APPROVE spending authority for Emergency Purchase of Various Goods and Services related to the City's response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

DR4521(COVID-19) - Approve spending authority for the emergency purchase of various goods and services related to the City's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Specific Explanation:

The Chief Procurement Officer recommends that City Council approve spending authority in an amount not to exceed  $8,131,984.02 for the emergency purchase of various goods and services related to the City's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Additionally, it is also requested that authorization be given to issue purchase orders to the vendors listed on the attached spreadsheet for the provision of such goods and services. 

In response to the Mayor's initial proclamation issued on March 11, 2020 declaring a Local State of Disaster Due to a Public Health Emergency, and the indefinite extension of the declaration issued on March 17, 2020, the City has engaged numerous vendors to assist with responding to the public health emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The goods and services provided by these various vendors include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The purchase of personal protective equipment, including N95 masks; 
• The purchase of various types of laptops, batteries, docking stations, display port adapters, imaging services, and Jabra speakers, headsets, and speakerphones to assist in the creation of a socially distant and mobile workforce; 
• The purchase of additional layers of cyber-security protection for an increasing remote workforce to protect against increased threats from cyber-attacks ranging from data theft to ransomware; 
• The purchase of laboratory testing supplies and equipment to conduct ongoing COVID-19 testing; 
• The purchase and installation of new doors to retrofit the jail cells at the Houston Police Department - Southeast Command Station; 
• The purchase of a comprehensive data integration solution to allow the cross-examination of pandemic-related data across the Houston Health Department's programs for efficiency and timely intervention;
• The purchase of a radio and digital messaging campaign to support Mask Up! targeting minority communities; 
• Mental health services to support community members in high-positivity zip codes; 
• The purchase of 5,208 annual vouchers from Comcast and/or AT&T for qualifying households to access the internet during the pandemic; 
• The development and implementation of emergency response marketing, communications, and direct outreach services for at-risk and vulnerable residents;
• The implementation of an externship program at the City of Houston for vulnerable youth to become community health workers to support Houston's most vulnerable and at-risk communities for COVID-19; and
• The replacement of existing mobile dock and power supply equipment for rugged tablets used by the Houston Fire Department.

The attached spreadsheet represents emergency purchase orders that have been approved to-date by the Chief Procurement Officer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic since August 10, 2020 and have not yet come before City Council for approval.  This consolidated request for City Council approval is hereby made in an effort to streamline the procurement process and allow the City to be agile and timely in responding to the ever-changing needs of both the City's residents and the demands of the pandemic. 

This recommendation is made pursuant to section 252.022(a)(2) of the Texas Local Government Code, which provides that "a procurement necessary to preserve or protect the public health or safety of the municipality's residents" is exempt from the competitive bidding process.

M/WBE Participation:

These Emergency Purchase Orders have been reviewed for possible MWBE participation.   In cases where participation is possible, appropriation OBO documentation will be provided. 

Hire Houston First:

The proposed procurements are exempt from the City's Hire Houston First ordinance.  Bids/ proposals were not solicited because the departments are utilizing emergency purchase orders for these procurements.   

Disaster Note:

This item is related to the impact of COVID-19 and it is the City's intent to use other federal funding sources for eligible expenditures, namely the Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars. 

Fiscal Note:

No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.

$8,131,984.02

Fund 5307

Name                                              Department          Phone 

 Candice M. Gambrell                       FIN/ SPD             832.393.9129

Jerry Adams                                     FIN/ SPD             832.393.9126