Council approves upgrade of police locker room and dispatch center; one abstention

The Long Beach City Council on Jan. 7 approved a contract to upgrade the police department’s locker room and bathrooms and to build an expanded dispatch communications center, awarding the work to AFL General Construction as the lowest responsible bidder.

City staff said six bids were received and that contract documents had been provided to council members previously. Staff and contractors indicated the dispatch area will be refurbished and expanded in the same building footprint; the holding cells adjacent to dispatch will remain in place and staff said there is a plan to manage logistics during construction.

Council members asked whether the project would include new dispatch equipment; staff said new equipment will be purchased under a future resolution. There was discussion about the bid bond requirement: staff noted that contractors submit a 10 percent bid bond tied to the contract value, which is common in construction procurement to protect the owner.

During the roll call vote the resolution passed with one abstention by Council member Lester; other recorded votes were yes from Council members Bridal, Reinhart, Vice President Miyamura and President Finn.

A council member noted that approximately $355,000 in grant funds had been awarded to support the project; staff confirmed the grant and said much of the cost will be paid from those funds. Council members also discussed competitive bidding dynamics and whether bid-bond requirements discourage some contractors; staff said the process is common and intended to protect the city if a contractor defaults.

Staff said the purchase of new dispatch equipment will be brought to the council as a separate procurement item and that isolation of police and fire dispatch continues as the chosen approach; the city maintains an OEM center that can be used for joint operations in emergencies.