Call Box Maintenance and Improvements – Contract Amendment #1

1. APPROVE Amendment #1 to the contract with Case Systems, Inc. extending the term of the Agreement to June 30, 2020 and increasing the not to exceed amount by $300,329 to a total of $721,463 for the contract period from March 2014 to June 2020.

2. APPROVE the use of $300,329  in Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways funds for Call Box Maintenance and Improvements for the contract period from March 2017 to June 2020.

In February 2014, the Agency Board approved a three year contract for call box maintenance services with CASE Systems Inc. which included the option to extend the contract for an additional three years. Staff recommends extending the current contract through June 2020 and increasing the total contract not to exceed amount by $300,329 to pay for the additional 3 years. 

The maintenance cost for three years (which includes a 3% annual increase) would be $300,329. The funds for call box maintenance are available from the Service Authority for Freeway and Expressways account, which derives its revenue from the $1 fee levied by the Department of Motor Vehicles on vehicle registration in Monterey County.  

As the Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways for Monterey County, the Transportation Agency installs, maintains and operates a motorist aid call box system of 190 active call boxes. The contractor is responsible for performing corrective maintenance on all call boxes, including making repairs associated with electronics, transceivers, power supply and the interface with the cellular system, in addition to keeping call boxes clean and operational by conducting preventive maintenance field visits at least two times a year. The contractor is also required to provide site improvements to improve accessibility for disabled motorists, including retrofits to insure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The current three year contract with CASE Systems Inc. was entered in February 2014 following a competitive procurement process. The contract includes an option to extend the current contract for an additional three years. Over the last three years, CASE Systems Inc. has demonstrated a strong ability to perform the required monthly maintenance tasks set forth in the scope of work and staff recommends extending the current contract for an additional three years.  

The extension of the current contract would leave in place most elements of the contract, except the budget listed in Attachment B-1 and the not to exceed amount, both of which would be amended to reflect the additional three years and four months. The extended termination date was selected to conform to current TAMC contracting practices of having agreements end either at the end of a fiscal year or the end of a calendar year, to assist in tracking.

Under the contract terms, maintenance costs are based on a flat rate per call box for the 190 call boxes currently in service in Monterey County. However, the total number of call boxes in Monterey County is expected to decrease in the coming years as the Agency implements its Call Box Modernization Plan, which is currently being drafted. Staff anticipates that the actual maintenance costs will be lower than the budgeted amount because the call box system is likely to be smaller over the next three years due to call boxes being removed under the Modernization Plan.