Council awards $126,007.50 contract to replace roof at Fire Station 159; contingency added for aging building

The Gardena City Council on Sept. 9 authorized a $126,007.50 contract with Best Contracting Services Inc. to replace the roof at Fire Station 159 and approved a 25% contingency of $32,000, with an additional budget appropriation of $39,000 from the city’s deferred maintenance fund. Staff told the council that Fire Station 159 (2030 W. 130th/First Street) is a city-owned building occupied by Los Angeles County Fire as a tenant and that the lease and service agreement place responsibility for nonroutine repairs, such as a roof replacement, with the city. The existing roof includes original sections from 1957 that staff said have developed leaks. City staff solicited three proposals and selected Best Contracting Services Inc. as the lowest responsive bidder. Project funding will come from the city’s deferred maintenance fund; the staff report said a deferred maintenance appropriation of $120,000 had been budgeted for FY 2025–26 and that an additional $39,000 was required to fund the contract and contingency. Council members asked whether the replacement would use newer “cool roofing” materials that reflect heat and extend life span; staff and the public-works director said the selected method follows the standard process used on recent city facility roofs and that the city had evaluated alternatives while designing other recent projects. The director agreed to review the cool-roof technology suggestion for future projects but noted that station 159’s roof, at about 68 years of age, required prompt replacement before winter to stop existing leaks. The motion to award the construction contract, approve the appropriation and declare the project categorically exempt under CEQA (Class 1) passed 5-0: Mayor Serta, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, Councilmembers Tanaka, Francis and Love. Financial details: contract $126,007.50; recommended contingency 25% ($32,000); additional appropriation requested $39,000 from deferred maintenance fund; total project authorization indicated at approximately $158,000. Discussion vs. decision: council discussion centered on materials and timing (discussion); the council took formal action to award the contract and approve the appropriation and contingency (decision). No additional city direction beyond approving the contract was recorded in the meeting minutes.