Title
Authorizing the use of a Project Labor Agreement for a project to improve Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems in City buildings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul, through its OFS Real Estate (Office of Financial Services - Real Estate Section) is preparing to undertake a project to improve the air quality in city buildings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, OFS Real Estate has received approval to manage a $2.3 million project to improve building air quality by replacing air filters with CDC-recommended MERV 13 filters, increasing air flow and inside/outside air exchange as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems allow, installing ionization devices to remove air contaminates, and adding free-standing HEPA filters in buildings as needed (the “Citywide HVAC Project”); and
WHEREAS, OFS Real Estate is contracting with an electrical/mechanical engineering consultant and coordinating with City facilities maintenance staff to assess HVAC conditions and identify improvement options; and
WHEREAS, OFS Real Estate plans to order materials for the HVAC improvements through a vendor under master contract with the State of Minnesota, and is coordinating with the Office of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity (HREEO) on the bid process for installation work by qualified electrical contractors; and
WHEREAS, the Citywide HVAC Project financing plan was approved by the Mayor’s Administration using federal CARES Act funding recently allocated to the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, notification regarding the possible use of a PLA (Project Labor Agreement), as originally authorized and required by the City Council in CF 09-584, adopted on June 3, 2009, was duly given to interested parties on September 18, 2020; and
WHEREAS, of the one response received to the notification by the September 28, 2020 deadline, the recommendation was in favor of the use of a PLA f...
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