SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Authorize the addition of one new bid line item with Equix Holdings, Inc., dba Equix Energy Services, LLC, of Midway, FL, for the installation of a 16-inch pipeline and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. (consent)
Body
SUMMARY:
Clearwater Gas System (CGS) is currently managing two major projects requiring the installation of 16-inch polyethylene (PE) casing pipe via Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD):
• A five-mile, 8-inch mainline extension crossing multiple wetlands in Pasco County to serve the new Moffitt Cancer Center facility.
• An 8-inch mainline crossing the Tarpon Canal along Curlew Road for increased capacity and reliability to serve the Oldsmar area of our distribution system.
The labor rate to install a 16-inch casing pipe was not anticipated at the time Invitation to Bid (ITB) #23-23 was issued and awarded to Equix, therefore was not included in the existing scope of work. This will be the first use of 16-inch casing for CGS. As a result, CGS requests the addition of a new line item under Group #8, Item 38A of Equix’s contract (Directional Bore - Plastic 16-inch @ $180 per foot). CGS estimates the cost of installation for the 16-inch casings for the above noted projects to be $1.6 million dollars, (approximately 8,750 linear ft).
However, CGS does not anticipate the need to increase the total existing contract to Equix as it is sufficiently funded.
This work is impractical to bid separately, as doing so would increase contractor liability due to introducing a second contractor to the project site, resulting in overlapping work zones and introduce additional complexities related to quality control for gas infrastructure.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
Funds are budgeted and available in 3237323-96378 (Pasco New Mains and Service Lines) and 3237323-96377 (Pinellas New Mains and Service Lines). These projects are funded by revenues from the Gas Utility Enterprise Fund.
USE OF RESERVE FUNDS: N/A
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
Installing and maintaining natural gas pipelines to maintain public infrastructure and protect natural lands by implementing environmentally friendly practices.
