Title
Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division, recommending the Board 1) exempt the purchase of 40 In-Car Camera System (ICS) units for the Sheriff's Office from competitive bidding pursuant to County Purchasing Ordinance 3.12.160 (B), finding that the "unique nature of the property or services required precludes competitive bidding"; and 2) authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue a purchase order in the amount of $275,900, plus applicable taxes and fees, to Digital Safety Technologies, Inc. for the purchase of the ICS units. (Refer 4/29/08, Item 37)
FUNDING: Rural County Grant Funding.
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BUDGET SUMMARY: |
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Total Estimated Cost |
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$275,900 + Tax |
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Funding |
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Budgeted |
$275,900+ Tax |
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New Funding |
$ |
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Savings |
$ |
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Other |
$ |
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Total Funding Available |
$275,900 + Tax |
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Change To Net County Cost |
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$0 |
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: None. The Sheriff's budget has Rural County grant funding allocated for this project.
Note: Rural County Grant funding can only be used for projects that are one-time in nature. Funding cannot be used to supplant General Fund costs. The Sheriff's Department deferred this funding from previous years to fund the implementation of this project.
Background: On April 29, 2008, the Board authorized an exemption from competitive bidding to allow the Sheriff's Office to purchase 60 ICS units by "piggybacking" through the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA) program. The WSCA program allows public agencies to purchase products using contracts that have resulted from competitive solicitations conducted by other public agencies. The units were manufactured by Integrian, Inc., and available for purchase from Dell through the WSCA program.
Since April, 2008 the Department has been involved with implementing the system. The Sheriff's Department has installed 20 of the 60 units, and patrol staff have been trained on the use of the units.
Reason for Recommendation:
In December 2008, Integrian was purchased by Digital Safety Technologies, Inc. (DST). DST no longer has a WSCA contract through Dell. DST is the sole source for these units, and for the reasons stated below, it is recommended that the Board dispense with competitive bidding as provided in the County Purchasing Ordinance, so that the Sheriff may purchase the balance of the necessary equipment directly from DST. Justification for purchasing directly from DST is as follows:
1. DST will provide pricing 4% better than the previously approved WSCA/Dell contract.
2. The Sheriff's Department has already installed 20 of the 60 required units and they are running in production. Changing manufacturers would be costly, time consuming and create training issues for field personnel.
3. Products from multiple manufacturers will be more costly to maintain.
Contact: Sue Hennike - Procurement; Phil Dold - Sheriff's Technology Manger