Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the City Attorney to enter into a contract with West Publishing Corporation dba Elite, A Thomson Reuters business for a legal case/matter management software system and associated services, and the expenditure of the necessary funds.
The guidelines of City Code Chapter 329.14 for awarding professional service contracts through requests for proposals (RFP) was followed. SA004220 was posted through the Vendor Services website and a total of six (6) responses were received. A project team, consisting of four City Attorney staff and one staff of the Department of Technology evaluated the responses and selected two products, Legal Files and ProLaw, for more in-depth evaluation. Presentations and reference checks were conducted for these two vendors/products. Based upon the information provided and the selection criteria established in the solicitation, ProLaw was recommended by the project team as the product that would best meet the needs of the office. The City Attorney has approved said recommendation.
This contract will enable the purchase of the various software licenses, annual maintenance, training, consultation, and data conversion services needed to implement this project for 60 users of the Civil Section of City Attorney's Office.
Contract compliance number 41-1426973, expires 02/27/2014.
EMERGENCY: The process of obtaining a legal case/matter management system for the City Attorney's Office has been ongoing for several years. Therefore, there is an immediate need to establish said contract and authorize the expenditures to allow this project to commence as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: This project is being funded from the Auditor's Bond Fund #783, where there are adequate funds available.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE NUMBER: 41-1426973, expires 02-27-2014.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney to enter into a contract with West Publishing Corporation dba Elite, A Thomson Reuters business, for the purchase of a legal case/matter management software system and associated services; to authorize the expenditure of up to One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars from Auditor Bond Fund 783; and, to declare an emergency. ($150,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City Attorney's Office is in need of a legal case/matter management software system for the Civil Section; and,
WHEREAS, in accordance with the guidelines of City Code Chapter 329.14 the proposal submitted by West Publishing Corporation, dba Elite, A Thomson Reuters business, was selected; and,
WHEREAS, this legislation will authorize the City Attorney to enter into a contract with West Publishing Company, dba Elite, A Thomson Reuters business, for the purchase of a legal case/matter management software system and associates services; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the foregoing contract and the expenditure of funds for the purchase of a legal/case matter management system for the City Attorney's Office for the preservation of public peace, property, health, safety and welfare, now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Attorney is authorized and directed to enter into a contract with West Publishing Corporation dba Elite, A Thomson Reuters business, for a legal case/matter management software system and associates services, in the maximum amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00).
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of, One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and hereby is authorized from department 2401, Auditor Bond Fund, fund number 783, project number 783001-100000, organizational cost account 783002, object level 6649.
SECTION 3. 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.