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Board waives bidding and approves three sole‑source lab agreements to back up Laguna environmental lab
Summary
The Board authorized sole‑source professional service agreements for outside analytical laboratories (Enthalpy Analytical $150,000; CalTest/VITASystems $250,000; Alpha Analytical $250,000) to provide specialized testing and surge capacity for the Laguna Environmental Lab.
Robert Wilson, laboratory supervisor for the Laguna Environmental Lab, requested sole‑source professional service agreements to ensure analytical redundancy and to obtain specialized testing not currently in the lab’s ELAP (California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program) scope. Wilson said the Laguna lab performs drinking water, wastewater and biosolids testing but lacks accreditation or capacity for some analytes such as PFAS, dioxin, certain toxicity tests and other specialty analyses. He said outside laboratories also provide surge capacity during high sample volumes and when staffing or equipment shortages occur.
Wilson recommended three firms: Enthalpy Analytical (national laboratory network, local office in El Dorado Hills) for specialized PFAS and dioxin testing and other liquid‑chromatography work; VITASystems, doing business as CalTest Analytical Laboratory, for local redundancy and courier support; and Alpha Analytical Laboratories for similar redundancy and regional courier service. Wilson said that for certain specialized tests, other labs would likely subcontract to the named vendors, so single‑source contracting with those vendors is more efficient.
The Board voted to waive competitive bidding and authorize sole‑source professional service agreements in amounts not to exceed $150,000 for Enthalpy Analytical, $250,000 for CalTest (VITASystems), and $250,000 for Alpha Analytical. Staff said the sole‑source arrangements are consistent with the city’s procurement rules that permit sole sourcing where local capacity, hold times, or specialized accreditation justify bypassing open competitive bids.
No public comment was offered on the items. The motions passed and staff will execute contracts with the named laboratories to ensure compliance with permit reporting requirements and provide surge testing capacity.
