REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of Budget Modification No. 50 in the amount of $300,000 for Public Safety Emergency Generator Rental
Report
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The existing generator systems at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) building at the Civic Center campus are unreliable in the event of an unplanned PG&E outage. The existing generators that service this building have been in service for approximately 34 years; 14 years beyond the lifecycle requirements for City Fleet replacement scheduling. On September 12, 2017, the backup generators at the DPS building overheated causing a loss of power that placed the 911 Call Center and the Utility Billing System temporarily out of service. The City Manager notified the City Council of the need to have immediate action pursuant to the Municipal Code and the Purchasing Officer procured rentals of backup generators through an existing Blanket Purchase Order with Peterson Power Systems, Inc. while the cooling systems on the generators were repaired. Following the repairs, the generators were tested and appear to be in satisfactory working order. The Department of Public Works will keep the backup rental generators on site in the event the existing generators experience a similar failure and are unable to produce backup power during a PG&E power outage. These rentals are anticipated to continue until a permanent replacement solution is designed and constructed.
The Department of Public Works hired the engineering firm AECOM to perform an Emergency Generator system assessment and evaluate the existing conditions of the site. Part of AECOM's responsibility was to assess the existing system, provide scope options for permanent generator solutions, and provide cost estimates. The goal of the project is to provide immediate, stable, and automatic temporary backup electrical power to the entire Department of Public Safety building including emergency and non-emergency functions in the event of an unplanne...
Click here for full text