HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 - Award Contract No. 3449- Sunset Ridge Park - SupplementalReceived After Agenda Printed
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Staff Report
Agenda Item No. 6
December 10, 2013
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Public Works Department
David A. Webb, Public Works Director
949 - 644 -3311, dawebb(a)newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Andy Tran, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer
949 - 644 -3315, atran(a)newportbeachca.gov
APPROVED:
TITLE: Sunset Ridge Park - Award of Contract No. 3449
Supplemental Report
On December 4, 2013, Horizons Construction Company International, Inc. (Horizons), the
second low bidder, submitted the attached formal bid protest to the City with regard to the
Sunset Ridge Park project.
According to the protest letter from Horizons, the low bid submitted by Environmental
Construction, Inc., (ECI) should be considered non- responsive due to irregularities in their
bid. Horizons letter claims the bid submitted by ECI was missing the word "thousands" in the
written bid amount; included two different signatures for the same name of the president; and
failed to list subcontractors for material areas of work.
Staff from the Public Works Department and City Attorney's Office reviewed the bid protest
and do not agree with the claims submitted by Horizons. The missing word in the written bid
amount is a minor irregularity and can be waived as such. The signatures on the bid
submitted by ECI have been verified as legitimate. Staff contacted ECI and confirmed they
intend to self - perform any work which is not being performed by one of the listed
subcontractors. Staff also contacted the references provided by ECI for technical ability and
experience and verified they have successfully completed projects of similar size and scope
with other public agencies.
For the reasons given above, staff recommends accepting the bid submitted by ECI as the
lowest responsive and responsible bid and awarding the contract to ECI.
Submitted
Public Works Director
Attachment: A. Letter of protest dated December 4, 2013
12/04/2013 16:31 FAX
CONSTRUCTION CO., INTL.
General Contracting and Engineering
December 04, 2013
Attn: Mr. Andy Tran, P.E.
Senior Civil Engineer
City of Newport Beach
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Re: Sunset Ridge Park bid
1173 N. Patt St.
Anaheim Ca 92801
TEL (714) 626 -0000
FAX (714) 626 -0006
License k 825022
IM0001 /0002
Horizons Construction Company International, Inc ( "Horizon ") is submitting this letter in
connection with its bid to the City of Newport Beach on the Sunset Ridge Park, Contract
Number 3449 ( "the Project "). Please consider this letter to serve as a formal protest of
the award of the contract to any bidder other than Horizons.
It is my understanding that the preliminary bid results show that the bidder
Environmental Construction, Inc., ( "ECI ") submitted a purported bid for $5,215,476.
Horizons requests a copy ofECPs bid, and all documents submitted by ECI in
connection with the bidding procedure (including its subcontractor listing information).
Under the California Public Records Act, bidders have the right to examine the bidding
documents of the successful bidder. Gibbs & Hunt, California Construction Law §
2.02(G)(1). Horizons is now exercising that right because Horizons suspects that there
are irregularities in the bid of ECI.
Horizons acknowledges that it was given an opportunity to view SCI's bid, but
not make copies. Based on Horizons' limited and preliminary review, Horizons believes
ECI's bid is non - responsive due to the following apparent reasons. Horizons reserves the
right to supplement this protest with more facts upon receiving and reviewing the
requested information:
ECI wrote two different prices in its bid proposal. ECI wrote "Five Million, Two
hundred fifteen and four hundred seventy six dollars" ECI also wrote "$5,215,476.00."
Missing from the written out bid price was the word `thousands." This materially
changes the bid amount. This is precisely the type of irregularity that may not be waived
under the Public Contract Code. A public entity may waive an irregularity in a bid only
if the irregularity is inconsequential. Ghilotti Construction Co. v. City of Richmond
(1996) 45 Ca1.App.4th 397, 900. Inconsequential means the irregularity cannot affect the
12/04/2010 10:32 FAX
amount of the bid and cannot allow a bidder to walk away from the bid without waiving
its bid bond. Valley Crest v. City Council (1996) 41 Ca1.AppAth 1432, 1442. See also
MCM Const., Inc. v. City & County of San Francisco (1998) 66 Cal. App. 4`h 359, 373
(city was without power to waive irregularity where contractor failed to list dollar
amounts of subcontractors).
Gf. 0002 /0002
There are irregularities in the signatures. The bid and /or subcontractor listing
appears to have two different signatures for the same name for the president. It appears
to Horizons that the president did not sign both. The failure to sign a bid properly is also
an irregularity that may not be waived. Menefee v. County of Fresno, 163 Cal. App. 3d
1175 (1985).
The bid failed to list subcontractors for several material areas of work including
roofing, landscaping, site utilities, site concrete, fire alarm, and fire sprinklers. Each of
these areas will exceed '/2 of I% of the work, and subcontractors should have been listed
pursuant to Public Contract Code sections 4104 -4107. ECI is not legally permitted under
either the specifications or California license laws to perform all of these areas.
This letter is a formal protest against any award of the contract to a bidder other
than Horizons. Horizons reserves the right to supplement this protest with additional
facts after it receives the requested information. Horizons also requests notice pursuant
to Government Code section 54954.1 of all meetings related to the award. Horizons ask
to be faxed all staff reports or recommendations concerning this project as soon as they
are available to the public. If this letter is insufficient to accomplish any of these
purposes, please let us know immediately what else is required so we can comply.
Please also consider this a request for all communications between ECI and the
City in connection with any prior bids for the Project.
If you need any further information, dont hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
— a-��
Hatem Ibrahim, President
Horizons Construction Company.
Cc: Armenak Kavcioglu, Attorney at Law.