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File #: 1989-2024    Version: 1
Type: Ordinance Status: Council Office for Signature
File created: 6/27/2024 In control: Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee
On agenda: 7/15/2024 Final action:
Title: To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a contract for maintenance and repair services for Crime Lab instruments with Specialty Underwriters LLC.; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes; to authorize the expenditure of $76,629.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($76,629.00)
Attachments: 1. BId Waiver, 2. Legislaion funding
Explanation

BACKGROUND: The Division of Police Crime Lab has various scientific instruments that require maintenance and repair services by the manufacturer. This equipment is used to process and present evidence for criminal prosecutions, which requires strict adherence to rules of evidence and established mandatory timeliness. The Division of Police has a need for maintenance and repair services with Agilent Technologies, Inc., PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc., Thermo-Scientific and Spectra Analysis. Specialty Underwriters manages the consolidation of the various contracts with the aforementioned vendors at a reduced cost for the maintenance and service.

BID INFORMATION: Specialty Underwriters was utilized in 2018 as a pilot project to see what the potential cost savings would be as well as determining if the city would be obtaining the same maintenance and repair services as if it contracted directly with the individual manufacturers. The pilot program did not include all instruments, rather only a few from Agilent and PerkinElmer were utilized for this program. It was discovered that Specialty Underwriters contracts with each of the individual manufacturers on the City's behalf, reducing the yearly costs per instrument while maintaining the same level of service and repairs. The Division of Police estimates that contracting with each manufacturer for these services would exceed $100,000.00. Therefore, the Division of Police is requesting a Bid Waiver on this contract in order to continue the maintenance and service contracts at a reduced cost to the City.

This company is not debarred according to the Federal excluded parties listing or prohibited from being awarded a contract according to the Auditor of State unresolved findings for recovery certified search.

CONTRACT COMPLIANCE NO: CC026260 and expires July 20, 2025

EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency legislation is requested for this ordinance so that there are maintenance and repair serv...

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