The Peralta Community College District (PCCD)’s Board of Trustees is set to vote tonight on a new $6 million contract with Marina Security Services (Marina), the private security firm currently contracted to provide security services to all four Peralta colleges and district offices.
In addition to patrolling campuses, Marina personnel are contracted to provide 24-hour “wayfinding and escort services for students, faculty staff, and guests,” according to the one-year contract.
Marina is also responsible for preparing daily activity logs, monthly activity reports, incident reports, and Clery Act reports, according to the contract.
The new contract also includes requirements to “be familiar with administration of opioid overdose reversal medication using NARCAN,” “refrain from any use of personal cellular phones during the provision of Services pursuant to this Agreement, unless the provision of Services requires such use,” and “refrain from sleeping while on duty.”
The hourly pay for personnel is redacted on a copy of the new contract posted online. An hourly pay schedule for Marina employees is not redacted in a copy of Marina’s previous contract, set to expire Feb. 29.
The Citizen has reached out to Mark Johnson, PCCD’s Executive Director for Marketing, Communication, and Public Relations to inquire about the redactions.
If the new contract is approved, PCCD will have contracted over $21 million with Marina since 2021, according to the agenda item’s “Background/Analysis”.
PCCD issued a Request for Qualifications/Proposals, RFQ/P #23-24/04, for “District-wide Community-Based Safety Services” on Aug. 4, 2023. According to the description of the agenda item for Marina’s contract on BoardDocs, only one vendor submitted a “qualified response.”
New movements in the Berkeley City College expansion project, funded by Measure G, are also on the agenda tonight.
The project includes the construction of a new six-story building for Berkeley City College, which will be located at 2118 Milvia Street. An existing three-story building at the site will be demolished.
According to the project description, the project will “expand classroom space, provide offices for faculty and administrators, including art studios, outdoor roof space, and provide for student activities services, including a Health Center, Multi-Cultural Center, Student Lounge, and Learning Resource Center.”
The board is set to vote on a $63.7 million amendment to PCCD’s contract with construction firm XL Construction Corporation, which will bring the total cost of the project to $86 million.
According to the contract, the original “not-to-exceed” (NTE) amount for the contract was $65.4 million. A description of the agenda item for the amendment states that the increased cost is a result of changes to the construction market.
“These costs reflect, (sic) the hyper escalation and market changes from the original NTE amount established in 2020, caused in large part by the resounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry,” the description states.
The board will also vote on the final drawings and specifications for the project.
Construction of the new building is set to start on April 1, 2024. The project is expected to be completed by June 30, 2026.
The meeting is set to start at 6:00 P.M. tonight, and can be viewed live either in person at district offices (333 E 8th St), or on YouTube.
