LAKEPORT, Calif. – After taking action earlier this month to order an expedited bid process to purchase generators for county facilities, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday accepted a bid and approved the purchase.
The county is attempting to be ready to continue to operate key facilities should Pacific Gas and Electric Co. move forward this summer or fall with public safety power shutoffs due to fire danger.
On July 9, faced with buying generators without a bidding process, the board had asked Public Services to seek bids for two weeks, as Lake County News has reported.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing said on Tuesday that the county sent out the request for bids for generators and transfer switches separate from the electrical installation services. They also broke up the electrical installation bids into two projects, one for three buildings, one for the remaining two.
He said they opened the electrical contractor bids on Monday and were continuing to evaluate them, with the full costs of installation yet to be determined.
Before the meeting on Tuesday, Ewing said staff opened the bids for the generators and transfer switches. Two bids were submitted, the lowest being $197,106.50.
Ewing asked for the board to authorize him to issue a purchase order for the generators and to authorize budget transfers for five departments to pay for the equipment: Animal Care and Control, $75,000; Behavioral Health, $85,000; Child Support Services, $85,000; Social Services Administration, $175,000; and Victim-Witness, $35,000.
Those are the same estimated amounts for each department that were given two weeks ago, and Supervisor Bruno Sabatier questioned if they were seeing any savings.
“We’re doing everything we can to minimize the cost,” said Supervisor Rob Brown, who had advocated for the expedited, two-week bidding process in order to show accountability and get the best price.
Ewing explained that during the bid opening for electrical installation, some bids were higher, with the buildings all different and requiring different work to outfit them with the generators. He said an initial quote Social Services solicited for generator installation at its facility was higher than what was received on Monday.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said Animal Care and Control lacked the funds in its budget to cover the generator and needed a budget transfer that would come from a special projects budget in the general fund. The rest of the generator purchases came from department-specific funds.
The board unanimously approved the low bid for the generators and the necessary budget transfers for each of the departments.
Ewing said that he may need to return to the board for further budget transfers depending on what issues arise in the installation process.
He also reported that Lake County Social Services is sharing costs with the owner of the building it leases at 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway in Lower Lake.
Ewing said the owner, the Margaret E. Lyons Survivors Trust, will reimburse the county for the transfer switch, and the county will purchase the generator and retain it should the agency ever move. Social Services is working with the property owner on an agreement to that effect, he said.
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Board of Supervisors approves purchase of generators for county facilities
- Elizabeth Larson
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