SR 05:003 - Laserfiche WebLink

done by PG & E, however, the individual service connections are typically the responsibility o£ the individual property owners. Under the newly formed District, the City Council has opted to provide for the design and construction cost for converting from overhead to underground services for residential properties and has invoked Rule 20A provisions, which pays for the construction of the underground conduit 100 feet into private property and the payment of up to $1500 for each panel box conversion for both residential and commercial properties utilizing available Rule 20A funds. Commercial properties may still incur costs for conversions not covered by Rule 20A and not paid for by the City. The project documents include line item costs for each property conversion and therefore cost can be easily separated out for reimbursement to the City by the commercial property owners. As stated above, in establishing the underground utility district, the City had agreed to pay all residential property conversion costs not covered by Rule 20A funding. With the City taking on this responsibility (private property conversions), the coordination efforts will be limited to the City's contractor and PG&E, versus having PG&E coordinating the conversion efforts with 42 individual property owners and potentially 42 separate contractors. Having all of the work done by one contractor will improve efficiency and reduce overall project costs. The successful future City contractor will perform all work for private property conversions, and in turn, the City will pay the contractor as work progresses. Once completed, the City will invoice PG&E for all reimbursable costs covered under the Rule 20A provisions, and will invoice commercial property owners for that conversion work not covered by the provisions of Rule 20A. BIDDING PROCESS The project was advertised on October 31, November 7 and November 21, 2004. Bids were opened on December 2, and only one bid was received. In talking to other plan holders, several reasons were cited for not bidding the project that included: nature of work and difficulty dealing with (42) separate property owners; dealing with the uncertainty and unpredictability of PG&E's schedule; the duration of the project (1-1/2 to 2 years); and the number of potential move-ins on the project. In addition, it appears the project was competing with several other large utility projects in the area that were out to bid at the same time. Because of the reasons cited above, it has been difficult to accurately assess the cost of doing this work. However, by readvertising the work, it is expected that more bids will be received and a more competitive and accurate assessment of actual project costs will be obtained. In addition, the plans and specifications will be available at no cost to potential bidders and mailed to construction firms to actively solicit their bid. PROJECT BUDGET The cost for this work will be drawn from the funds allocated for this project and appropriated from the City's Street CIP Fund under "First and Kottinger Undergrounding Phase I & II Street Lights and Electrical Service Laterals" (CIP Project No. 025071). The project involves two separate and distinct types of work that include the installation of street lighting and the electrical panel conversions on private property. For tracking purposes the street lighting portion is SR:05:003 Page 2 of 4