AGENDA STAFF REPORT

Agenda Item AGENDA STAFF REPORT ASR Control 22-000259
MEETING DATE:	06/07/22
legal entity taking action:	Board of Supervisors
board of supervisors district(s):	4, 5
SUBMITTING Agency/Department:	OC Public Works (Approved)
Department contact person(s):	Nardy Khan (714) 647-3906
	Melissa Pasa (714) 647-3977

Subject: Award Contract for Traffic Management Center Fiber Optic Expansion Project

ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

3 Votes Board Majority

Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost: $2,446,243

Annual Cost: N/A

Staffing Impact:

# of Positions:

Sole Source: No

Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

Funding Source: Fund 174: 100%	County Audit in last 3 years: No

Prior Board Action: 5/25/2021 #5

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Award the construction contract to International Line Builders, Inc. for the Traffic Management Center Fiber Optic Expansion Project in the amount of $2,446,243, effective June 7, 2022, to be completed within 162 days of the effective date of the Notice to Proceed.

Authorize the Director of OC Public Works or designee to execute the construction contract with International Line Builders, Inc.

Authorize return of bid guarantees to all bidders upon execution of the contract.

SUMMARY:

Award of the construction contract for the Traffic Management Center Fiber Optic Expansion Project will improve transportation safety and mobility through the expansion of advanced communications technologies into the transportation infrastructure.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Traffic Management Center (TMC) Fiber Optic Expansion Project (Project) is located at various unincorporated Orange County street segments along Crown Valley Parkway, O’Neil Drive, Gilbert Street, Cow Camp Road and Oso Parkway. The Project consists of expanding the fiber optics network components to provide real-time data in order to improve transportation safety and mobility.

Fiber optics are commonly used as communications media in TMC networks to provide connectivity to traffic signals systems. Providing connectivity integrates traffic signal systems to the TMC, which allows the TMC to control and monitor signal performance at each intersection and view traffic conditions in real-time with closed-circuit television cameras so that signal timing adjustments can be made as a response to emergencies or special events. According to the Federal Highway Administration Telecommunications Handbook for Transportation Professionals, fiber optic is considered to have the best overall characteristics for transmission efficiency as a fiber optic strand carries much more information than conventional copper wire and is far less subject to electromagnetic interference. Moreover, transmission over fiber optic requires less repeating or signal regeneration over longer distances as compared to copper-based systems.

Communications and Connectivity is a Tier 1 strategy identified in the Orange County Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Deployment Plan 2019 Update - Final Report led by the Orange County Transportation Authority. This report identifies ITS strategies to be implemented within the next 10 years in order to address transportation safety, mobility and efficiency throughout Orange County. Tier 1 strategies are near-term strategies to be implemented within the next three years as these strategies represent the foundational elements, or base infrastructure, needed to build upon other tiered ITS strategies moving forward in the future. ITS also help to alleviate the adverse effects to the environment through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and overall energy consumption from vehicles by reducing idling vehicle time.

The Project will modify 17 traffic signals and various segments of fiber optic interconnect systems, including, but not limited to, traffic signal control equipment, fiber optic transmission equipment, conduits and pull boxes. The Project is part of the OC Public Works 7-Year Capital Improvement Program FY 2021-22 to FY 2027-28 adopted by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on May 25, 2021.

On March 1, 2022, OC Public Works issued Pre-Qualification documents through the County of Orange (County) online bidding system. A total of six contractors responded and were pre-qualified and allowed to submit proposals in response to the County’s subsequent Invitation for Bid (IFB).

On March 21, 2022, OC Public Works issued an IFB to the pre-qualified contractors for the Project. Five bids were received and were deemed responsive.

The following summarizes the responsive bids and provides a comparison against the Engineer’s Estimate (EE):

	Base Bid
Engineers Estimate	$2,136,649
International Line Builders, Inc.	$2,446,243
Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc.	$2,465,482
Crosstown Electrical & Data, Inc.	$2,610,879
DBX, Inc.	$3,201,837
Econolite Systems, Inc.	$3,371,912

The lowest responsive and responsible bid submitted by International Line Builders, Inc. (Contractor) for this Project is approximately 14.4 percent above the EE of $2,136,649. OC Public Works has reviewed the bid submitted by Contractor and verified that the difference is not the result of errors or omissions in the estimate but is attributed to the specialized nature of the work and recent material escalations. A full summary of the responsive bids received can be found in the Bid Summary as Attachment C.

OC Public Works is procuring construction services for this Project in accordance with the 2020 Design and Construction Procurement Policy Manual, Section 4. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to this contract award.

OC Public Works is recommending the Board award Contract MA-080-22011091 (Contract) to the Contractor in the amount of $2,446,243, effective June 7, 2022, to be completed within 162 working days of the effective date of the Notice to Proceed.

The Contractor’s license number was verified as current and active through the Contractors State License Board database on March 21, 2022. A copy of the verification is on file.

OC Public Works has conducted due diligence on the Contractor. Reference checks were satisfactory and completed with Excel Paving Co. and the cities of Lake Forest and Irvine regarding similar projects.

This Contract includes subcontractors. See Attachment B for information regarding subcontractors and the Contract Summary Form.

The Contract is coming to the Board less than 30 days before its commencement due to additional design development time required prior to bid posting.

Compliance with CEQA: The proposed Project was previously determined to be Categorically Exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 (Class 1) and Section 15302 (Class 2) of the CEQA Guidelines because it involves repair, maintenance and minor alteration of existing public facilities and mechanical equipment involving no expansion of existing use and replacement or reconstruction of existing facilities in the same location. The Notice of Exemption was filed with the OC Clerk-Recorder on February 3, 2020. The proposed Project is still consistent with this determination.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

Appropriations for this Contract are included in the FY 2021-22 Budget for OC Road - Capital Improvement Projects, Fund 174, and will be encumbered in the current fiscal year.

The proposed Contract includes a provision stating the Contract is subject to, and contingent upon, applicable budgetary appropriations being approved by the Board for each fiscal year during the term of this Contract. If such appropriations are not approved, this Contract may be immediately terminated without penalty to the County.

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A

ATTACHMENT(S):

Attachment A - Contract MA-080-22011091 with International Line Builders, Inc.
Attachment B - Contract Summary Form
Attachment C - Bid Summary
Attachment D - Project Location Map