Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to issue a purchase order to Knox Associates for the purchase of Knox Box Home equipment for use by the Division of Fire (CFD), Fire Prevention Bureau. The City of Columbus was awarded a Federal Fiscal Year 2017 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant from the Assistance to Fire Fighters (AFG) Grant program, via the Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will provide financial assistance for the purchase of the Knox Box Home equipment for use by the CFD, specifically "CFD Fire and Life Safety Educators" for City of Columbus citizens. The Knox Box Rapid Entry product is currently built into and used on CFD’s fire apparatus. These boxes are self-contained units that retain a master key in each fire emergency vehicle which provides emergency responders with a mechanism to rapidly access locked or restricted areas, thus reducing property damage, liability for lost keys, and decreasing on-scene time awaiting the arrival of a key holder to gain entry into the building or home and facilitating a more expedient delivery of emergency services. Knox Box produces and sells their products directly to the end user. The City will act as Grantee to the Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and approved the acceptance of this AFG Grant via Ordinance #2603-2018. The grant award is for a maximum of $303,300.00, which is comprised of $288,858.00 from the AFG award, with a 5% cost match of the final purchase amount to be made by the City, not to exceed $14,442.00, of non-Federal funds. This purchase of the Knox Box Home equipment is $70,644.00, and the City's actual 5% match of the final purchase amount would be $3,532.20.
Bid Information: Knox Box produces and sells their products directly to the end user. CFD is requesting a Bid Waiver on this purchase so that the same Knox Box system that is currently in use by both business and home owners may be acquired. A formal bid process could possibly result in an award being made to a new, different key retention system product which would require a change-out of systems, and put an undue hardship on every business and/or home owner within the City by incurring a cost to change out their entire locking system, while also requiring equipment modifications on all CFD apparatus (approximate cost is from $175/resident to $500/business - per box). For these reasons, the Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire / Bureau of Fire Prevention is requesting competitive bidding be waived on the purchase of Knox Box Home equipment.
Contract Compliance: Knox Associates (#95-3617858) (Vendor #012806/ Active C.C.)
Emergency Designation: The Division of Fire requests emergency legislation so that the purchase of the Knox Box Home equipment may conclude prior to the expiration of the grant period.
FISCAL IMPACT: All expended funds will be reimbursed to the City of Columbus by the AFG award upon the final delivery, inspection, and invoicing by the vendor Knox Associates. The General Government Grant Fund will cover $67,111.80, of this purchase, while the 5% City cost match of $3,532.20 will cover the remainder; these funds were previously established on an Auditor's Certificate (ACPR001372) via Ordinance 2603-2018.
Title
To authorize and direct the Finance and Management Director to issue a purchase order to Knox Associates; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code, Chapter 329, for the purchase of the Knox Box Home equipment; to authorize the expenditure of $70,644.00 from the General Government Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($70,644.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Columbus Division of Fire seeks to enhance the protective health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel against fire-related hazards in the City of Columbus with the purchase of Knox Box Home equipment; and,
WHEREAS, the Division of Fire, was awarded Federal Fiscal Year 2017 funding from the FY17 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant (AFG), via the Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where upon receipt of all products, the City shall pay the vendor invoice and will then be reimbursed by said grant, which was approved and accepted by the City of Columbus via Ordinance #2603-2018, establishing Auditor's Certificate ACPR001372; and,
WHEREAS, the Division of Fire has determined that it is in the City's best interestes to waive the competitive bidding procedures of City Code Chapter 329 to allow the purchase from Knox Associates; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Division of Fire, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize and direct the Finance and Management Director to issue a purchase order to Knox Associates in order to purchase the aforementioned Knox Box Home equipment, thereby preserving the public peace, health, property, 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 and directed to issue a purchase order to Knox Associates for said Knox Box Home equipment for use by the Division of Fire, Fire Prevention Bureau, in accordance with the stipulations of the FY17 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant (AFG) program.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $70,644.00 from the General Government Grant Fund is hereby authorized from ACPR001372, as established via Ordinance 2603-2018.
SECTION 3. That the monies in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Director of Public Safety, and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. That at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated.
SECTION 6. That this Council finds it is in the City's best interest to waive the competitive bidding requirements of City Code to allow the aforementioned purchase from Knox Associates.
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.