Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to modify and extend a contract with S. A. Comunale for annual smoke and fire alarm testing, inspection and repair and sprinkler inspections, fire pump testing, and fire suppression testing for the City-owned facilities under the purview of the Facilities Management Division. The contract was initially bid to provide service for a year with up to four one-year renewal options.
When bid five years ago, the Facilities Management Division did not have a single contractor for annual fire alarm inspections, sprinkler/standpipe inspections, fire pump testing, kitchen hood suppression testing or service calls with a contractor who was capable of addressing the various needs of the Division. Systems were not as integrated and up to date as our operations demanded. Since then Facilities Management Division and S.A. Comunale have made substantial improvements in the various buildings and we are now fully code compliant with our life safety systems, and are able to better respond to every day service calls. All of our systems are now fully updated and up to code.
One ongoing and critical project is under way with significant involvement of S.A. Comunale, and involves the Department of Public Safety, Office of Support Services. Under this project the automatic dialers of each building fire alarm panel to the 911 Center can no longer be supported because the underlying infrastructure is older and out of date. A new system to establish these automatic safety connections into a central monitoring system will be located within our Security Offices so that the City would no longer need either outside monitoring companies or the 911 center to monitor our building fire safety systems. If there is a problem then the Security Office notifies the Division of Fire.
It is cost effective and will enable a more seamless transition for the City to maintain service with S.A. Comunale to complete the central monitoring system transition, and to perform the annual testing. As well, completing all outstanding building deficiencies and to gather all the information (fire detection and fire suppression equipment manufacturers, model numbers, device counts) for each building so the City can more comprehensively bid the system maintenance and testing is cost effective and will ensure maximum continuity. S.A. Comunale would be expected to be competitive with any other prospective bidder and with the possibility of having to award to a new contractor at this point it could negatively affect the transition of this system.
S. A. Comunale has committed to hold their pricing for another year - essentially the same pricing as was bid five years ago. Facilities Management Division will work to gather up to date building data for next year’s bid with the new central monitoring system included along with all the life safety systems. This will allow for prospective bidders to have an entire up to date list of all the equipment and enable us to award the bid to a company that can provide the City with the life safety services it needs at the best possible price.
Emergency action is requested to allow fire alarm, smoke alarm, sprinkler and pump testing to begin without delay. This is important life/safety equipment and a delay could lead to building code violations.
S. A. Comunale Company, Inc. Contract Compliance No. 34-1122758, expiration date December 13, 2014.
Fiscal Impact: The Facilities Management Division budgeted $170,000.00 in the 2013 General Fund Budget.
Title
To authorize the Finance and Management Director to modify and extend a contract with S.A. Comunale for the annual smoke and fire alarm testing, inspection and repair and sprinkler inspections, fire pump testing, and fire suppression testing for various City facilities under the purview of the Facilities Management Division; to authorize the expenditure of $170,000.00 from the General Fund; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($170,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the original contract with S.A. Comunale was authorized by Ordinance No. 0726-2008, with four one-year renewal options; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to modify and extend said contract to provide smoke and fire alarm testing, as well as the inspection and repair of said items, including sprinklers, fire pumps, and other fire suppression equipment; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Finance and Management Department, Facilities Management Division, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Finance and Management Director to modify and extend a contract with S. A. Comunale for City-owned facilities under the purview of the Facilities Management Division to allow testing and repair of the life safety equipment without delay, thereby preserving the public health, 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 modify and extend a contract on behalf of the Facilities Management Division with S.A. Comunale for annual smoke and fire alarm testing, inspection and repair and sprinkler inspections, fire pump testing, and fire suppression testing for various City facilities under the purview of the Facilities Management Division.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $170,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary in regards to the action authorized in SECTION 1, be and is hereby authorized and approve as follows:
Dept. /Div.: 45-07
Fund: 10
OCA: 450044
Object Level 01: 03
Object Level 03: 3370
Amount: $170,000.00
SECTION 3. 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 4. That the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes, 1959 are hereby waived.
SECTION 5. That for 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 or vetoes the same.