Title
Charlotte Water Laboratory Supplies and Equipment Purchases
Action
Action:
A. Approve the purchase of laboratory equipment and supplies, as authorized by the sole source exemption of G.S. 143-129 (e)(6), and
B. Approve a contract with Horizon Technology, Incorporated, for the purchase of laboratory equipment and supplies for the term of three years.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Barry Gullet, Charlotte Water
David Czerr, Charlotte Water
Sole Source Exemption
§ G.S. 143-129 (e) (6) provides that formal bidding requirements do not apply when:
- Performance or price competition are not available;
- A needed product is available from only one source or supply; or
- Standardization or compatibility is the overriding consideration.
§ Sole sourcing is necessary for this contract because standardization and compatibility with existing equipment and analytical methods is the overriding consideration.
§ The City Council must approve purchases made under the sole source exception.
Explanation
§ Laboratory Services of Charlotte Water conducts approximately 200,000 tests per year using supplies from various manufacturers.
§ The Laboratory’s regulatory certification requires staff to use a specific set of proprietary testing supplies from Horizon Technology, Inc. to fulfill some of these analytical responsibilities.
§ Horizon Technology, Inc. gives Charlotte Water volume-based discounts for these supplies.
§ The first year’s expenditures include replacement of one aging piece of equipment included in the FY 2017 Capital Equipment Replacement List.
§ Annual expenditures under the contract are estimated to be $64,000 in the first year and $28,000 in the following years.
Charlotte Business INClusion
This is a sole source contract and is exempt (Part A: Appendix 27 of the Charlotte Business INClusion Policy).
Fiscal Note
Funding: Charlotte Water Operating Budget