REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: GREGORY A. BARFIELD, M.A, Director Department of Transportation BY: SHANNON M. MULHALL, CASp, Projects Administrator Department of Transportation BRIAN CETTI, Project Manager Department of Transportation SUBJECT ..Title Reject all bids received for the Department of Transportation/Fresno Area Express (FAX) Administration Building Parking Lot Shade Structure Project Bid File # 12600990 (Council District 3), and direct staff to repackage and rebid the project ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends Council reject all bids received for the Department of Transportation/FAX Administration Building Parking Lot Shade Structure Project Bid File # 12600990 (Council District 3), and direct staff to repackage and rebid the project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Department of Transportation/FAX issued an Invitation to Bid (IFB) seeking bids for the installation of a shade structure over a portion of the FAX Administration building parking lot. The IFB was posted to Planet Bids on March 27, 2026. There were 25 prospective bidders, 4 building exchanges, and when the bid opened on April 28, 2026, there were 6 bids received. The purpose of the shade structure installation is to comply with state and federal accessibility requirements associated with the Forefront Solar Canopy structures that were installed over the FAX employee parking lots. The project specifications as published required the contractor or sub-contractor to have a C31 license for Traffic Control as well as an associated line item for this cost, however traffic control is not a requirement for this project. Staff recommends Council reject all bids and direct staff to repackage and rebid the project because the unnecessary requirement may have restricted competition and impacted pricing. BACKGROUND FAX engaged in a contract with Forefront Solar to install solar canopies over the parking lots in the bus parking area and employee parking area. Per requirements of the California Building Code, as enforced by the City of Fresno Building and Safety Division of the Planning and Development Department, if covered parking is provided for standard parking stalls, it must also be provided for designated ADA-accessible parking stalls. To comply with this requirement, FAX must install a shade structure over the existing accessible and adjacent parking stalls of the FAX Administration building. Architecture and Engineering Design for this project was provided by Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group. The notice inviting bids was advertised on March 27, 2026, and project plans and specifications were distributed to four builders exchanges. The project specifications as published required the contractor or sub-contractor to have a C31 license for Traffic Control as well as an associated line item for this cost. Six proposals were received and opened during a public bid opening on April 28, 2026. Four bids were deemed non-responsive because they did not meet the C31 license requirement; two bids included this license and were significantly higher than the engineers' estimate. Traffic control is not a requirement for this project because it is located on-site and not in the public right of way. Rebidding without the unnecessary traffic control specifications is anticipated to result in more competition and accurate pricing. Staff recommends that City Council reject all bids and direct staff to repackage and rebid the project. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Rejecting all bids does not qualify as a "project" under CEQA because it lacks any potential for direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change to the environment and involves no discretionary approval that would trigger environmental review. CEQA defines a "project" as an activity subject to public agency discretion that may result in environmental impacts. Routine administrative actions, like declining to accept bids, are explicitly excluded from this definition, and are therefore deemed "not a project" under CEQA. As such, no environmental determination or finding is required. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference is not applicable because this action is to reject all bids. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund from this action because a contract is not being awarded. Attachments: 12600990 Formal Procurement Evaluation 12600990 Shade Structure Specifications