Title
Vendor Change for Previously Approved Purchase of Specialized Equipment Truck
Action
Action:
A. Approve the purchase of a customized Police Command Bomb Truck from a cooperative contract,
B. Approve a unit price contract with Emergency Vehicles, Inc. for the purchase of a customized Police Bomb Truck and related equipment for a term of two years under the Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Program (H-GAC Contract FS12-19 Public Services 19-01178), and
C. Authorize the City Manager to extend the contract for additional terms as long as the cooperative contract is in effect, at prices and terms that are the same or more favorable than those offered under the cooperative contact.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Johnny Jennings, Police
Dave J. Johnson, Police
Explanation
§ At the July 10, 2023 Council Business Meeting, Council approved the purchase of a replacement truck. This request has been revised to authorize a contract with a different vendor, Emergency Vehicles, Inc, that also has a Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Program contract in place.
§ The change in vendors is being requested due to the fact that Emergency Vehicles, Inc. was able to commit to better pricing and is able to meet the delivery schedule needed to comply with federal grant funding deadlines.
§ The special service vehicle is needed for bomb squad related operations. Over the past three years CMPD has received over 300 bomb squad service calls for service and the bomb truck has been deployed to over 80 of the calls.
§ The city’s current bomb truck has reached the end of its lifecycle and needs to be replaced. The current truck is over 20 years old and has multiple mission critical items that are broken or unserviceable.
§ The type of truck that is proposed for purchase comes with numerous safety features that are not available on other similar types of vehicles. This type of truck comes with more standard safety features, rollover protection, is more durable, and is specifically designed for this purpose.
§ The vehicle will be a regional asset that will serve not just the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County but also the other 10 counties within the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) region and other counties where CMPD is currently the primary bomb squad response unit.
§ NC General Statute Section 143-129(e)(3) allows local governments to purchase from formally organized cooperative purchasing contracts.
§ A cooperative purchasing agreement results from the consolidation and competitive solicitation of multiple public agency requirements. By aggregating common needs all agencies are able to leverage economies of scale, such as volume discounts, improved terms and conditions, reduced administrative costs, and access to professional and technical expertise.
§ Expenditures are estimated to be $1,000,000.
Charlotte Business INClusion
This is a cooperative purchasing contract and is exempt from the CBI Program.
Fiscal Note
Funding: General Grants Fund