TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Marcela Aparicio, Supervising Staff Services Analyst
SUBJECT: Contingency Planning - 1127 First Street
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Public Works requests approval of the following Budget Transfer for the purchase of 15 portable air conditioning units for 1127 First Street related to implementing contingency plans in preparation for summer (4/5 vote required):
1. Increase appropriation by $75,000 in Accumulated Capital Outlay Fund (Fund 3000, Org 3000000, Object 56100) offset by the use of its available fund balance to fund the purchase of 15 portable AC units by Property Management Maintenance (Fund 4300, Org 4300000, Object 48200); and
2. Increase appropriation by $75,000 in Property Management Minor Equipment account (Fund 4300, Org 4300000, Object 53400) offset by transfer-in revenue from Accumulated Capital Outlay.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On March 14, 2023, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to develop and implement a contingency plan for operation of the County-owned building located at 1127 First Street during critically hot days when the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units are at significant risk of failure. Contingency planning includes the purchase and placement of 15 portable air conditioning units at various locations throughout the building to be deployed when the outside temperature meets or exceeds 105 degrees. The cost to purchase each unit is between $4,500-$5,000, which amounts to $75,000 for all 15 units. Approval of the requested budget transfer will provide funding to the Property Management division for purchase of the air conditioning units.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
No |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Funds will be transferred from Accumulated Capital Outlay (Fund 3000, Org 3000000) to Property Management (Fund 4300, Org 4300000). |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Purchase of the portable AC units are needed to implement contingency plans for operation 1127 First Street on days when temperatures exceed 105 degrees and/or if HVAC units on the building fail |
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Is the general fund affected? |
Yes |
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Future fiscal impact: |
This will be a one-time purchase. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If not approved, staff located at 1127 First Street will not be able to be on-site during hot summer days, when temperatures increase above 105 degrees. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Healthy, Safe, and Welcoming Place to Live, Work, and Visit |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
On May 18, 2021, a project to design replacement of six (6) rooftop packaged heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units that provide heating and cooling to the County-owned building located at 1127 First Street in Napa was approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board). The HVAC units are well past the end of their useful life and replacement of the units was recommended to avoid failure. On December 14, 2021, the Board approved Napa County Agreement No. 220210B with YEI Engineers, Inc. to develop the replacement design. While under design, YEI observed issues with the existing roofing of the building which would need to be addressed as part of the HVAC replacement project.
On January 31, 2023, the Board received a report on current County facilities, and staff sought input from the Board related to initiating a planning process to develop a Facilities Master Plan to serve the long-term interests of the County. The Board, as part of its discussion, and as it had in the past, expressed interest in selling 1127 First Street. Ultimately, the Board directed staff to initiate a Facilities Master Planning Process which would likely include disposal of 1127 First Street.
On March 14, 2023, the Board received an update on the planning and design of the 1127 First Street HVAC Replacement Project and staff sought direction on whether to move forward with the project given the facilities master planning process that was initiated on January 31, 2023. At this point in time, YEI and Public Works staff had nearly completed the design and the overall project cost was estimated to be approximately $6 million.
The HVAC system at 1127 First Street is aged, is severely stressed, and needs to be taken offline during heat waves and could fail at any time. Failure would disrupt operations located in the building and would result in costs to either repair the unit(s) and/or relocate county employees from the building. It would be ideal to alleviate this risk as quickly as possible, however, due to supply chain issues creating excessively long lead times to procure new units, under the best of circumstances the HVAC replacement project could not be completed for at least 18 months from initiation. With an aggressive approach to implement a phased approach to facilities master planning, it’s conceivable that a new downtown office building to house staff currently located at 1127 First Street could be completed in approximately 3-4 calendar years, meaning that investment in the HVAC system could be beneficial for County operations for as little as 18 months.
On March 14, 2023, in consideration of HVAC replacement project timelines and the timeline for facilities master planning, the Board directed staff to halt the 1127 First Street HVAC replacement project and to develop and implement a contingency plan for staff operating from 1127 First Street.
Public Works and Department Heads located at 1127 First Street have discussed contingency planning for 1127 First Street when HVAC units are not able to operate. Initial plans include deployment of up to 15 portable AC units and work-from-home arrangements. Approval of the budget request will provide sufficient funding to Property Management to purchase the required portable AC units for availability this summer as needed and when temperatures exceed 105 degrees.