REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Al Zelinka, City Manager
VIA: Chau Vu, Acting Director of Public Works
PREPARED BY: Rafael Suarez, Contract Administrator
Subject:
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Approve Sole Source Procurement Request with Murcal Incorporated (Murcal) for Flood Control Station Controllers and Related Equipment
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Statement of Issue:
Submitted for City Council approval is a sole source procurement request of up to $300,000 annually over a 3-year term to purchase flood control pump station equipment from Murcal.
Financial Impact:
Sufficient funds are available in the approved FY 2022/23 Equipment Replacement Budget in Business Unit 32240214.83700. Expenditures for this fiscal year will not exceed the budgeted amount. Funding for future years will be requested in those budget cycles.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Approve the sole source procurement request with Murcal for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other flood control station equipment.
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve the sole source procurement request, and direct staff to procure equipment through a competitive bid process. However, utilizing flood control station equipment from a different vendor will require redesign of the flood control station as well as staff re-training. Additional costs range from $30,000 to $250,000 per PLC. Furthermore, while there are other PLC panel builders in the market, incorporating them into our current system would require further analysis to determine if they are compatible. The time needed to substantiate another PLC’s compatibility could put the City’s flood control system at risk, including the health, safety, and property of residents and businesses in the affected areas.
Analysis:
The City’s 15 flood control stations each require PLCs to monitor and manage water levels to prevent flooding during rain events. Proper maintenance and equipment are necessary for the stations to function reliably.
For over 30 years, Murcal has provided PLCs to our stations without any major failures. However, recent inspections noted that due to age, the panels are obsolete and no longer supported. As a result, replacements are now needed. Six of the City’s 15 stations have already been upgraded with new Murcal equipment. Murcal’s equipment and software are proprietary and cannot be combined with other vendors. Murcal’s 30-year involvement with the City’s flood control systems gave Murcal the institutional knowledge needed to design our PLCs to resolve our unique coastal flooding issues. By replacing with Murcal’s like-for-like panels, there is virtually no risk of failure and downtime. Staff is trained on this equipment, and it has been proven to be consistently reliable.
To ensure the proper and continued maintenance of the stations and to minimize the risk of flooding, staff recommends utilizing a sole source procurement of Murcal’s equipment at a cost of up to $300,000 annually over a 3-year term.
Environmental Status:
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment do not constitute a project.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Infrastructure & Parks
Attachment(s):
1. Sole Source Justification
2. PowerPoint Presentation