CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Sole Source Procurement 20-125, Cable Injection Services, to Novinium, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $6,000,000, plus a 3% contingency and for a five-year term
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DEPARTMENT: Electric Utility
SUBMITTED BY: Lucille Podlesny, Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
In June 2016, the Council awarded sole source Contract 16-244 for injection services to Novinium for $2,000,000 for a three-year period, with two one-year options. Cable injection has proven to be a cost-effective component of asset management for the Utility and is the main cable maintenance process used by the Electric Utility (Utility) to maintain its over 93% underground infrastructure.
Replacing aged failing conductors with new conductors requires extensive construction via open trenching or directional boring, which can be intrusive and costly. Conversely, cable injection rejuvenates the cable insulation via a patented silicone based fluid that is injected under pressure around the cable strands, filling in voids in the insulation that occur with prolonged exposure to high voltage and water infiltration. This injection can be performed with little to no disturbance to landscaping and no excavation. Injecting cable maintains the reliability and longevity of the underground electrical system, which was installed over 30 years ago, by providing extended life to the cable and a 25-year warranty against failure. This almost doubles the life expectancy of the cable.
By performing cable injection at an average cost of approximately $16.00 per foot, a 71% savings is realized compared to traditional cable replacement, which is approximately $55 per foot and significant disturbance to resident's property requiring additional landscaping cost. To date, approximately 91 miles of cable have been successfully injected and in May 2019, Council approved the first option year.
DISCUSSION:
Instead of exercising the secon...
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