ITEM 6-K

Council Meeting:  June 11, 1991

TO:       Mayor and City Council

FROM:     City Staff

SUBJECT:  Award of Contract  to  Construct  an  Addition  to  the
          Laboratory  Building  at  the  Arcadia  Water Treatment
          Plant and the Construction of a Telemetry  Building  at
          Mount Olivette Reservoir

Introduction

This report recommends that the City Council award a contract  to
construct  an  Addition to the Laboratory Building at the Arcadia
Water Treatment Plant and Construction of a Telemetry Building at
Mount  Olivette  Reservoir  to Noel Tomberlin General Contractor,
the lowest responsible bidder, in the amount of $117,900.00.

Background

During the 1990-91 budget  process,  the  City  Council  approved
funding  to  construct  an addition to the laboratory building at
the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant and construction of a telemetry
building  at Mount Olivette Reservoir.  Currently, the laboratory
facilities are located in two buildings and this  arrangement  is
not  adequate.   The new plan would create an enlarged laboratory
space in one of the buildings and convert the  vacated  space  in
the other building to administrative offices.

In addition, this project includes the construction of a 20  foot
x  20  foot  telemetry building to be built at the Mount Olivette
Reservoir.   The  building  will  be  used  to  house  switchgear
equipment and antennae.

A Notice Inviting Bids was published on May 13 and  14,  1991  in
the Evening Outlook, and four construction journals, and was sent
to eight WMBE associations.  Three contractors received plans and
specifications.   One  bid  was received and read publicly on May
28, 1991, by the Deputy City Clerk.  The  two  other  contractors
were  contacted  and  both stated that they currently had a large
work load and that they could not fit  this  project  into  their
current  construction  schedules.   In  addition,  the  other two
potential bidders indicated that after reviewing  the  plans  for
the  project,  the  scope  was somewhat larger than they normally
undertake.

One bid was received as follows:

       Noel Tomberlin                             $ 117,900.00

                    City Engineer's Estimate......$ 120,000.00

The low bidder, Noel Tomberlin General Contractor,  supplied  the
City  with  3  references.   All  references  reported  that  the
contractor's work was satisfactory.   In addition, this  firm  is
in  the process of completing another City project (Remodeling of
Second  Floor  Spaces  for  the  Land  Use   and   Transportation
Management   Department)  and  their  work  is  acceptable.   The
apparent  low  bidder's  price  is  below  the  City   Engineer's
estimate.

Budget/Financial Analysis

                         FUNDS REQUIRED

               Contract . . . . . . . . . . $ 117,900.00
               Contingencies  . . . . . . . $  25,100.00

                                   Total    $ 143,000.00

Funds are available in CIP account numbers:
25-760-671-23790-8911-99200,  "Laboratory Facility Expansion", in
the  amount  of  $  100,000.00  and  25-760-671-23690-8912-99199,
"Telemetry   Building  at  Mount  Olivette",  in  the  amount  of
$ 43,000.00.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the City Council:

1.   Award a Contract to Construct an Addition to the  Laboratory
     Building   at   Arcadia   Water   Treatment  Plant  and  the
     Construction of  a  Telemetry  Building  at  Mount  Olivette
     Reservoir  to  Noel Tomberlin General Contractor, the lowest
     responsible bidder, in the amount of $ 117,900.00 and

2.   Authorize the City Engineer to issue  any  necessary  change
     orders  to  complete additional work in conformance with the
     Administrative Instruction on change orders.

Prepared by:  Stan Scholl, Director of General Services
              Dave Britton, Acting City Engineer