DATE: August 20, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Edward Hill, Chief Operating Officer/ Interim Director of Internal Services/ Chief Information Officer
SUBJECT: Agreement with Gibbs International, Inc.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirements under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an Agreement with Gibbs International, Inc., as it is the only local vendor capable of providing parts and repair services for International Trucks utilized by County departments; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Gibbs International, Inc. for parts and repair services for the County’s International Trucks, effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $300,000.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will allow the Internal Services Department - Fleet Services Division (ISD-Fleet) to use Gibbs International, Inc. (Gibbs) for all International Truck parts (both original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket) and repair service needs. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, ISD-Fleet will not have an efficient method to acquire replacement parts and repair services for the County’s International Trucks.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under AP 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted, due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as Gibbs is the only local vendor capable of providing both OEM and aftermarket parts and repair services for International Trucks. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division (ISD-Purchasing) concurs with the request to suspend the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum amount for the potential five-year term of the agreement is $300,000. Costs associated with this agreement are recovered through chargebacks to user departments. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the ISD-Fleet Org 8910 FY 2024-25 Recommended Budget and will be included in the subsequent annual budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
ISD-Fleet is responsible for maintaining the operational effectiveness of the County’s International Truck vehicles and equipment for user departments Countywide. These vehicles and equipment include, but are not limited to, the Library’s ”Bookmobile,” which attends events throughout the County and offers convenient check-out options for books, magazines, CD’s, and DVD’s, as well as equipment utilized by the Public Works and Planning Department, such as a two-ton Freightliner, a Thermo-Lay truck-mounted pothole patching machine, a PB Patch, a two-ton water truck, and a 7400 Plow, all of which ensure the upkeep and maintenance of County roads. These International Truck assets require specialized repairs and parts unique to their genre of asset. Gibbs is the only local vendor capable of providing these repairs and parts.
Although there are other vendors who are capable of providing the needed parts and repairs for the County’s International Truck assets, the locations of these vendors cause them to not be viable options for supporting efficient operations Countywide. The two nearest vendors after Gibbs, Speedco and Loves Truck Care, are located in the cities of Madera and Tulare respectively, and would require roughly forty minutes of travel to either option, and additional time should any equipment require to be towed. Gibbs is located in Fresno, is three miles from the Fleet Repair shop, and can be reached in seven minutes. Finally, while there are similar businesses that operate solely online, the shipping time and stock availability from these businesses create unwarranted wait times for repairs. Efficient repair timelines are vital to ensuring that the Public Works and Planning Department can continue to provide County road services. Lastly, Gibbs has a proven history of expeditious and effective services.
The recommended agreement will have a three-year base term, with two optional one-year extensions. The maximum compensation for entire potential five-year agreement will not exceed $300,000.
Approval of the recommended actions will allow ISD-Fleet to enter into a new agreement with Gibbs to provide parts and repair services for the County’s International Trucks.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request Form
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Gibbs International, Inc.
CAO ANALYST:
Ahla Yang