Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to establish a Universal Term Contract (UTC) for the option to purchase Enterprise Storage with CDW Government LLC. Waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Codes Chapter 329 is requested because the Department of Technology performed vendor outreach and research in its selection of CDW Government LLC as the supplier for this UTC. The Enterprise Storage UTC is expected to be used by various departments and agencies citywide. The Enterprise Storage UTC will provide the option to purchase cloud storage and maintenance thereof for all Citywide departments. The term of the proposed option contract would be approximately three (3) years, expiring January 31, 2029 with the option to renew for three (3) additional, one-year periods, or a portion thereof. In addition, the expenditure of $1.00 is authorized from General Budget Reservation BRPO003693.
Bid Waiver Justification: The Department is Technology has a need to upgrade the storage capacity of the City’s infrastructure. Due to industry demands, the equipment is in high demand, the costs are skyrocketing, and delays in shipping are increasing. A bid waiver is in the best interest of City to secure pricing and equipment as quickly as possible.
The Department of Technology requested pricing information from five (5) certified resellers for Enterprise Storage equipment. Four (4) of the vendors responded, and the lowest pricing was submitted by CDW Government LLC. Therefore, it is desired to establish the Enterprise Storage UTC with CDW Government LLC.
CDW LLC (CDW Government LLC) CC# 007352 expires 4/10/2028, $1.00
This company is not debarred according to the Excluded Parties listing of the Federal Government and is not listed in the Auditor of State’s database for Findings for Recovery.
Emergency Designation: The Finance and Management Department respectfully requests this legislation be considered an emergency ordinance because pricing in this industry changes quickly and the UTC needs to be established as soon as possible to lock in the currently offered pricing.
FISCAL IMPACT: The expenditure of $1.00 is hereby authorized from General Budget Reservation BRPO003693. City agencies will be required to obtain approval to expend from their own appropriations for their estimated annual expenditures.
Title
To authorize the Finance and Management Director to enter into a universal term contract for the option to purchase Enterprise Storage with CDW Government LLC; to authorize the expenditure of $1.00; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($1.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Finance and Management, at the request of the Department of Technology, desires to establish a universal term contract (UTC) for the option to purchase Enterprise Storage, which will provide Citywide cloud storage and maintenance; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Technology selected CDW Government LLC as the supplier for this UTC based upon it being the vendor which supplied the lowest quote for the necessary equipment; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Codes to enter into a new Universal Term Contract with CDW Government LLC as soon as possible due to industry pricing volatility and the need to lock in pricing before it changes; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is necessary to authorize the Finance and Management Director to immediately enter into a Universal Term Contract for the option to purchase Enterprise Storage in order establish quoted pricing in a volatile market, 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 and Management Director is hereby authorized to enter into the following contract for the option to purchase Enterprise Storage for a term of approximately three (3) years, expiring January 31, 2029 with the option to renew for three (3) additional one-year periods, or a portion thereof, as follows:
CDW Government LLC, Enterprise Storage, $1.00
SECTION 2. This Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Codes Chapter 329 to establish the aforementioned contract.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $1.00 is hereby authorized from General Budget Reservation BRPO003693 of this ordinance to pay the cost thereof.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. 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.