Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09 AUTHORIZE PURCHASE OF HYDRO EXCAVATORAgenda Item 9 AG E N DA R E P O RT Reviewed Y City Manager Finance Director N/A MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 3, 2015 TO: JEFFREY C. PARKER, CITY MANAGER FROM: DOUGLAS S. STACK, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS /CITY ENGINEER SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE PURCHASE OF HYDRO EXCAVATOR SUMMARY Staff has received a proposal for the purchase of a hydro excavator in the amount of $424,068 and is seeking authorization to purchase the vehicle from Haaker Equipment Company of La Verne, CA. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council authorize the purchase of one hydro excavator from Haaker Equipment Company in the amount of $424,068. FISCAL IMPACT Sufficient funds have been budgeted and appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2014 -2015 Operating Budget from the Water Enterprise Fund to the Vehicle Replacement Fund (Account #184- 80 -00- 9710) to cover the purchase of the hydro excavator with accessories at a total cost of $424,068. CORRELATION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN The recommended actions contribute to the fulfillment of the City's Strategic Plan Goal B, Public Safety and Protection of Assets, ensuring that Tustin is an attractive, safe and well maintained community in which people feel pride. BACKGROUND Currently, Water Services personnel utilize traditional means and methods to excavate for service repairs to laterals and water mains. These conventional methods primary include the use of a backhoe, dump truck and manual shoveling. In most cases, a larger area of excavation is often developed as the work zone is exposed and secured. Often, it is the result of subsurface utilities in the immediate area that require careful consideration and protection and the inherent mechanical nature of a backhoe and operator performing this work. Typical underground utilities encountered include gas, electrical, sewer, water, fiber - optics and cable. Hydro excavation is the process of excavating or moving soil with pressurized water. An air conveyance or vacuum is then used to extract the soil slurry simultaneously and deposit the material in a debris holding tank. This is all performed with one piece of equipment. This allows for a non - destructive and more accurate way to excavate soil, locate utilities and expose the area needing repair. Excavation and restoration generally takes the most amount of time when it comes to making a repair. Since the adjoining soil stays intact and the excavation is direct and accurate, less time is required and the overall restoration made more resourcefully. As a result, it is the preferred method of excavating. It also improves operator safety, is easy to handle, and is considered a best management practice for site containment with regards to storm water quality. Authorize Purchase of Hydro Excavator February 3, 2015 Page 2 In addition, this apparatus will be utilized by Field Services, Street Division, twice per year for catch basin maintenance in compliance with regional water quality regulations, for an annual savings of $30,000. Pursuant to our MS4 permit, 100% of the city's basin inventory must be clean on a bi- annual basis. As a matter of operation, 80% of the basin inventory is cleaned on an annual basis with the use of a rental hydro excavator. Although primarily for Water Services daily operation, this apparatus will be a prudent investment and addition to the City's fleet resources that can serve a variety of needs and situations, both in daily and emergency operations. DISCUSSION A Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Hydro- Excavator was advertised and sent to three specialty vendors and posted on the City's web page in October 2014. There are specific vendor limitations, on which companies are able to submit proposals, due to the amount of specialty equipment on this type of apparatus. One non - responsive proposal and three responsive proposals were received on November 18, 2014. The proposals submitted ranged in price from $364,405 to $444,786. The pricing proposals were as follows: Responsive Vendors Vendor Equipment Price • Haaker Equipment Company Vactor Hydro Excavator $424,068.00 • Owen Equipment Sales Vactor Hydro Excavator $429,315.12 • Legacy Equipment Company Vactor Hydro Excavator $444,786.12 Non - Responsive Vendors Vendor Equipment Price • Municipal Maintenance Equipment Vac -Con X- Cavator $364,405.45 A group comprised of representatives from Field Services and Water Services met to review the proposals. In an act of fairness and due diligence, Water Services conducted a thorough review of both the responsive and non - responsive vendors' pieces of equipment through a hands -on process. The crews sampled both pieces of equipment in daily work activities and concluded the Vactor unit, which meets the RFP specifications, would better suit their needs. Listed below are some of the reasons staff selected the Vactor over the Vac -Con after hands -on demonstrations were performed: • The Vactor is significantly quieter, which will limit disruption to the community, especially during emergency night work. • The Vactor is ergonomically designed to limit operator fatigue. • The Vactor had mechanical means to block water flow to the blower motor. (water in the blower motor would require replacement of a $25K motor). • The Vactor has one water tank instead of multiple tanks. This reduces the possibility of leaks and general maintenance needs. • The Vactor is ready for delivery in February versus sometime between July and September. • The Vactor includes more usable storage. • The Vactor's debris basin is easier to clean and maintain, saving staff time. • The Vactor comes with a backup camera, which is an important safety feature for a vehicle of this size. Authorize Purchase of Hydro Excavator February 3, 2015 -Page 3 Staff surveyed current users of both the Vactor and Vac -Con, who indicate they prefer the Vactor for its dependability. The Vactor meets the City's specification. It is recommended that the City Council approve the purchase of one hydro excavator from Haaker Equipment Company in the amount of $424,068. Staff has checked references supplied by the vendor for previoukcontracts and has found no complaints. P. E. Works /City Engineer SACity Council Items\2015 Council Items \02- 03- 2015\Authorize Purchase of Hydro Excavator_dss.doc