AGENDA MEMORANDUM

Meeting Date:           February 14, 2011

From:                          Mike Thornton, Purchasing Manager

Subject:                      Requisition #43347 to Sanders Company, Inc., a sole source vendor, for $98,791.00 for the purchase of Lift Station Monitoring Equipment and a Sci-Text Alarm and Monitoring Communication System

Staff Recommendation:

Staff recommends approval of Requisition #43347 to Sanders Company, Inc., for $98,791.00 to purchase lift station monitoring equipment and a Sci-Text communication system, upgrading the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

Analysis:

The purpose of this purchase is to upgrade the lift station SCADA panels in the wastewater system for Royal Highlands, to have spare parts for future repairs, both routine and emergency, and purchase and installation of an improved communications and notification system to the citywide wastewater SCADA system.

Remote Terminal Unit Upgrade - $77,511.00

A total of nine complete Remote Terminal Units (RTU) will be acquired, six for spare parts and three for Royal Highlands.  This purchase will allow Royal Highland lift stations to be integrated into the current SCADA system used by Environmental Services.

Staff requests the commission approve the RTU upgrade purchase as a sole source purchase excluding it from the competitive solicitation process.  Siemens Water Technologies has provided a letter stating the following:

“ . . . Sanders Company, Inc. is the exclusive authorized manufacturer’s representative of products, OEM parts and services for the Siemens Water Technologies Control Systems group in the state of Florida for all counties east of the Apalachicola River. . . .”

The current Environmental Services SCADA system consists of components manufactured by Siemens Water Technologies.  Any equipment or components added to the system must be compatible with the existing equipment.

Sci-Text Communications Notification System - $21,280.00

The purchase of the Sci-Text system will enable the SCADA system to communicate via text messaging to all operations personnel requiring information regarding both lift station current conditions and alarms.  This is made possible with a hardware dialer, as opposed to a software dialer.

The software dialer, currently in use, is tied to one specific computer which is monitored by the on duty operator.  The operator must then notify coworkers with pertinent information via phone.  Not only will the Sci-Text system allow for quicker response time, there will be an estimated annual savings of $654.12 compared to the current system.  This figure does not include the soft dollar benefits of more efficient and timely notification of system status and alarms.

Options:

1.  Approve the purchase from Sanders Company, Inc.; or

2.  Such alternative action as the Commission may deem appropriate

Fiscal Impact: 

The total purchase cost of $98,791.00 is budgeted and available in the account shown.

Submission Date and Time:    2/9/2011 10:08 AM____

Department: __Environmental Services__ Prepared by:  __Tracey Dean______                      Attachments:         Yes_X__   No ______ Advertised:   ____Not Required _X___ Dates:   __________________________                       Attorney Review :       Yes___  No ____ _________________________________            Revised 6/10/04

Reviewed by: Dept. Head ________ Finance  Dept. ___________JB_____                                     Deputy C.M. ___________________                                          Submitted by: City Manager ___________________

Account No. _044-4099-535.63-10___ Project No. __440002____________ WF No. _____707185____________ Budget  _____$100,000.00________ Available ____$100,000.00________