Explanation
BACKGROUND: To waive the provisions of formal competitive bidding and to modify the existing citywide contracts for the option to purchase office chairs for various City agencies, with Water being the largest user agency. Expansion of this universal term contract will save the City money by including additional chairs at the same deep discount offered chairs in the original contract. Since the City will not be buying large volumes of chairs, this expansion allows economies of scale that would not otherwise be available. In order to take advantage of the expansion pricing, it was necessary to negotiate and add an award for additional models of chairs already awarded under these contracts.
Designated under the original contracts: Items A are the basic chairs without arms that were felt applicable for City use. Items B, C, and D were arm options, and hard wood floor casters for these same chairs. Items E expanded the offering of the chairs in A to chairs in the same Series that were noted in Items A, e.g., if Item A was a high back chair, Item E might offer a low back version of the same chair. Some suppliers did not complete the Item E options on their original bid, but they were willing to extend the same discount to other chairs in the same Series. It is in the City's best interest to expand the use of these contracts, so the City can take advantage of these deep discounts for a wider variety of chairs.
In addition, a problem developed such that Office Depot could not honor their bid on their original contract for Item 10, since the Manufacturer, Sit-On-It, would not allow them to sell their product in our district. Therefore, this ordinance is to modify the Office Depot contract by canceling Item No. 10, and to modify the contract with Continental Office Environments, to add Items 10A, B, C, D, and E.
The Purchasing Office opened formal bids on June 5, 2003. The Purchasing Office advertised and solicited competitive bids in accordance with Section 329.06. (Proposal No. SA000448HJB). Contract No. FL001855, Boise Workspace, CC#82-0477390; FL001869, Continental Office Environments, CC#31-4413238; FL001870, Thomas W. Ruff & Company, CC#31-4413101; and FL001893, Office Depot, CC#59-2663954 were established in accordance with bids received.
1. Amount of additional funds: No additional moneys are needed to modify the contracts. The estimated annual expenditure on all of the original contracts was $55,000.00, however, this year's expenditures are not estimated to exceed $15,000.00. City agencies must obtain approval to expend from their own budgeted funds for their estimated expenditures.
2. Reason additional needs were not foreseen: Formal bid was done. Suppliers did not complete all sections of the contract and thus did not avail themselves of the Sections E offered. It is in the City's best interest to get the economies of scales that this expansion offers. In addition, the inability of Office Depot to fulfill its contract was not foreseen.
3. Reason other procurement processes not used: The existing contracts were established by formal bidding, and the needs foreseen for the expansion will be minor. No lower prices are anticipated by rebidding.
4. How cost was determined: Same as original bid, and Items E negotiated.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required to extend the option contracts. Each agency must set aside their own funding for their estimated expenditures.
Title
To authorize and direct the Finance Director to modify and extend the city-wide contracts for the option to purchase Office Chairs, with Thomas W. Ruff & Company, Boise Workspace, Continental Office Environments, and Office Depot, to waive formal competitive bidding requirements, and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Purchasing Office advertised and solicited formal bids on June 5, 2003, and established contracts with the lowest, responsible, responsive and best bidders; and
WHEREAS, vendors have agreed to modify FL001855, FL001869, FL001870, and FL001893 at current discounted prices and conditions to and including December 31, 2006, and it is in the best interest of the City to pursue this modification; and
WHEREAS, in order to avoid a lapse in our ability to provide suitable and safe office chairs, this is being submitted for approval as an emergency measure; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Purchasing Office in that it is immediately necessary to modify FL001855, FL001869, FL001870, and FL001893 for an option to purchase Office Chairs thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare, now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That the Finance Director be and is hereby authorized and directed to modify a contract to cancel items as follows: Contract No. FL001893 with Office Depot, Items: 10A-E
SECTION 2. That the Finance Director be and is hereby authorized and directed to modify contracts to award items as follows:
Contract No. FL001855 with Boise Workspace, Items: 4E, 9E, 13E, 14E, 16E, 17E
Contract No. Fl001869 with Continental Office Environments, Items: 19E and 10A-E
Contract No. FL001870 with Thomas W. Ruff & Company, Items: 18E and 21E
Contract No. FL001893 with Office Depot, Items: 2E
SECTION 3. . That in accordance with Section 329.27 of the Columbus City Code, this Council finds the best interest of the City is served by waiving, and does hereby waive Sections 329.06 (Formal Competitive Bidding) and 329.16 (Modifications) of the Columbus City Code.
SECTION 4. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby 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.