CC MEETING: February 2, 2016
DATE: January 21, 2016
TO: Leonard Martin, City Manager
FROM: Cesar J. Molina, Jr., P.E., Director of Engineering
Title
Consider Authorizing The City Manager To Approve A Contract With Casteel & Associates, Inc. For The Construction Of A Monument Sign With Electronic Message Display In An Amount Not To Exceed $80,457.00.
Body
BACKGROUND:
This agenda item considers the construction of a permanent monument sign at the southeast corner of Josey Lane and Peters Colony Road with a full color message display. The monument sign will be able to be programmed remotely, and will provide another method to disperse City announcements or information to the public. This monument will be constructed with the same stone character as the smaller Carrollton entry monuments placed throughout the city. This project is a City Council strategic initiative that was discussed at the 2014 Summer Retreat.
The project was advertised for two weeks in the newspaper and seven (7) contractors were contacted to request bids for the monument construction. Four (4) contractors picked up or requested plans. However, only one bid was received for the construction of the monument sign. The other three plan contractors were contacted to debrief on why they did not submit a bid. One contractor stated they did not receive timely cost estimates from a sign sub-contractor, another contractor stated the project was out of the scope of his company. The third never responded back.
Per Engineering Department policy, if two or fewer bids are received, the project manager must evaluate the bid(s) to determine if the city is getting a fair value for the project. This evaluation took place between mid-December and late January. Due to the specialized nature of the project and current high levels of construction in the area, the bid appears to be reasonable based on the current construction environment. Council may choose to accept the bid from Casteel & Associates or reject the bid based upon a low number of competitive bids. If Council chooses to reject the bid, staff recommends waiting 6 months prior to re-advertisement.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
One (1) bid was received on December 17, 2015 from Casteel & Associates, Inc. in the amount of $80,457.00. Casteel and Associates has extensive experience in the DFW area installing custom signs. They appear capable of completing this project within the allotted time and budget.
The construction budget originally set up for this project was $60,000, which is available in the General Special Projects Account. The additional $20,457 is available in the Council Strategic Initiative Fund, for a total cost of $80,457.00.
IMPACT ON COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY:
This project will contribute to community sustainability by:
- Sustaining quality of life - The new monument sign with electronic message display will provide a new method to disperse information or announcements to the public.
- Sustaining day-to-day operations - The permanent message display will reduce the need to use the temporary trailer mounted displays which have to be towed to a street location and later removed.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Staff recommends award of the construction contract for the monument sign with electronic message display to Casteel & Associates, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $80,457.00.