Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Purchasing Office received and opened bid number SA000568 for a laboratory sterilizer on November 20, 2003. This sterilizer is needed by the Division of Water's Water Quality Assurance Laboratory to meet EPA guidelines. Three bids were received and deemed non-responsive. Because this sterilizer was only budgeted in 2003 and time is of the essence, the Division of Water reconsidered the bids on an informal basis. VWR Scientific was the lowest bidder. They were deemed non-responsive, as they did not specify the exact type of sterilizer they were bidding and they also omitted a check-mark on a specification. We have received documentation that they are bidding the exact sterilizer that we specified and that the missing check-mark was an oversight on their part. Therefore, in order to eliminate the need to rebid the contract so the lowest bidder can correct their errors, and to in order to enter into the contract prior to the close of the fiscal year, it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus, Division of Water to waive the provisions of competitive bidding, and to award this contract to VWR Scientific, for a grand total of $40,973.00. The Contract Compliance number for VWR Scientific is 31-1319190. Of the ten vendors solicited, only one had certified MBE/FBE status.
As stated above, this sterilizer was included only in the 2003 Budget and we do not have time to formally rebid prior to the close of the fiscal year, therefore, it is requested that this Ordinance be handled in an emergency manner.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Division of Water has budgeted $38,301.00 for this sterilizer in the 2003 Budget. There are enough remaining funds in Object Level One "06" in order to cover this purchase. There have been no expenditures of this nature in the last two years.
Title
To authorize the Finance Director to enter into a contract with VWR Scientific, for a laboratory sterilizer, for the Division of Water, to waiv...
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