Explanation
1. BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with PerkinElmer in the amount of $519,852.00, for the design, purchase and implementation of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) with accompanying treatment plant Operations Data System (ODS). LIMS software is to be configured to meet the needs of the individual lab(s) and ODS software is to be configured to meet the operational data collection needs of the individual plants, to combine SCADA data with LIMS data, and to produce Monthly Operating Reports (MORs) as required by regulatory agencies. Training will be provided to users of this system.
The current legacy LIMS being used by Division of Sewerage and Drainage's (DOSD) Surveillance Lab is being phased out by the manufacturer and will not be supported past 2010. This LIMS currently tracks 36,000 tests on 7,000 different samples annually within the Surveillance Lab. This LIMS then transfers approved results to various end users (treatment plants and Pretreatment) automatically.
The Department would need to add staff to the Surveillance Lab if their LIMS is not replaced. Current staffing at their main lab cannot do their job in the area of regulatory reporting without the aid of this type of software. Therefore, the Department needs to replace the DOSD system, as well as purchase a new system for the Division of Power and Water (DOPW) to unify the whole.
The new departmental level LIMS will manage water quality sample information from all the labs as well as incorporating input from plant operations data sources, SCADA and the DOSD industrial Pre-Treatment Information Management System (PIMS). Another 43,000 tests and 9,000 samples would be added by the Division of Power & Water's Water Quality Assurance Lab (WQAL). A key part of the new LIMS is the ODS, which gathers plant data to combine with the LIMS to publish all the department's regulatory MORs.
Currently, varied staff from each plant and lab must manually compile data monthly from a variety of paper and electronic sources to create each MOR, often taking unnecessary time and creating unneeded dependencies. Sample tracking and reporting is also a very complex matter and we are regulated to handle this work in a responsible manner. The LIMS and ODS will automate this process and thus save staff time and reduce errors. The LIMS-ODS will also help the water and waste water plant operators understand closer to real-time how their process is working.
Benefits of the system include:
· LIMS will be used to update a preponderance of ad hoc, inefficient, and decentralized software now used across the department for a wide variety of critical day-to-day needs in both lab and plant environments. These functions could be much more efficiently served through uniform centralization and access.
· Advancements in computer technology and state of the art instrumentation, combined to a need to reduce wasteful redundancy, potential reporting errors, and antiquated methods of data handling ironically also provide the department and the City with an opportunity to more firmly chart our regulatory future, and respond to the mayor's Green Initiative by harnessing a wealth of environmental and plant operations data.
· In the water lab (WQAL) environment alone, the value of this system would include; meeting increasing state and federal Safe Drinking Water Act reporting requirements; facilitating watershed management, and protection through the coordination of real time data tracking systems; more efficient response to public information requests; providing more efficient workload management with both regulated and research projects via automated scheduling and routing; universal sample method and site conformity rules will enhance research possibilities across the department; provides for lawful record storage along with augmented auditing; and enhanced environmental research and hazard modeling capabilities in the watershed and distribution system.
2. BID INFORMATION: The selection of the firm providing the system has been performed in accordance with the procedures set forth in Columbus City Code, Section 329.14, "Awarding professional service contracts through requests for proposals." The evaluation criteria for this contract included: 1. professional quality, 2. experience of team, 3. experience of firm, and 4. local workforce.
Requests for Proposals (RFP's) were received on January 15, 2008 from PerkinElmer, Accelerated Technology Laboratories, Inc., LabWare, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific LLC, and StarLIMS, Inc.
Upon review of the technical proposals, the bidders were ranked using the criteria mentioned above and PerkinElmer was the firm selected to perform the services for this project. Their Contract Compliance Number is 04-3361624 (expires 1/14/10, Majority). Additional information regarding each firm, description of work, contract time frame and detailed amounts can be found on the attached Legislation Information Form.
Emergency Designation: It is requested that this Ordinance be handled in an emergency manner as PerkinElmer will honor a $15,000 savings (already included in legislation amount) if we place an order by December 15, 2008. Legislation needs to be passed as emergency in order to have a contract in place by that date.
3. FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation includes a transfer of funds from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund as a temporary measure until such time as the proceeds from a bond sale can be made available. A transfer of funds within the Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds Fund is required to fund the project expenditure. An amendment to the 2008 Capital Improvements Budget is also necessary to provide the required authority.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with PerkinElmer for the purchase of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS); to authorize the appropriation and transfer of $259,926.00 from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $259,926.00 from the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund; to authorize the transfer and expenditure of $259,926.00 from within the Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds Fund; to amend the 2008 Capital Improvements Budget; for the Department of Public Utilities, and to declare an emergency. ($519,852.00)
Body
WHEREAS, five proposals for the purchase of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) were received on January 15, 2008; and
WHEREAS, PerkinElmer was the firm selected for the purchase and training of this system, based on criteria set forth in Columbus City Codes; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this system is to manage all the water quality sample information for all Department labs as well as take input from plant operations data and SCADA; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for this Council to authorize the City Auditor to transfer funds from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for this Council to authorize the City Auditor to transfer funds within the Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds Fund to provide sufficient funding for the aforementioned project expenditure; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for City Council to authorize the expenditure of funds from the Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds Fund; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize an amendment to the 2008 Capital Improvements Budget for the purpose of providing sufficient spending authority for the aforementioned project expenditure; and
WHEREAS, the City anticipates incurring certain Original Expenditures (as defined in Section 1.150-2(c) of the Treasury Regulations (the "Treasury Regulations") promulgated pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) with respect to the construction of the Project described in this Ordinance (collectively, the "Project").
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Divisions of Power and Water and Sewerage and Drainage, Department of Public Utilities, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement for the purchase of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), to authorize the appropriation and transfer of funds from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund, and to authorize the transfer of funds within the Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds Fund, in an emergency manner in order to realize a $15,000 savings by having a contract and order placed by December 15, 2008; for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Utilities be and hereby is authorized to enter into an agreement for the desgin, purchase and implementation of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) from the lowest and best bidder, PerkinElmer dba PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences, 710 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton, CT 06484-4794; in the amount of $519,852.00; in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract on file in the Office of the Division of Power and Water.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer $259,926.00, from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund, Fund No. 606, into the appropriate project account as specified within Section 4 herein, at such time as deemed necessary by him, and to expend said funds, or so much thereof as may be necessary.
SECTION 3. That from the unappropriated monies in the Water System Reserve Fund, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources, and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008, the sum of $259,926.00, is hereby appropriated to the Division of Power and Water, Division 60-09, Object level One 10, Object Level Three 5502, OCA 695056.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of $259,926.00 for the purchase of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is hereby appropriated as follows: Division of Power and Water, Dept./Div. No. 60-09, Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund, Fund No. 606, Project 690485, OCA Code 606485, Object Level One 06, Object Level Three 6655, Amount $259,926.00.
SECTION 5. That upon obtaining other funds for the purpose of funding water system capital improvement work, the City Auditor is hereby authorized to repay the Water System Reserve Fund the amount transferred under Section 2 above, and said funds are hereby deemed appropriated for such purpose.
SECTION 6. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer $259,926.00 for the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Project from within the Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds Fund (665) as follows:
FROM:
Proj. No. | Proj. Name | OCA | OL3 | Amount
650350 | Wastewater Treatment Plants Rehabilitation | 665350 | 6655 | $259,926.00
TO:
Proj. No. | Proj. Name | OCA | OL3 | Amount
650735 | Information Systems Improvements (LIMS) | 665735 | 6655 | $259,926.00
SECTION 7. That the 2008 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance No. 0690-2008 is hereby amended as follows, to create budget authority for a prior cancellation and to provide sufficient budget authority for the execution of the construction contract stated herein.
Transfer for current contract:
Fund | Sub Fund | Fund Name | Current | Revised | (Change in Authority)
665 | 650350-100000 | Wastewater Treatment Plants Rehab. | $1,560,500 | $1,300,574 | (-$259,926)
665 | 650735-100000 | Information Sys. Improv. (LIMS) | $0.00 | $259,926 | (+$259,926)
SECTION 8. That for the purpose of paying the cost of the contract, the following expenditure, or as much thereof as may be needed, by and the same, is hereby authorized as follows: Div. 60-05 | Fund No. 665 | Information Sys. Improv. (LIMS) | Project No. 650735 | Object Level Three 6655 | OCA Code 665735 | Amount $259,926.00.
SECTION 9. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this Ordinance.
SECTION 10. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer any unencumbered balance in the project account to the unallocated balance within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies no longer required for said project; except that no transfer shall be made from a project account by monies from more than one source.
SECTION 11. That the City Auditor is authorized to establish proper project accounting numbers as appropriate.
SECTION 12. That the City intends that this Ordinance constitute an "official intent" for purposes of Section 1.150-2(e) of the Treasury Regulations, and that the City reasonably expects to reimburse itself for certain Original Expenditures incurred with respect to the Project from the proceeds of obligations to be issued by the City in a principal amount currently estimated to be $259,926.00 (the "Obligations").
The City intends to make a reimbursement allocation on its books for the Original Expenditures not later than eighteen months following the later to occur of the date of the Original Expenditure to be reimbursed or the date the Project for which such Original Expenditures were made is "placed in service" within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.150-2(c). Upon the issuance of the Obligations, the proceeds of such Obligations shall be used to reimburse the Water Reserve Fund 603, which is the fund from which the advance for costs of the Project will be made.
SECTION 13. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.