TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Jarad Hildenbrand, City Manager
FROM: Christopher Cash, Public Works Director
1. Subject
title
Agreement with Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC for on-call signal, lighting, and electrical services.
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2. Summary
Proposals for on-call signal, lighting, and electrical services were received and opened on July 3, 2025. The top-ranked proposer is Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC. The total cost for the initial three-year term is $750,000.
3. Recommended Action
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1. Approve the agreement with Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC in the amount not-to-exceed $750,000 for on-call signal, lighting, and electrical services; and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute on behalf of the City.
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute an optional two-year contract extension in the amount not-to-exceed $500,000.
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4. Fiscal Impact
The expense for this agreement is not-to-exceed $750,000 and will be funded through General Fund (100) and Capital Project (500). Actual costs will be assigned to one of three operating or project accounts:
100-5702-56999 Other Repair/Maintenance Services
500-5704-87101-255072 Minor Traffic Control Devices
500-5704-87101-255012 Streetlight Pole Replacement
This agreement is for three years totaling $750,000. The budget for this agreement will be requested in conjunction with the annual operating budget.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 5: Improve Infrastructure, Mobility, and Technology
6. Discussion and Background
The City’s signal and lighting maintenance program has historically been performed using a small in-house crew that is supplemented with on-call contractor services. This two-pronged approach provides for a reliable, flexible, and economical maintenance program, as the City is not dependent on contractor services, but has access to specialty resources and equipment that can be costly to independently staff and maintain.
In general, the City crew handles preventive maintenance, minor corrective maintenance, customer service inquiries, signal operations, Traffic Management Center monitoring, requests for utility markings, and “call-outs” to assess and diagnose complaints. At the same time, the signal and lighting contractor provides critical support for more involved corrective maintenance activities, including replacing signal and lighting pole “knock-downs,” replacing traffic signal controllers and cabinets damaged in accidents, and pouring foundations related to the above. In addition, the contractor also provides services related to modifications of traffic signal equipment, installation of new poles for traffic-related equipment such as radar feedback signs, pulling new wire to replace those stolen or damaged, and assisting with complex traffic signal failures or malfunctions.
The City’s current agreement with Yunex, LLC for on-call signal, lighting, and electrical services, was awarded in August 2020 and expires on September 30, 2025. Since there are no extensions left in the original contract with Yunex, LLC, staff initiated a procurement process to solicit prospective firms to continue providing these services.
In addition to publicly advertising on the City’s website, staff issued the request for proposals in June 2025 to known, reputable traffic signal maintenance firms in the area: Yunex, Bear Electrical Solutions, Econolite Systems, Crosstown Electrical, and St. Francis Electric. The City received two proposals from Bear Electrical Solutions and Crosstown Electrical. Each proposal was evaluated by staff for qualifications, experience, submittal quality, understanding and methodology, and cost. Based on the above criteria, Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC (Bear Electrical) is the top ranked proposer due to depth and proximity of available resources, extensive local municipal experience, and low hourly rates. Staff contacted several neighboring agencies that currently use Bear Electrical for signal and lighting maintenance services and confirmed that Bear Electrical is in good standing and highly recommended.
While Bear Electrical’s rates are higher than the City’s current on-call contract with Yunex, LLC, it is important to note that Yunex’s rates were negotiated in 2020, when costs were significantly lower across all industries. The rates negotiated in the Bear Electrical’s contract are reasonable, given Yunex’s rates were already considerably low at the time of the 2020 contract execution and do not reflect the significant increases in the consumer price index over the recent five years. Further, the proposed contract’s rates are fixed over the three-year term, with no provision for any cost escalation. Lastly, Bear Electrical’s rates on the most frequently utilized services are roughly 12% less than the other proposal.
The three-year contract is for an amount not-to-exceed $750,000. The total contract amount is estimated based on the level of on-call services utilized in recent years and the contractor’s cost proposal. Payment will be made according to the actual cost of services requested by the City. The costs for this contract will be charged to various operating and project accounts, depending on the type of work performed. If mutually agreeable, the contract also contains a provision for a two-year extension, not-to-exceed $500,000, contingent on Bear Electrical’s performance. Funding for the first year of the contract is included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2025-26 Traffic Operations budget. Funding for subsequent years will be requested through the annual budget adoption process.
7. ATTACHMENT
• Agreement with Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC