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Item 1.A.2.
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| City Council Regular | |
| Date: | 04/11/2022 |
| Title: | W.O. 22-20 Water Treatment Plant High Service Pump Station HVAC, Bid Award |
| Presented by: | Debi Meling |
| Department: | Public Works |
| Presentation: | No |
| Legal Review | Yes |
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council award a contract for W.O. 22-20, Water Treatment Plant High Service Pump Station HVAC Procurement, to Empire Heating and Cooling in the amount of $254,900.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
During the summer of 2021, the electrical room and pump room inside the High Service Pump Station (HSPS) at the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) experienced more than 60 consecutive days of temperatures inside the pump station exceeding 90 degrees, and a few days in excess of 100 degrees. Optimal operating temperature for the equipment in these rooms is 75 to 85 degrees, so continual long-term operation in these conditions could be very detrimental. The equipment life could be shortened, or worse, the equipment could potentially fail, resulting in the City having great difficulty meeting summer water demands.
Overly high outside temperatures contributed to these conditions, and the existing cooling units in the basement of the HSPS were not able to maintain sufficient cooling inside the electrical room or pump room. The existing cooling units are believed to be original to when the building was constructed in 1976, so they are near the end of their useful life. They are undersized to handle equipment expansions that have been constructed inside the HSPS over the past 45 years, and they are inefficient relative to current industry cooling standards. Approximately one-half of the coils in these units are either damaged, and replacement parts are no longer available from the manufacturer, so they would have to be custom-made. W.O. 22-20 WTP HSPS HVAC Procurement will provide for the purchase and acquisition of two new rooftop air chiller units (RTU) to replace the aged existing units.
The new units are physically smaller and have a higher cooling capacity and efficiency than the existing units. The units will be installed under a separate construction contract later this year. Procurement is being conducted prior to installation due to extended lead times for the units, so design and bidding of the installation can be performed while the units are being fabricated.
The procurement was advertised on March 4, March 11, and March 18, 2022, in the Yellowstone County News and on the City’s website. Bids were opened on March 22, 2022, and three bids were received. Empire Heating and Cooling submitted the lowest, responsible bid.
Overly high outside temperatures contributed to these conditions, and the existing cooling units in the basement of the HSPS were not able to maintain sufficient cooling inside the electrical room or pump room. The existing cooling units are believed to be original to when the building was constructed in 1976, so they are near the end of their useful life. They are undersized to handle equipment expansions that have been constructed inside the HSPS over the past 45 years, and they are inefficient relative to current industry cooling standards. Approximately one-half of the coils in these units are either damaged, and replacement parts are no longer available from the manufacturer, so they would have to be custom-made. W.O. 22-20 WTP HSPS HVAC Procurement will provide for the purchase and acquisition of two new rooftop air chiller units (RTU) to replace the aged existing units.
The new units are physically smaller and have a higher cooling capacity and efficiency than the existing units. The units will be installed under a separate construction contract later this year. Procurement is being conducted prior to installation due to extended lead times for the units, so design and bidding of the installation can be performed while the units are being fabricated.
The procurement was advertised on March 4, March 11, and March 18, 2022, in the Yellowstone County News and on the City’s website. Bids were opened on March 22, 2022, and three bids were received. Empire Heating and Cooling submitted the lowest, responsible bid.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council may:
- Award W.O. 22-20, Water Treatment Plant High Service Pump Station HVAC Procurement, to Empire Heating and Cooling in the amount of $254,900; or
- Not award a contract and reject all bids. If the procurement is not awarded, the City could risk the chance of not being able to acquire the chilling units needed to provide adequate cooling to the HSPS by the summer of 2023, which could lead to adverse operating conditions and negatively impact the ability to meet summer water demands.
FISCAL EFFECTS
The following bids were received:
This project was budgeted in FY22 using Water funds and there is sufficient budget to award the contract.
| Contractor | TOTAL LUMP SUM BID |
| NorPac Sheet Metal | $285,000.00 |
| Apex Mechanical, LLC | $260,000.00 |
| Empire Heating and Cooling | $254,900.00 |
This project was budgeted in FY22 using Water funds and there is sufficient budget to award the contract.