The council on April 27 approved the purchase of two portable pumps for emergency storm response and a third pump for sewer bypass operations. The total cost: $245,722.62, according to the staff report.
The vote was unanimous.
This was a Consent Calendar item. The council did not discuss this item.
Background
“Due to its proximity to the ocean as well as its general topography, the City of Seal Beach (City) encounters flooding in various areas during heavy volume rain events. This flooding causes traffic backups, road closures, debris dispersion, and potentially unsafe conditions for residents and visitors alike,” according to the staff report prepared by Sean Low, deputy Public Works director – Maintenance and Utilities.
“To combat this, City staff deploy portable standalone stormwater pumps in designated parts of the City that have historically been impacted by rain events during projected periods of heavy rainfall. The pumps are deployed at the following five (5) locations:
“• 1st St Parking Lot
“• 10th St Parking Lot
“• College Park East (Ironwood Ave/Elder Ave)
“• Marina Ave and 7th Street
“• Marina Ave and Caravel Way,” Low wrote.
“Each one of these locations requires one (1) portable stormwater pump, ancillary accessories, and staff to operate. The City owns three (3) sets of pump and equipment, resulting in the need to rent two (2) additional pumps,” Low wrote.
“Two (2) out of the three (3) pumps the City desires to purchase will be dedicated to storm event response, enabling full ownership of all pumps for each site. The benefits of full ownership include greatly reducing staff coordination time and improving emergency response times. Over the past few years of storm event preparation, the accumulation of pump rental fees and coordination time have exceeded the cost of purchasing the pumps outright. Additionally, with the forecast of a potentially wet winter, it is in the best interest for the City to invest in purchasing the pumps for operational and customer service readiness,” Low wrote.
The sewer pump
“The City’s primary sewer lift station, Pump Staton #35, is currently under construction to provide critical improvements, including mechanical upgrades, wet well rehabilitation, emergency generation, and a permanent by-pass connection. The bypass connection is a key resiliency feature allowing the City to maintain wastewater conveyance should a failure occur at the station. Accordingly, the third additional pump purchase will provide a dedicated bypass pump for the station, enhancing system reliability and operational continuity,” Low wrote.
“Based on the quote proposal packages submitted, Charles King Company was deemed the lowest responsible bidder. Staff, therefore, recommends that the City Council authorize the purchase from Charles King Company without satisfaction of the formal bid requirements,” Low wrote.
