On Tuesday Public Works Director Brent Siemer gave a quarterly report to the board on the alternative selection process for construction-related activities.
The report was a stipulation of the board's April approval of the alternate process, which Siemer said waived the current policy for consultant review and selection.
Siemer said the changes allowed to him put out a request for proposals for projects, then prequalify and engage firms. He also received extra contracting authority.
When the board approved the changes, Public Works was overwhelmed with projects. Siemer said they had 40 projects with a value of more than $15 million.
Since then, Siemer said his department has initiated construction on 19 projects valued at more than $5.6 million, which are producing jobs.
Public Works has entered into five contracts – totaling just over $474,000 – for construction management services on its various projects. Green Valley Consulting of Santa Rosa holds one of those contracts for $76,027; Quincy Engineering of Sacramento holds two contracts totaling $224,951; and Ruzicka Engineering of Lakeport received two contracts for $173,730.
He said the construction season crunch has slowed down. But his written report to the board anticipated that the projects expected to start in the spring would bring the projects total to $15 million.
Last week the board made changes to county procurement policies. Siemer said makes it possible to drop the alternative selection process.
That process has been beneficial in that it gives first consideration to local firms when negotiating for services, eliminates overhead costs for preparing competitive proposals and also does away with his department's costs to prepare and evaluate requests for proposals.
Siemer said he did want to maintain his existing list of contractors that he's compiled through the process, and asked for the board's concurrence with keeping that prequalified list in place for all on-call services through December 2010, which was granted.
In other board news, a request for board direction on revised membership for the Genetically Engineered Crop Advisory Committee was withdrawn, as the committee is planning to meet and come to a decision on its own.
The supervisors also held a public hearing on a county agreement with T-Mobile West Corp. for a facility space license which the board approved, and presented a proclamation designating the week of Nov. 8 through 14 as In-Home Supportive Services Caregiver Week in Lake County.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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