TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Sydney Barclay, Associate Engineer
SUBJECT: Approval of Community Workforce Agreement, Plans and Specifications and Authorization to Advertise for Bids for the “South Campus Building 4 HVAC Upgrades Project”, PW 23-10.
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve the Plans and Specifications for the “South Campus Building 4 HVAC Upgrades Project” and authorize to advertise for sealed bids, and opening of the bids at a time, date, and location to be published by the Director of Public Works pursuant to Section 20150.8 of the Public Contract Code and approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Community Workforce Agreement with the Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trades Council for the South Campus Building 4 HVAC Upgrades Project (No Fiscal Impact; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
Building 4 at South Campus houses several County functions, including (but not limited to)
--Communications (approximately a dozen staff, their workshop, and their vehicles
--Custodial and Property Management (approximately 2 dozen staff, shop and storage)
--Leased space for our State and Local Officials
--Mail Room
--Storage for multiple departments, including CEO (Surplus), Sheriff (OES), Elections, HHSA, HHS, and others.
--Unoccupied space for about 15 people that could be reclaimed following this project
The South Campus Building 4 Air Handler Units (AHU) 1, 2, and 10 and the Boiler System are past their useful lives and have required extensive maintenance and repair over the last few years. New controls for zones served by AHU 1, 2, 5, and 10 will also need to be replaced since their existing systems are obsolete. These systems have been identified by the County’s Property Management Division as a high priority for replacement. Additionally, due to the age and deterioration of AHU’s 1, 2, and 10, rainwater has leaked through the unit and into the second floor of the building and has caused interior damage that will need to be repaired with a separate project once the units are replaced. The units are currently covered with tarps to mitigate water infiltration, but this is not a permanent solution and it impacts the operation and effectiveness of these units.
On September 9, 2025, the Board authorized Agreement No. 260124B with YEI Engineers, Inc. and a budget amendment in the amount of $380,616, in addition to the previous rolled over appropriation of $131,378 to prepare the design and engineering of the Plans and Specifications, as well as to provide construction support and inspection services to assist Napa County with administering the construction project.
The Plans and Specifications are complete and ready for approval by the Board of Supervisors. The Engineer’s Estimate for the South Campus Building 4 HVAC Upgrades Project is $5,700,000 (which includes costs for design, construction, inspection, contingency, etc.). The Director is requesting authorization to advertise for bids. Staff will return to the Board of Supervisors at the time of construction to present a detailed project budget based on the lowest responsible bid and to request a budget amendment to fund construction. Construction costs will be moved at the time of award from the already budgeted Facilities Master Plan (Project 23045) budget of $9,000,000.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting on July 9, 2024, Supervisors requested a report on the possible use of a Project Labor Agreement (also known as a Community Workforce Agreement) on a future project, such as the renovation of Building Four at South Campus. The Board received this report on October 15, 2024. On February 4, 2025, staff returned to the Board for direction as to whether to pursue a Community Workforce Agreement (“CWA”) for the Building Four project. The Board voted unanimously to enter into negotiations for a CWA on the Building Four work as a pilot project.
The proposed CWA with the Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trades Council (“Trades Council”) is based on a standard template used in many jurisdictions. The CWA includes the standard no-strike, dispute resolution, and “helmets to hardhats” provisions. The CWA does not allow for use of any “core employees,” which are a contractor’s own workers who are not members of a union, as is the Trades Council’s standard practice. However, the CWA prioritizes Napa County residents for dispatch from the hiring hall(s), followed by Solano County residents, and then residents of the Counties of Sonoma, Lake, Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda. The Carpenter’s union indicates they will not sign the CWA (the Carpenters are not members of the Trades Council), but the scope of the Building Four improvements has been reduced to only HVAC work since the County started discussing a potential CWA and there is little carpentry work left in the project. If the County pursues another CWA in the future, including the Carpenters will be important because the benefits of a CWA are reduced if all the trades are not signatory.
Requested Actions:
1. Approve Plans and Specifications for the “South Campus Building 4 HVAC Upgrades Project”, PW 23-10, and authorize to advertise for sealed bids.
2. Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Community Workforce Agreement with the Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trades Council for the South Campus Building 4 HVAC Upgrades Project.
FISCAL IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
This project will improve the HVAC system for part of South Campus Building 4 and will ensure proper function of the existing system. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Construction will begin in FY 2025-26 and will be completed in FY 2026-27. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The project will not move forward into the construction phase. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301, as the repair and maintenance of existing public facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.