HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2507-4968CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Monday, September 08, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
5.Approval of Construction Contract No. C26195620 with Public Restroom Company in the
Amount Not-to-Exceed $412,940 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their
Designee to Negotiate and Execute Change Orders Up to a Not-to-Exceed Amount of
$41,294 to Provide and Install a Modular Restroom Building at Mitchell Park for the Park
Restroom Installation Capital Improvement Program Project (PG-19000); CEQA status –
exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15303
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: September 8, 2025
Report #:2507-4968
TITLE
Approval of Construction Contract No. C26195620 with Public Restroom Company in the
Amount Not-to-Exceed $412,940 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their Designee to
Negotiate and Execute Change Orders Up to a Not-to-Exceed Amount of $41,294 to Provide and
Install a Modular Restroom Building at Mitchell Park for the Park Restroom Installation Capital
Improvement Program Project (PG-19000); CEQA status – exempt under CEQA Guidelines
Section 15303
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Contract No.
C26195620 with Public Restroom Company in an amount not-to-exceed $412,940 for
purchase and installation of a modular restroom building at Mitchell Park for the Park
Restroom Installation Capital Improvement Program Project (PG-19000); and
2. Authorize the City Manager or their designee to negotiate and execute one or more
change orders to the contract with Public Restroom Company for related, additional but
unforeseen work that may develop during the project, the total value of which shall not
exceed $41,294.
BACKGROUND
Mitchell Park, a 21.4-acre community park, offers a variety of recreational activities for the
community including recreational fields, a recently expanded dog park, picnic areas,
playgrounds, multiple sports courts, and walking and biking trails. In 2015, the Magical Bridge
Playground, an all-inclusive play space was added to the park near the tennis and pickleball
courts, attracting a high volume of users daily. There are currently three public restroom
buildings within the park including a two-stall restroom that mainly serves the south side of the
park where the dog park, Magical Bridge Playground, two smaller playgrounds, athletic fields, a
couple of picnic areas, and tennis and pickleball courts are located. Due to the heavy usage of
the existing restroom, temporary portable restrooms funded by Friends of the Palo Alto Parks
have been placed near the sports courts. To accommodate increased demand, this project
proposes replacing the existing two-stall restroom with a four-stall modular restroom building
at the same location.
ANALYSIS
Public Restroom Company provided the modular restroom buildings recently installed at
Rinconada Park, Ramos Park, Cubberley Community Center playing fields, and Boulware Park.
The proposed restroom building at Mitchell Park will consist of four universal stalls, be about 14
feet by 28 feet in size, and match the style and color of the existing restroom building. The
building will be fabricated offsite. The estimated fabrication time for the building is
approximately 10-12 months. The City has had positive experiences working with Public
Restroom Company and the quality and aesthetics of the modular buildings they have provided.
The cost of the prefabricated restroom building has increased as compared to previous
restroom buildings at City facilities due to materials price increases and market conditions. For
reference, the cost of the two-stall restroom buildings purchased in 2023 for Rinconada and
Ramos Parks were approximately $270,000 each, and the four-stall restroom building
purchased in 2023 for the Cubberley Community Center was approximately $340,000.
Palo Alto Municipal Code section 2.30.360 (j) allows the City to make cooperative purchases
through a cooperative purchasing agency in lieu of conducting competitive solicitation.
Sourcewell, a cooperative purchasing agency serving governmental, education, non-profit, and
other public agencies, issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement for restrooms
and shower facility solutions on the Sourcewell Procurement Portal in June 2021 and awarded a
contract (Contract # 081721-PRM) to Public Restroom Company in October 2021. The City
received a quote and preliminary renderings from Public Restroom Company for Mitchell Park
Restroom in July 2025 as included in the Construction Contract. The City’s Procurement Officer
has determined that Sourcewell’s solicitation method and contract are consistent with the
municipal code.
This approach allows staff to purchase the modular restroom building directly from the vendor,
rather than having a one-year or longer lead time following completion of the bidding process
for both design and construction, and Council approval of a construction contract. The offsite
building prefabrication would be cost-effective and would reduce onsite construction time and
impact compared to the traditional design/bid/build process. Prior to completion of the
building fabrication, staff will complete a bidding process to award a construction contract for
site and utility work for the building installation. The restroom is anticipated to be installed in
summer or fall 2026, largely dependent on how quickly Public Restroom Company is able to
fabricate the restroom.
Staff recommends the approval of Contract No. C261956201 with Public Restroom Company for
the purchase of the modular restroom building for Mitchell Park, which includes the cost of
building fabrication, design, installation, all required state inspections and approvals, and
bonds.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for the recommended contract is available in the Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Capital
Improvement Program Park Restroom Installation project (PG-19000).
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The proposed project replaces an existing smaller restroom with a larger restroom matching
the style and aesthetics of the existing building and in relatively the same location. Appropriate
measures will be taken to keep the existing restroom in operation until its replacement is ready
as feasible. The community will be notified with construction updates and timeline when
appropriate. A Park Improvement Ordinance (PIO) is not required because the proposed
replacement of a smaller restroom building with a larger restroom building in the same location
is not considered a substantial improvement to the park. The project is currently undergoing
minor Architectural Review Board (ARB) review.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The installation of a modular restroom building is categorically exempt from California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15303 (New Construction of Small Structures)
of the CEQA guidelines.
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer
1 Public Restroom Company Contract for the Mitchell Park Modular Restroom Project C26195620;
https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/public-works/engineering-services/c26195620-mitchell-park-
restroom-contract-final.pdf