Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Award of Contract for the HVAC Replacement Project at the City Hall Building - Plan No: P-2615.
End
From: Jake Ngo, Public Works Director
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Tuan Pham, Maintenance and Utilities Manager
____________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and City Council:
A. Approve the award of contract to the lowest and responsible bidder in the amount of $898,240.00 to Simco Mechanical, Inc. and that all other bids be rejected; and
B. Authorize a 10% contingency in the amount of $89,824.00 for potential change orders; and
C. Authorize the City Manager to execute the contract on behalf of the City.
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BACKGROUND
On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law to address the economic and health impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation allocated $130.2 billion to be evenly divided among the counties based on population ($65.1 billion) and cities using the modified Community Development Block Grant formula ($65.1 billion). As a result, the City of Westminster received an allocation of $23.7 million. A portion of this allocation was budgeted to fund the HVAC and roof replacement at the City Hall, Council Chambers, Community Services, and Senior Center buildings.
That project was originally advertised in October 2024, with bids opened on November 25, 2024. Two bids were received, both bids substantially exceeding the engineer’s estimate. As a result, the Mayor and City Council approved the rejection of all bids on December 9, 2024.
As part of value engineering efforts to reduce project costs, the Mayor and City Council approved a contract amendment with David Pickard Architects on June 11, 2025, to redesign the project. The revised design removed the roof replacement components for the four buildings and focused solely on the HVAC system and ductwork upgrades for the four buildings.
On November 12, 2025, the Mayor and City Council approved the adoption of the revised plans and specifications and authorized staff to solicit construction bids for the revised HVAC Replacement Project. The bid solicitation included the City Hall Building as the base bid with Council Chambers Building and Senior/Community Services Building included as alternate bid items.
The Engineering Division solicited bids and the following bids were received and opened on Tuesday, February 24, 2026:
|
Ranking |
Bidder |
Base Bid Amount |
1 Simco Mechanical, Inc. 787 W. Woodbury Road, Suite #12 Altadena, CA 91001 Cesar Rossignoli (818) 957-4994 cesar@simcomechanical.com <mailto:cesar@simcomechanical.com>
2 RAN Enterprises, Inc. 17612 Sampson Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92647 Thierry Abinader (714) 842-8688 thierry@ranent.com <mailto:thierry@ranent.com>
3 Allison Mechanical, Inc. 1968 Essex Court Redlands, CA 92373 Mark Allison (909) 478-5633 office@allison1.net <mailto:office@allison1.net>
4 Norse Corporation 3555 Harbor Gateway South, Suite F Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Neal Frino (714) 545-3003 nfrino@norseca.com <mailto:nfrino@norseca.com>
Staff evaluated the bid costs and determined that prioritizing the HVAC system replacement at the City Hall building would ensure the project is completed effectively and within the available budget.
The scope of work for the City Hall building includes the following tasks:
1. Demolition and proper disposal of seven aging HVAC units and ductwork.
2. Installation of new mechanical platform to support seven new HVAC units.
3. Installation of seven new energy-saving HVAC equipment, diffusers, dampers, thermostats, condensation drains, ductwork, exhaust fans, and limited roofing elements.
4. Provide temporary heating and air conditioning for the City Hall building during construction.
To further extend the longevity of the City Hall building, staff also recommends utilizing the remaining approved ARPA funds to replace the roof concurrently with the HVAC system improvements. Staff plans to advertise the City Hall Roof Replacement Project in March 2026, with bids anticipated to be opened in April 2026 and a contract award scheduled for consideration by the Mayor and City Council in May 2026.
The scope of work for the roof replacement project for the City Hall building would include the following tasks:
1. Removal and disposal of the existing gravel-surfaced roofing membrane, aging pipe supports, deteriorated parapet walls, and energy-inefficient skylight.
2. Installation of a new Weatherweld roofing system, including cool roof reflective coating, shingle-clad parapet walls, and Dura-Blok pipe supports.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the contract with Simco Mechanical, Inc., including the 10% contingency, in the amount of $988,064 is available in the following ARPA-funded Account No. 21500-212309 “Clean and Safe Environment Improvements for City Facilities.”
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
The HVAC Replacement Project will provide a cleaner and healthier environment for the public and staff in the City Hall building.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Bid Summary
2. Agreement
3. Contractor’s Proposal
4. Pre-Construction Photo
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager