immediate delivery of goods or services to prevent or mitigate the loss of life, health, property, or essential public services.
Expenditures made during a locally declared emergency or in an emergency must be reported to the City Council at the next regular City Council meeting if approval for such expenditures would otherwise have been subject to the approval of the City Council. The total cost of the request is $61,204.38.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
RECEIVE and FILE.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE any other action the City Council deems appropriate, and consistent with the requirements of applicable law.
IV. BACKGROUND
Foisia Park
On Tuesday, July 4, 2022, at approximately 2:30 pm, the Foisia Park electrical system stopped working. Facility Maintenance staff immediately assessed the situation and determined that the electrical lines running to the motor control center (MCC) had shorted and thus the MCC failed to operate.
This affected the pool, snack bar, lights in the gym and the main park office. These areas are crucial because they are used to host meetings, childcare, aquatic programs, and park events such as awards ceremonies and banquets. (Exhibit 2). When booking a reservation for these events, guests and staff are asked to make deposits and reserve their equipment months in advance to guarantee their booking. Cancelation of any event would have led to enormous inconvenience to the guests, residents, vendors, and the community.
City Hall Switch Gear
The Dependent Manually Operated (DMO) switchgear system at City Hall is the original, over 50 years old and in need of upgrades and modification. Switchgear operators must routinely manually open and close the DMO apparatus by way of a lever or handle which could result in arc flashes in the circuits. If the switchgear continues to operate under faulty conditions, the effect of the excessive electrical and thermal stress can lead to loose or damaged connections. Such conditions tend to produce sparks or arcing flashes between connections, and these are capable of melting wire insulations which can lead to loss of power to City Hall or worse. Due to their age, the parts to repair the original switchgear are also becoming obsolete.
Action Taken
To avoid the potential loss of essential public services and to keep residents and staff in a safe and comfortable environment, it was determined by the Public Works Department that the events warranted emergency purchase orders (Exhibit 1) under Carson Municipal Code (“CMC”) Section 2611(d)(1). After reaching out to several vendors and given the practicality under the circumstances it was determined that for both Foisia Park and City Hall, MB Herzog Electric, Inc. (Herzog) was the only responsive responsible contractor. Herzog possesses the requisite experience to provide a detailed approach that would effectively and efficiently fulfill the required services needed. Moreover, they have conducted similar work for the City in the past, and it was believed that they would complete the project to ensure operations were not affected.
Expenditures made during a locally declared emergency or in an emergency must be reported to the City Council at the next regular City Council meeting if approval for such expenditures would otherwise have been subject to the approval of the City Council. The total cost of the request is $61,204.38. The City Council is now being asked to receive and file this report.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
The funding requested for this Purchase Order for $61,204.38 is available in the Special Revenue-Buildings account no. 290-80-999-999-8005.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Emergency Purchase Order Forms (pgs. 4-6)
2. Park Program List (pg. 7)
Prepared by: Eliza Jane Whitman, P.E., LEED AP, ENV SP, Public Works Director, Modesto Bolanos, Facility Maintenance Supervisor