Report Prepared by: Janet German, Management Analyst, Fire Department
Title
SUBJECT: Approval to Waive the Competitive Bidding Requirement and Approval to Use Cooperative Purchasing Agreements Through the National Purchasing Partners Government Division, DBA Public Safety GPO, Law Enforcement GPO, First Responders GPO, EMS GPO, and NPPGov (All Collectively Referred to Hereinafter as NPPGov); Approval of Agreements With L.N. Curtis and Sons for Personal Protective Equipment (Contract #: PS20060) in an Amount not to Exceed $114,890 and for Firefighting Equipment (Contract #: PS20015) in an Amount not to Exceed $155,379 and to Cascade Fire Equipment for PPE (Contract #: PS20055) in an Amount Not to Exceed $12,340
REPORT IN BRIEF
Consider waiving the competitive bidding requirement and approving the use of cooperative purchasing agreements through the National Purchasing Partners Government Division, also doing business as NPPGov with: L.N. Curtis and Sons for Personal Protective Equipment (Contract #: PS20060) for an amount not to exceed $114,890 and for Firefighting Equipment (Contract #: PS20015) for an amount not to exceed $155,379 and to Cascade Fire Equipment for PPE (Contract #: PS20055) for an amount not to exceed $12,340.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Waiving the competitive bidding requirements for Personal Protective Equipment and Firefighting Equipment purchases from L.N. Curtis and Sons and Cascade Fire Equipment based on cooperative purchasing through NPPGov; and,
B. Approving the use of cooperative purchasing agreements through the National Purchasing Partners Government Division, also doing business as Public Safety GPO, Law Enforcement GPO, First Responders GPO, EMS GPO, and NPPGov (all collectively referred to hereinafter as NPPGov) with: L.N. Curtis and Sons for Personal Protective Equipment (Contract #: PS20060) for an amount not to exceed $114,890 and for Firefighting Equipment (Contract #: PS20015) for an amount not to exceed $155,379 and to Cascade Fire Equipment for PPE (Contract #: PS20055) for an amount not to exceed $12,340; and authorizing purchases for the not-to-exceed amount specific for the respective vendor under each cooperative purchasing agreement through June 30, 2022; and,
C. Authorizing the City Manager or designee to execute the necessary documents and approve change orders for amounts not to exceed the total appropriated budget.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve with modifications; or,
3. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items as requested by Council; or,
4. Continue to a future Council meeting; or,
5. Deny.
AUTHORITY
Merced Municipal Code, Title 3 - Revenue and Finance, Article III. - Purchases Over Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars, 3.04.210 - Exemptions from Competitive Bidding
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the FY 20/21 budget.
DISCUSSION
Background
Cooperative Purchasing Agreements:
Cooperative purchasing is used by local governments, state agencies, and purchasing alliances for the purchasing of goods that require soliciting a proposal, contracting, or obligation to provide notice for bids. Cooperative purchasing allows multiple jurisdictions to piggyback on contracts by creating interlocal agreements for purchases that are required to go to bid or solicitation and allow a single jurisdiction to conduct the bidding process. These types of purchasing agreements reduce the cost of goods and services by aggregating the purchasing power of multiple jurisdictions to obtain cost effective rates without conducting additional bidding. As cooperative agreements reach their expiration date, they are automatically renewed allowing government agencies to continue to leverage cost savings.
In prior years, the Fire Department has successfully utilized a national cooperative purchasing agreement (Houston-Galveston Area Council Government) to complement its own contracting initiatives when it procured fire engines from Pierce Manufacturing.
Any local jurisdiction required to acquire goods and services using a public process may utilize cooperative purchasing.
To cooperatively purchase the lead public agency awarding the bid must:
• Post the bid or solicitation notice on a website established and maintained by a public agency, purchasing cooperative, or similar service provider; or
• Provide a link on the state’s web portal to the notice.
• The piggybacking agency must demonstrate how it ensures bidding requirements are met and document how this was satisfied by the lead agency. This includes maintaining copies of bid, advertisement, contract and related documents.
To ensure that the fire department is adhering to the city’s policies, the City Attorney’s office has reviewed all the attached agreements.
Present Circumstance
The Merced Fire Department is required to provide its public safety staff with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies throughout the year. After reviewing available purchase options, the department has determined that utilizing the cooperative purchasing agreements that NPPGov holds with L.N. Curtis and Sons and Cascade Fire Equipment represents the most advantageous purchasing strategy. The Fire Department has had positive working relationships with both vendors.
The Merced Fire Department has an ongoing need to purchase logistical related supplies and services. The department has completed a review of its purchases made in the current fiscal year and based on this review, staff has prepared an estimate of the anticipated purchases for FY 21/22. These purchases are necessary to ensure the continued delivery of emergency services (personal protection equipment (PPE), rescue equipment, safety clothing, boots, gloves, helmets and general firefighting tools) to include, but not limited to fire suppression, fire prevention, and public education.
Staff requests approval and spending authority to cover the estimated expenditures using cooperative purchasing agreements, and the authority to substitute any of the cooperative agreements listed in the table below with the appropriate replacement agreement issued by the same cooperative organization, if that agreement expires during this purchase approval period. The cooperative purchasing agreements and vendors that will be used to procure the goods and services for FY 21/22 are listed in the table below.
|
Vendor |
$ Not to Exceed |
Cooperative Purchase Agreement No. |
Description of Materials, Supplies, and Services to be Purchased |
|
L.N. Curtis & Sons |
$114,890 |
NPPGov Contract #: PS20060 |
Firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) |
|
L.N. Curtis & Sons |
155,379 |
NPPGov Contract #: PS20015 |
Miscellaneous equipment and tools for fire suppression equipment, fire prevention, and public education (Fire Equipment) |
|
Cascade Fire Equipment |
$12,340 |
NPPGOV Contract No. PS20055 |
Firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) |
After evaluating a variety of options, staff recommends that Council approve purchase required PPE from LN Curtis and Sons and Cascade Fire Equipment, through the term of each respective agreement, or until the applicable cooperative purchase agreement is no longer available for use, subject to approval of the budgetary resources in future fiscal year.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Contingent upon City Council approval funding is available within the recommended Fire budgets in Fiscal Year 2021-22.
ATTACHMENTS
1. L.N. Curtis and Sons: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Contract #: PS20060)
2. L.N. Curtis and Sons: Miscellaneous Tools and Equipment / Fire Equipment (Contract #: PS20015)
3. Cascade Fire Equipment (Contract #: PS20055)