Title
Authorize the County Administrative Officer, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to approve Change Order #1 with Opterra Energy Services in the amount of $1,525,060 to replace the roof of 168 W. Alisal Street, Salinas, as part of the ongoing solar project.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors authorize the County Administrative Officer, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to approve Change Order #1 with Opterra Energy Services in the amount of $1,525,060 to replace the roof of 168 W. Alisal Street, Salinas, as part of the ongoing solar project.
SUMMARY:
On December 3, 2024, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved entering into Agreements between the County and ENGIE Services U.S. Inc. (ENGIE), now known as Opterra Energy Services (Opterra) to implement solar energy projects at Natividad Medical Center (NMC) at 1441 Constitution Blvd., Salinas (NMC Agreement), the Information Technology Department (ITD) building at 1590 Moffett Street, Salinas, and the County Administration Building, located at the downtown Government Center, 168 W. Alisal Street, Salinas (County Agreement). On June 17, 2025, the Board voted to approve using $1,936,000 from Fund 478 to fund the 168 W. Alisal Street, Rooftop Replacement Project to replace the existing 20-year-old roof with a new roof with a 30-year warranty prior to the installation of solar panels. The total project cost of $1,936,000 includes funds for the change order provided by Opterra Energy Services (Opterra) (Attachment - Change Order Request #01a Rooftop Alisal), contingency to cover unknown conditions including deteriorated structural building components and existing roofing materials discovered during construction work, constructability review, a 30-year warranty, insurance, and Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) staff time. This item is to request authorization to approve this change order with Opterra, in the amount of $1,525,060.
DISCUSSION:
As discussed during the Budget Hearings on May 28, 2025, the roof at the Government Center has exceeded its 20-year useful life and is showing signs of degradation. PWFP - Facilities determined that replacing the rooftop before installing solar panels on the roof is of critical importance. This is in part to safeguard against further roof degradation and to protect against potential leaks that could disrupt County operations and result in costly emergency repairs. It would also be difficult to replace the roof once the panels are installed due to the 24” clearance under the solar panels, which would make it difficult for work to be done under them and increase installation costs by approximately 30%. If the solar panel system is installed prior to the replacement of the existing 20-year old roof and installation of a new roof, the County would need to engage Opterra to deactivate and disassemble the system, store the system, and reinstall the system once the roof replacement is complete. This would result in a significant expense to the County and exceed the scope of the Agreement with Opterra which includes operations and maintenance.
Therefore, staff recommends replacing the roof before the solar panels are installed on the roof. The change order provided by Opterra using MLB-Energy as a sub-contractor includes a 30-year asset lifetime and warranty, which matches the 30-year equipment life of the solar panels. Aligning the installation and lifespans of the rooftop and solar panel projects protects the County’s interests over the long-term. The Board voted unanimously on June 17, 2025, to use funds from Fund 478 to implement the roof replacement project.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Administration Office - Sustainability Program Staff coordinated with PWFP-Facilities to develop the Capital Improvement Project Sheet (CIP Sheet CAO-25-01). On December 3, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved entering into an Agreement between the County and ENGIE Services U.S. Inc, now known as Opterra (County Agreement), to implement the solar project at the County Administration Building, located at the downtown Government Center, 168 W. Alisal Street, Salinas. The County Agreement was approved as to form by the Office of the County Counsel.
FINANCING:
The total cost Change Order #1 provided by Opterra is for $1,525,060. The breakdown of these costs can be seen in attachment Change Order Request #01a. These costs have been built into CIP Sheet CAO-25-01 in collaboration with PWFP - Facilities for a total project cost of $1,936,002. This CIP Sheet is attached to this report as CIP Sheet CAO-25-01. This total cost includes the cost of design and construction, contractor overhead, constructability review provided by Harris & Associates, bonds and insurance, warranty, PWFP staff time, and a 20% contingency budget to cover unknown conditions discovered during construction work. On June 17, 2025, the Board of Supervisors voted to use Fund 478 -to implement this rooftop replacement project in the amount of $1,936,002.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
This item supports the County’s municipal climate action goals.
Mark a check to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Plan goals
_X_ Economic Development
__ Administration
_X_ Health & Human Services
_X_ Infrastructure
_X_Public Safety
Prepared by: Cora Panturad, Sustainability Program Manager (Interim) x5338
Approved by: Nick Chiulos, Chief Assistant County Administrative Officer x5145
Attachments:
Change Order 1 - Monterey County 168 Alisal Roof Overlay
Change Order Request #01a Rooftop Alisal
CIP Sheet CAO-25-01
December 3, 2024 - County Agreement