Title
Planning and Building Department, Airports Division, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Second Amendment to Agreement for Services 3104 with EPIC Aviation, LLC, to extend the term by three months, to February 19, 2024, with no change in rates or increase in compensation, for continuing the purchase and sale of airport fuel and related support services at the Placerville and Georgetown Airports.
FUNDING: Placerville and Georgetown Airport Enterprise Funds.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The County of El Dorado is the owner and operator of two public airports, the Placerville Airport, at 3501 Airport Road in Placerville, and the Georgetown Airport, at 6245 Aerodrome Way in Georgetown, with operations and maintenance of these two airports administered by the County’s Planning and Building Department (Planning and Building). The County purchases aviation fuel to sell to users at both airports, utilizing a credit card program and point of sale system and procedures to accept such payments on behalf of the County.
At its June 12, 2018 meeting (Item 5), the Board awarded Request for Proposals 18-405-029 to EPIC Aviation, LLC (EPIC), as the low qualified proposer. The Board further authorized the Chair to sign an agreement with EPIC for a five-year period with a not-to-exceed amount of $3,500,000. Agreement for Services 3104 (Agreement) between the County and EPIC became effective on July 19, 2018, with a stated term of July 20, 2018, through July 19, 2023 (Attachment D). On July 18, 2023, to avoid a gap in services related to the purchase of fuel for airport users, the Board approved an extension to Agreement for Services 3104, through November 19, 2023, to allow additional time to complete the Request for Proposals (RFP) process and formulate a new agreement with the successful proposer. The RFP closed on July 14, 2023, and the apparent low qualified proposer was CityServiceValcon.
The County has contracted with EPIC for more than fifteen years. Changing to a new service provider is proving to be more complicated than anticipated, partially due to new technologies related to electronic handling of payments. Negotiations related to developing a new agreement are ongoing but will require more time than what remains on the current Agreement, which will expire on November 19, 2023. As a result, Planning and Building is requesting the Board approve Amendment II to the Agreement (Attachment B), which provides a three-month term extension to February 19, 2024. Amendment II, as proposed, does not include an increase in rates or compensation.
Staff anticipate that the new agreement with CityServiceValcon will need to be implemented approximately two weeks prior to the termination of the extended Agreement with EPIC because of the time needed for settlement of accounts with EPIC once CityServiceValcon assumes responsibility for fuel supplies and sales for the Placerville and Georgetown Airports. Staff will bring approval of the new agreement to the Board in time to include a request for an overlap in the agreements to accommodate this process.
The airports have utilized approximately $1.6 million of the $3.5 million Agreement, leaving sufficient funds to provide for fuel and related services through the requested term extension.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose to:
1) Not approve Amendment II and maintain the Agreement’s current expiration date of November 19, 2023, recognizing this will result in a lapse in fuel and related support services at both airports until a new agreement can be put in place; or,
2) Approve Amendment II, with an alternate extension term of the Board’s choosing, which may result in a lapse in fuel and related support services at both airports.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
23-1130, Item 43, approval of four-month extension of Agreement #3104, 7/18/23; 18-0911, Item 17, 7/17/18, approval of current Agreement #3104; and, 18-0862, Item 5, 6/12/18, awarding RFP to the low qualified proposer, EPIC.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Procurement, with County Counsel and Risk Management approving Amendment II as presented.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact or Net County Cost associated with this agenda item. Sufficient funds have been budgeted in the Placerville and Georgetown Airport Enterprise Fund budgets for Fiscal Year 2023-24 to provide for fuel and related service costs associated with this Agreement and proposed Amendment II.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Obtain the Chair’s signature on the two (2) original copies of Amendment II; and,
2) Return one (1) fully executed original copy of Amendment II to Planning and Building, Airports Division, to the attention of Sherrie Busby, for transmittal to EPIC.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety, Good Governance
CONTACT
Chris Perry, Assistant Director
Planning and Building Department