Manteca Fire Chief Kyle Shipherd had a concern that homeless seeking shelter at the back of the Louise Avenue fire station were creating a number of issues not the least being the ability of firefighters to respond effectively to emergencies.

The answer was to secure the area behind the fire station that is open to Crestwood Avenue by installing a wrought security gate and fencing stretching 50 feet. The material needed was estimated to be about $8,500.

He brought the issue before the City Council nearly a year ago and they agreed it was imperative to secure the fire station to prevent unauthorized people — homeless and otherwise — from hanging out or camping at the rear of the fire station.

Once all the costs — labor, design, complying with state regulations, and such — were factored in the estimates from professional firms to complete the project came in at $25,000.

But because the security gate project was estimated to cost more than $5,000, the city had to comply with state law that required the security gate to go out to a formal bid.

That’s when the cost of the project literally tripled. The new price of $75,000 reflected an assortment of additional requirements that are attached to projects put out to bid ranging from approved formal plans being drawn up and longer time frames for the bidding process to contractors required to post a performance bond.

The bidding process essentially eliminates licensed contractors and such that don’t dabble in projects requiring performance bonds. That in itself narrows the field of bidders and can create artificially higher prices when the demand for work to be completed is so plentiful that there is no downward pressure in prices.

Shipherd balked at the expense.

Last week Shipherd returned to the council with a solution crafted by Senior Management Analyst Randy Saffold who works in City Manager Tim Ogden’s office. The Uniform Public Construction Accounting Cost Accounting Act was scoured and it was discovered Manteca — if elected leaders approved — could opt for a process that would:

Allow public projects of $45,000 or less to be performed by employees of a public agency using a purchase order.

Enable projects of $175,000 or less to have contracts awarded by informal procedures outlined in the act.

Require all pubic projects of more than $175,000 to go through the formal bidding process.

The council adopted the new rules and Shipherd now hopes to have a security fence and gate in place within several months for a price right around $25,000 or a third of what it would cost taxpayers under a formal bid.

Shipherd noted the city lacks adequate manpower to do the additional work.

Prior to approving the change, Councilman Jose Nuño asked staff about how robust internal checks and balances were to make sure money on projects covered by the higher cap was properly spent.

Staff noted any capital improvement project that tax dollars are spent on would have to be a budgeted items approved by the council.  Then multiple departments — the department originating the project, the finance department, and the city manager’s office with as many as eight different people reviewing it — would have to sign off.

In his research of how the higher cap for informal bids has worked in other jurisdictions, Saffold noted in a report to the council that “most participants in the program have found that reduced bureaucracy has given them more leeway in the execution of public works projects; sped up the award process; expedited project delivery; reduced the time, effort and expense associated with bidding smaller projects; and simplified administration overall.”

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulltin.com