Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVING A PURCHASE ORDER TO ECOLAB, INC. FOR PURCHASE OF JANITORIAL AND SANITATION SUPPLIES FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
City Council approval is requested to authorize the Purchasing Department to appropriate funds to a Blanket Purchase Order (“BPO”) agreement for Ecolab, Inc. totaling $100,000, which will exceed the City Manager’s expenditure authority of $25,000.
Ecolab, Inc. provides critical disinfectant chemicals such as but not limited to hospital grade multi-surface peroxide, neutral disinfectant, neutral floor cleaner, hand sanitizer, and hand soap/chemical dilution stations at parks, and other items required by City’s departments. The City has a need to continue to purchase these products.
Because Ecolab, Inc.’s chemicals and supplies are not interchangeable with other vendors’, and they have provided the City parks and facilities with the unique dilution stations and hand soap and sanitizer dispensers, the City Council is being asked to approve a Blanket Purchase Order with Ecolab, Inc. without bidding, under the City’s sole source exception permitted under Section 2611(e) of the City’s Municipal Code.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. WAIVE the bidding requirements of the Carson Municipal Code (“CMC”) pursuant to Carson Municipal Code 2611(e) (sole source purchasing); and
2. AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Division to create a Purchase Order to Ecolab, Inc. for an amount not-to-exceed $100,000.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate and consistent with the requirements of the City’s Purchasing Ordinance
IV. BACKGROUND
Ecolab, Inc. has been the City of Carson’s primary vendor for sanitation supplies for the Public Works custodial crew on an as-needed basis since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Works custodial crew oversees cleaning, housekeeping and/or general maintenance, disinfecting restrooms and/or day care facilities, the care of buildings, park facilities, and other City buildings. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, it was observed that the frequency of cleaning and the amount of cleaning product usage increased significantly over the last few years. Ecolab has provided the City with a complete line of commercial cleaning supplies, tools, and training along with innovative dispensing systems, odor elimination systems, surface cleaners, and floor care solutions throughout the City’s parks and facilities.
Several departments have been using Ecolab chemicals (Exhibit No.1) such as but not limited to Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant to easily clean and disinfect hard surfaces. These chemicals are EPA-registered products which disinfect in 3-5 minutes consistent with hospital grade disinfection claims such as: killing SARS-CoV-2 in 30 seconds when using the concentrated solution and killing Norovirus in 45 seconds. This low hazard, hydrogen and peroxide-based chemical has proven to be quick, convenient, and cost effective for the City of Carson.
Moreover, Ecolab is a manufacturer of their own chemicals. Their steady supply chain has allowed the Warehouse and Custodial division to build up an adequate amount of inventory for our parks and facilities, ensuring we are fully equipped to handle any current and future disinfecting and cleaning needs. The importance of having a steady supplier base has increased multifold since the COVID-19 pandemic and changing vendors can lead to the loss of reliable and stable supply of product and cost inefficiencies to taxpayers. For example, changing vendors would result in unusable existing dispensing systems and odor elimination systems, and create a need to repurchase these dispensing systems and odor elimination systems from a new vendor.
Section 2611(e) of the City’s Municipal Code allows City to dispense with competitive bidding under a sole source exception, which states:
The City Manager may dispense with this Chapter’s bidding requirements if he or she finds that the materials, supplies, equipment, or services are unique because of their quality, durability, availability, or fitness for a particular use and are available only from one (1) source, or, if available from more than one (1) source, can be purchased from the manufacturer or service provider for a lower price. If the cost of such sole source purchasing is $25,000 or greater, then the City Council’s approval shall be required.
Ecolab is the only vendor that can provide the cleaning systems needed by City without City having to repurchase certain products from another vendor and wasting taxpayer monies because its chemicals and supplies are not interchangeable.
Therefore, Public Works is requesting that the City Council waive the bidding requirement under the sole source exception and approve a blanket purchase order with Ecolab, Inc. totaling $100,000 to allow staff to continue to address the various cleaning and disinfecting needs of the City through FY 2022/2023.
Finally, it should also be noted that Section 2605(b)(1)(ii) of the CMC requires City to enter into a contract for purchases of any personal property, including materials, supplies and equipment, of $25,000 or more over a fiscal year, unless the City Manager (as Purchasing Manager) waives this requirement. The City Manager has waived such contract requirement which will allow the purchase with a Blanket Purchase Order.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact. Funds for this Purchase Order were included in the FY 2022/23 budget from accounts 101-80-840-104-6009 for $30,000 and 101-99-999-999-1302 for $70,000 will remain in inventory for future use.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Ecolab - Pricing List
Prepared by: Eliza Jane Whiteman, P.E., Public Works Director and Modesto Bolaños, Facility Maintenance Supervisor