Explanation
1. BACKGROUND:
A. Need: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Finance and Management, on behalf of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services, to enter into contract with LOCUTION SYSTEMS INC., for the purchase and replacement of the Emergency Alerting System (Public Address System) at all City of Columbus Fire Stations and the associated equipment located at the Fire Dispatch Facility. This contract will provide a reliable emergency alerting system for all emergency calls coming in to the Fire Dispatch Facility.
LOCUTION SYSTEMS, INC. is the vendor of the hardware and manufacturer of the software. The Contract with them will include high-level technical software and hardware support.
The current system's equipment is 12 years old and is no longer supported by the manufacturer for replacement equipment and parts. The City will continue to assume responsibility for the system.
This ordinance also authorizes the transfer of $14,962 between projects within the Safety Voted Bond Fund and amends the 2007 Capital Improvement Budget, ordinance 0733-2007 to reflect the expenditure for the transferred piece.
B. Bid Information: The Purchasing Office advertised and solicited competitive bids in accordance with the Columbus City Code, Section 329.06(a), bid #SA002561. Two (2) bids were received: Neither respondent returned all pages of the bid packet therefore waiver legislation is being requested.
LOCUTIONS SYSTEM, INC.
BEAR COMMUNICATIONS, Inc., (aka, BearCom)
LOCUTIONS SYSTEM, INC. was the only compliant bid received meeting technical requirements.
C. Contract Compliance: LOCUTIONS SYSTEM, INC. Contract Compliance #841240663, expires 8/29/2009.
D. Emergency Designation: Emergency designation is requested due to the need to have a new system up and running as soon as possible due to the current unsupported/unreliable system, as well as the time constraints set for expenditures of the CIB.
2. FISCAL IMPACT:
A. Budgeted Amount: The total amount of this contract is $764,962.00. However, funds in the associated project amount to only $750,000, making it necessary to transfer $14,962 from leftover funds in another Fire project to complete this contract.
Title
To authorize The Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract on behalf of the Division of Support Services with LOCUTION SYSTEMS, INC. for the purchase and replacement of the Emergency Alerting System (Public Address System) at all the City of Columbus Fire Stations, and the associated equipment located at the Fire Dispatch Facility; to amend the 2007 Capital Improvements Budget; to authorize the City Auditor to transfer $14,962.00 between projects within the Safety Bond Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $764,962.00 from the Safety Voted Bond Fund, to waive formal competitive bidding requirements and to declare an emergency. ($ 764,962.00).
Body
WHEREAS, the City requires the purchase and replacement of the Emergency Alerting System (Public Address System) at all the City of Columbus Fire Stations and the associated equipment located at the Fire Dispatch Facility; and,
WHEREAS, the responsibility of the service support will continue to be that of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services; and,
WHEREAS, formal bids were solicited for the purchase; and,
WHEREAS, LOCUTION SYSTEMS, INC. is the vendor of the hardware and manufacturer of the software needed by the City. The support agreement with them will include high-level technical software and hardware support; and,
WHEREAS, LOCUTION SYSTEMS, INC. failed to return all pages of the original bid document waiver of section 329.06 is necessary; and,
WHEREAS, this ordinance amends the Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance No. 0733-2007; and,
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the City Auditor to transfer $14,962.00 between projects within the Safety Voted Bond Fund; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services, in that it is immediately necessary to replace the Emergency Alerting System, (Public Address System) at all of the City of Columbus Fire Stations and the associated equipment located at the Fire Dispatch Facility due to the current unsupported/unreliable system, as well as the time constraints set for expenditures of the CIB, in order to preserve the public peace, health, safety and welfare; now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS
SECTION 1. That the Director of Finance and Management be and is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with LOCUTION SYSTEMS INC., for the purchase and replacement of the Emergency Alerting System ( Public Address System) at all the City of Columbus Fire Stations and the associated equipment located at the Fire Dispatch Facility.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer funds within the Safety Voted Bond Fund as follows;
FROM:
Dept/Div: 30-04/Fund 701/Project Number 340118/Project name Fire Training Complex/OCA Code 644518/Amount $14,962.00
TO:
Dept/Div: 30-02/Fund 701/Project Number 320001/Project Name, Police and Fire Communications System OCA CODE 642629/Amount $14,962.00.
SECTION 3. That in accordance of Section 329.06 of the Columbus City Codes, the Columbus City Council finds it in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive formal competitive bidding requirements and that Section 329.06 of the Columbus City Code is hereby waived.
SECTION 3. 4. That the 2007 Capital Improvement Budget is hereby amended as follows:
Current CIB Revised CIB
Project/Project Number Carryover Amount Carryover Amount
Fire Training Complex/340118 $8,609,646 $8,594,684
Police and Fire Comm. Sys./ 320001 $950,001 $964,963
SECTION 4. 5. That for the purpose stated in SECTIONS 1 and 2 hereof, the expenditure of 764,962.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from:
DIV FUND PROJ# PROJECT NAME OCA OBJ LEVEL3 AMOUNT
30-02 701 320001 Police and Fire 642629 6655 $764,962.00
Communication System
SECTION 5 6. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. 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 of ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.