Explanation
This legislation authorizes the City Clerk to enter into contract with Live Technologies to upgrade the audio system in Council Chambers. The current system was installed over twenty years ago. Many components are no longer serviceable and the system is no longer reliable. Ordinance 1378-2006, passed October 4, 2006, appropriated and authorized the expenditure of $60,000.00 for this project. The system was designed by audio engineers, with oversight by Project Manager, Bird-Houk Collaborative and was issued via the formal competitive bid process. Although three vendors attended a pre-bid meeting, we no bids were received for the project. During investigation as to why there were no bids submitted, it was discovered that, among other reasons, vendors in this specialty generally prefer to design the systems they install.
Therefore, each of the three vendors who attended the pre-bid meeting (Live Technologies, Metro Audio and Video, and Newcome Electronic Systems) were invited to design and present a plan to the City Clerk for a complete audio system for City Council Chambers. The proposals were to include various items on which to be judged. These included an easy to operate system, a system that did not change the aesthetics of the Chambers, a recording system with up-to-date technology, LCD monitors, a new voting system, the replacement of existing floor plates, a wireless system to allow Council to utilize different room configurations if needed, and a list of references.
After analyzing the proposals, it was determined that the best and most responsive proposal was from Live Technologies. Live Technologies provided all of the necessary components requested in the proposal and best fits the needs of the City Council/City Clerk's office. Metro Audio and Video was unable to adapt their system to meet the current voting needs and their proposal was more expensive than the proposal from Live Technologies. Newcome Electronic Systems failed to provide a comprehensive bid and did not include a price for the electrical contractor, a necessary component to the project.
This ordinance also waives the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes due to the fact that no responses were received during the initial formal competitive bidding process.
Live Technologies Contract Compliance Number 31-1106148, expiration date 10/26/2009.
Emergency Action is necessary due to the extensive amount of time that has already elapsed during the process required to design, competitively bid, and then subsequently informally bid the project and due to the fact that many components of the current system have failed and are currently inoperable.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding comes from the General Permanent Improvement Fund, which has adequate unappropriated cash. Ordinance 1378-2006 previously appropriated $60,000.00 for this project. This ordinance appropriates an additional $60,000.00, for a total of $120,000.00. The total cost of the contract is $120,000.00. Of this, $112,325.00 is the anticipated cost of the project and the remaining monies are for contingency in case of unforeseen circumstances, as is customary in similar projects.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to contract with Live Technologies for the replacement of the sound system in City Council Chambers; to authorize the appropriation of $60,000.00 within the General Permanent Improvement Fund; to authorize the transfer of cash between projects in the General Permanent Improvement Fund, to authorize the City Auditor to cancel AC026103 and to apply the funds to this ordinance, to authorize the expenditure of $120,000.00 from the General Permanent Improvement Fund, to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($120,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the current audio system in Council Chambers is over twenty years old and many components are no longer serviceable, and
WHEREAS, City Council desires to secure an upgraded and fully functioning system to expand presentation and audio options using digital sound and wireless technology to enhance communications with the public, and
WHEREAS, Audio Engineers recommended a system that will meet the needs of Council and City Hall users for an extended period, and
WHEREAS, the City Clerk's Office competitively bid a new sound system and received no responses, and
WHEREAS, the City Clerk's Office requested design concepts in the form of written proposals from each vendor, and
WHEREAS, this thereby necessitated the waiver of the competitive biding provisions of the Columbus City Codes, and
WHEREAS, the City Clerk's Office evaluated proposals from three vendors and selected the proposal from Live Technologies as the best and most responsive, and
WHEREAS, the project will be designed to maintain and protect the room's historic character, and
WHEREAS, existing funding capacity exists in the City's General Permanent Improvement Fund to accommodate the project, and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the City Clerk's Office in that it is immediately necessary to upgrade the audio system in Council Chambers as the current system is failing and components are no longer serviceable 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 City Clerk is hereby authorized to contract with Live Technologies for the replacement of the sound system in City Council Chambers.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated balance in Fund 748, the General Permanent Improvement 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, 2007, the sum of $60,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated to Department No. 20-01, Office of the City Clerk, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6600, OCA Code 920748 and Project 748999.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer funds within the General Permanent Improvement Fund as follows:
FROM:
Dept/Div: 20-01, Fund 748, Project: 748999, OCA 920748, OL3 6600, Amount: $60,000.00
TO:
Dept/Div: 20-01, Fund 748, Project: 200748, OCA 200748, OL3 6651, Amount: $60,000.00
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to cancel Auditor's Certificate No. AC026103 established by Ordinance No. 1378-2006 and apply those funds to Ordinance No. 1790-2007.
SECTION 5. That the expenditure of $120,000.00, or so much thereof that may be necessary in regard to the action authorized in SECTION 1, be and is hereby authorized and approved as follows:
Division: 20-01
Fund: 748
OCA Code: 200748
Project: 200748
Object Level 1: 06
Object Level 3: 6651
Amount: $120,000.00
SECTION 6. That in accordance with Section 329.27 of the Columbus City Code, City Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus that Section 329.09 relating to the process for awarding construction service contracts over $20,000.00 be waived.
SECTION 7. 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.