Title
Resolution to Rescind R-23-182 for a Single Construction Contract with Melink Solar, LLC for the Purchase and Installation of Solar at City Facilities and its Appropriations and to Approve Four Construction Contracts with Melink Solar, LLC for the Purchase and Installation of Solar at City Facilities, and to Appropriate Necessary Funds (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
In June of 2023, City Council approved a single Construction Contract with Melink Solar, LLC to install solar systems at seven city locations via resolution R-23-182. Because a portion of this project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal government requires that that the City's contracts involving the use of ARPA funds contain certain provisions. However, the contract approved by R-23-182, which was never executed, does not contain the required ARPA provisions.
As City staff and Melink worked to finalize the contract and project details, they realized the project could be streamlined and made easier to implement and administer by allocating ARPA funding toward the construction of solar at the Wheeler Center only and using a separate contract for that site containing the required ARPA provisions. The remaining sites would proceed using separate contracts based on the City's standard form construction contract.
The City and Melink also discovered new issues that would make the Water Treatment Plant prohibitively expensive at this time. As such, staff recommends removing the Water Treatment Plant from the scope of the project and expanding the size of the Steere Farm solar project as this facility is a water-facility and will therefore still provide value to the water system.
Based on the foregoing funding and project scope adjustments, City staff recommend that Council rescind the single contract for Melink in R-23-182 and approve four separate construction contracts. Proceeding with four separate construction contracts, rather than a single contract, will make compl...
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