Agenda

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ARF- 2878

2. B.

Work Session

Meeting Date:	11/25/2014
Submitted For:	Jeffrey Hessenius
Submitted By:	Jeannie Sgroi, Contracts Administrator, Finance Division
Department:	Finance
Fiscal Year:	2014-2015	Budgeted?:	No
Contract Dates Begin & End:	Varies	Grant?:	No
Matching Requirement?:	No	Fund?:	Renewal

Information

Request/Subject

Advance approval to advertise Invitation for Bids for various items of construction for the Copper Administration Building.

Background Information

On September 30, 2014, the Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a used modular structured building to relocate existing County departments and personnel from private leased offices to County property. This purchase will help mitigate the County's need to lease private office space.

Evaluation

During the course of completing the erection of the modular structured building, there will be several different areas of construction that will need to be performed. Building and site improvements need to be made prior to the occupancy of the structure.

It would save the County a great deal of time if advance approval were given to advertise various items of construction at various times as the different stages of construction are ready for each item of work that needs to be performed.

Gila County's process with regard to an Invitation for Bid is to: 1) obtain the Board of Supervisors' approval to advertise the Invitation for Bid in the official newspaper of the County; and 2) present information to the Board of Supervisors on the bids that were submitted in order for the Board to award a contract for the work to be performed. Per A.R.S. §34-201, a notice to contractors of intention to receive bids and contract for the proposed work shall be published by advertising in a newspaper of general circulation in the County in which the agent is located, for two consecutive publications if it is a weekly newspaper. Given agenda deadline dates and dates of Board meetings, a good amount of time can be lost between a Board meeting to 1) request approval to advertise the intent to bid; 2) the two week period required by Arizona statute to advertise the intent to bid; and 3) then submitting the bid results before the Board for the award of the contract.

Staff is requesting advanced approval from the Board of Supervisors, for the advertising portion only, of the sealed bid process, for any construction related projects which exceed the $50,000 threshold, that have to do with the Copper Administration Building solely. The purpose of this request is to expedite the ability to send Invitations for Bid out and receive bids back in a timely manner. Once the bids have been submitted and opened, a recommendation would then be submitted to the Board of Supervisors, at a regular meeting, for award.

In lieu of taking each Request to Advertise before the Board each time a phase of construction is nearing commencement, a Request to Advertise form would be filled out by the Public Works Department, and then approved by the County Attorney's Office, the County Manager, and the Public Works Division Director.

Conclusion

By the Board authorizing advance approval to advertise Invitations for Bids for various construction related services necessary for the Copper Administration Building as the project progresses, it will help to facilitate the completion of the construction for the project, which in turn will allow the Probation, Finance, Human Resources and Library District Departments and personnel to begin utilizing the building, thereby eliminating the need to rent private office space for the Probation Department.

It is advantageous for the Board of Supervisors to be presented with information during a Work Session regarding the potential future projects that will require advertising an Invitation for Bids which are related to the Copper Administration Building Project. After a discussion has been held during this Work Session, it is anticipated that this item will be placed on the Board's December 2nd meeting agenda for Board action.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Public Works Division and Finance Division staff be allowed to provide information regarding an upcoming request to be presented to the Board of Supervisors to allow advance authority to advertise various Invitations for Bids in the Arizona Silver Belt newspaper at various times as the different phases of construction are nearing commencement on the Copper Administration Building Project.

Suggested Motion

Information/Discussion regarding advance authorization for staff to advertise various Invitation for Bids in the local newspaper for construction projects directly related to the Copper Administration Building project, thereby saving time and allowing a more accurate window for scheduling the projects. (A list of projects is attached to this agenda item.)
(Jeff Hessenius and Steve Stratton)

Attachments
List of Construction Projects