(December 16)  The county board of supervisors this week rejected both bids received for the installation of safety and security barriers on the second floor balcony of the psychiatric ward at the county hospital in Colton.
The county’s primary behavioral health facility is located on the second floor of the main county hospital campus, the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, a five story structure at 400 North Pepper Avenue in Colton.
According to Carl Alban, the county’s director of architecture and engineering, the “installation of security barrier fencing minimizes the risk of harm from falling or injury to patients able to access the second floor balcony and exterior east wall areas.”
Accordingly, his department was looking to complete such a project, having earmarked $211,300 to complete the assignment. Alban estimated the county would need to spend $15,700 on the design, another $19,600 on project management and inspection and $160,000 on construction, while setting aside a contingency of $16,000. In April, the architecture and engineering department advertised for bids and attracted ten contractors,  who attended a mandatory job walk on the project. On June 11, the county received two bids on the job, one from Angeles Contractor, Inc. of Buena Park for $193,200 and another from Dalke & Sons Construction, Inc. of Riverside for $208,480.
According to Alban, “Both bids received exceeded the project budget and exceeded the amount that could be awarded utilizing the informal bidding procedures. Following the opening of the bids, staff further reviewed the project and recommends rejecting all bids and re-advertising the project to incorporate revisions and clarifications to the bid documents that should result in more accurate and lower cost bid results.”
In accordance with Alban’s recommendation, the board of supervisors on Tuesday rejected both bids received on June 11, 2014, approved the revised plans and specifications; and authorized architecture and engineering to re-advertise for the installation of security barrier fencing at the ARMC Behavioral Health Center.
A mandatory pre-bid meeting for prospective bidders is scheduled to be conducted on January 7, 2015, at 1 p.m. at 400 N. Pepper Avenue in Colton. The bid opening is scheduled for January 20, 2015, at 2 p.m. at the architecture and engineering office.  Plans and specifications for the project are on file with the clerk of the board of supervisors.