To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Breyana Brandt, Parks & Recreation Director
Prepared By: Jeff Gittings, Parks and Urban Forestry Manager
TITLE:
Title
Irrigation Controller Upgrade and Replacement Project
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution authorizing the Parks and Recreation Services Director to execute a contract with SiteOne Landscape Supply LLC for the Irrigation Controller Upgrade and Replacement Project using the BuyBoard Cooperative Purchasing Program pursuant to Napa Municipal Code Section 2.91.060 (Cooperative Contracting)
Body
DISCUSSION:
Project Overview
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes funding to replace outdated irrigation controllers and antiquated irrigation management software used throughout City parks, landscaped areas, and rights-of-way. This project supports the City Council’s Parks & Community Spaces Focus Area and improves long-term water efficiency and park maintenance operations.
The City currently operates 65 irrigation controllers. Forty of these controllers rely on legacy radio-based Laguna software, which experiences frequent communication failures and requires all system changes to be made through a single Parks Office computer. The remaining twenty-five controllers are residential-grade units lacking water-efficiency programming and leak-detection capabilities, requiring staff to visit controllers in the field for troubleshooting and adjustments.
Project Scope
The project will remove outdated units and install new WeatherTRAK irrigation controllers, flow sensors, and master valves (where needed). WeatherTRAK provides web-based management accessible by staff through mobile devices, enabling real-time adjustments, improved leak detection, and more efficient irrigation scheduling. Installation is anticipated to occur in spring and early summer.
Background and Need
The Parks Division maintains more than 90 acres of irrigated natural turf. The City’s recent Parks Conditions Assessment identified irrigation performance deficiencies as a significant contributor to declining turf conditions. Modern irrigation technology and reliable communication systems are critical to maintaining healthy turf and reducing water waste.
Procurement Approach (Napa Municipal Code §2.91.060)
City staff evaluated available procurement methods and determined that cooperative purchasing through the BuyBoard program provides the most cost-effective and efficient means to obtain the required proprietary equipment and specialized installation services.
WeatherTRAK irrigation controllers and related components are proprietary products owned by HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc. Only two distributors serve Northern California, and SiteOne Landscape Supply LLC is the only distributor that provides both procurement and installation/retrofit services necessary for the project.
The BuyBoard Cooperative competitively awarded its contract to SiteOne using an open and publicly advertised process that included detailed specifications, published evaluation criteria, vendor scoring, and contract award based on best value. This process is substantially equivalent to the competitive process required under Napa Municipal Code Chapter 2.91.
Staff determined the proposed contract terms are more beneficial to the City than conducting a separate competitive solicitation because:
• The equipment is proprietary with limited distributors;
• SiteOne is the only distributor offering installation/retrofit services;
• Cooperative purchasing results in lower administrative burden and reduced City costs; and
• The cooperative solicitation meets the goals of Napa Municipal Code §2.91.010(D), including ensuring best value, avoiding waste, guarding against favoritism, and using City resources efficiently.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The project is fully funded through existing appropriations in the Irrigation Controller Replacement Project (33PK24PR01) in the current CIP budget. No additional appropriation is required.
CEQA:
The Recommended Action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to:
• CEQA Guidelines §15301(d), which exempts the restoration or rehabilitation of deteriorated facilities, and
• CEQA Guidelines §15303, which exempts new construction or installation of small structures.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
EX A - Agreement Incorporating Cooperative Purchasing Agreement
NOTIFICATION:
None.