DATE: April 9, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Robert W. Bash, Director of Internal Services/Chief Information Officer
SUBJECT: Agreement with Teledata Services Company
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to suspend the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances with Teledata Services Company for low-voltage cabling services, as the County has critical ongoing internal low-voltage cabling service projects in need of completion in order to maintain effective and efficient operations; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Retroactive Agreement with Teledata Services Company for internal low-voltage cabling services, effective January 29, 2024, not to exceed two consecutive years, which includes a one-year base contract and one optional one-year extension, total not to exceed $3,450,000.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will allow the Internal Services Department - Information Technology Division (ISD-IT) to continue to use Teledata Services Company (Teledata) for internal low voltage cabling services, and to complete critical ongoing projects that have been scheduled or are already underway. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, ISD-IT will be required to put all critical ongoing and scheduled internal low voltage cabling service projects on hold which may negatively impact operations countywide. Your Board may direct staff to solicit for competitive bids for a new internal low voltage cabling vendor, however procuring, awarding, contracting, and initiating projects with a new vendor would be costly and time consuming.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
ISD-IT is requesting the Board suspend the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 under the “unusual or extraordinary circumstances” exception in order for Teledata to continue with their critical ongoing and scheduled internal low voltage cabling service projects that are integral to maintaining effective and efficient operations countywide. The Internal Services Department, Purchasing Division concurs with the Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended agreement is retroactive to January 29, 2024. The delay in bringing this to your Board on an earlier date was due to an unintentional administrative oversight. Administrative staff developed a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for a succession agreement, however, during the departmental review, technical staff explained that there are many critical ongoing and scheduled internal low-voltage cabling projects. Placing those projects on hold could negatively impact operations for all user-departments. As a result, potential solutions were discussed to rectify concerns regarding countywide operational delays, and the recommendation was made to suspend competition, in order to see the ongoing projects through to completion.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. As of 03/21/2024 there are currently three pending invoices from Teledata for work completed after the expiration of the previous agreement that total $3,311. Cost associated with the recommended agreement will not exceed $3,450,000 for the total possible two-year term and are covered through charges to user departments. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the FY 2023-2024 ISD-IT Adopted Budget. Funding for future years will be included in future recommended budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The Internal Services Department (ISD) coordinates the low-voltage cabling for all County departments, as an essential part of the integrated data and phone network design. Due to the continued expansion and relocation of County departments, ISD anticipates an increased critical need for internal low voltage cable installation and repair.
On January 29, 2019, your Board approved Agreement No. 19-035 (Agreement) with Teledata to provide internal, low-voltage cabling services countywide. Teledata has completed projects for several County locations, including providing cabling services to the Health and Wellness Center, Pontiac Buildings 1, 2, 3, and 5, the Plaza Building, the County Animal Control Facility, and the Environmental Compliance Center. Teledata’s expertise in low-voltage cabling and institutional knowledge of the County has ensured the smooth implementation of these projects and their successful completion.
Agreement No. 19-035 expired on January 28, 2024, and while administrative staff initially drafted an RFQ for a succession agreement, technical staff advised that user departments Countywide could be negatively impacted by placing critical ongoing low-voltage projects on hold. ISD-IT assigned several critical and necessary projects to Teledata, however the department overlooked the expiration of the Agreement. Although a draft RFQ was initially created to mitigate the issue, it was determined that placing these projects on hold to see the bid process through completion would result in negative operational delays countywide. Ongoing cabling projects and those scheduled for the near future include, but are not limited to, the remodel of Floor 6 and 8 in the Plaza Building, the remodel at the Heritage Centre which will house the new Adult and Children Psychiatric Health Facility and Crisis Stabilization Units, the remodel and cabling of Pontiac Building 4 in preparation for the move of the Probation Department, and the remodel and cabling to the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) Olive St. Building which is crucial to getting DBH’s staff off of the UMC campus timely. As such, the recommendation was made to suspend competition so that countywide operations remain effective and efficient.
This agreement will have a one-year base term, with one optional one-year extension. The maximum compensation for the initial term will be $1,725,000 and should the optional one-year extension be executed, an additional $1,725,000 will be added to the maximum compensation.
Approval of the first recommended action will suspend the competitive bidding process to enable Teledata to continue and complete its critical ongoing cabling service projects.
Approval of the second recommended action will authorize the recommended agreement with Teledata and will allow user departments Countywide to continue using Teledata’s services.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #49, January 29, 2019
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request Form
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Teledata Services Company
On file with Clerk - Electronic Signature Verification
CAO ANALYST:
Ahla Yang