DR4529(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 $22,072,031.25 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 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 September 30, 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.
- To provide urgent support services for residents of the City with payment for COVID-19 related expenses
- To provide electrical power for additional workstations as well as network for new audio / visual equipment along with specialized cabling at the Kirby location
- To purchase lock and key sets for multiple storage cabinets for HHD
- To purchase storage rack and containers, pallet movers, cleaning supplies and safety shields for HPD operations
- To purchase safety glasses, gloves and hand sanitizer in support of City operations, First Responders and HealthCare Workers
- To enhance the efforts of the City’s HITS department in the deployment of laptop computers
- To continue to rent hand sanitizer stations for HHD at multiple testing sites
- To purchase heartworm treatment, flea medication, anti-inflammatory and anti-biotics as well as core vaccines including feline leukemia
- To purchase microchips and medication used to treat skin issues on pets
- To purchase liquid hand sanitizer refills for the sanitizer stations located in the Libraries
- To provide testing, counseling, billing, data collection, reporting and transport of specimens to the laboratory for HHD test sites
- To procure laboratory and testing supplies and services for specimens collected from community test sites
- To provide a mobile pet clinic providing full veterinary services
- To purchase pet houses and leashes, stray pet traps, and a refrigerator to store pet vaccines at proper temperature
- To purchase packaging/moving supplies, cleaning supplies, trash grabbers, tables, chairs and trash cans for testing sites.
- To purchase battery chargers for waste water samplers
- For the use of the Butler and Delmar stadiums as well as security services provided by HISD
- To purchase the Meraki MR52 Cloud managed access points, Jabra wireless headsets and Zoom licenses for HHD
- To provide temporary staff in support of the City’s response to COVID-19 in several areas
- To purchase advertising, marketing and communications services to address culturally specific reluctance and antipathy to try new medical treatments
- To purchase two surface hubs for City Council offices
- To hire a commercial computer moving service to assist in the relocation of HHD from the GRB to the Kirby offices
- To purchase surveillance trailers for HPD to provide security at HHD testing sites
- To purchase docking stations, rapid deployment camera system, crowd control barricades and two (2) tandem axle trailers for HPD in support of HHD testing sites
- To purchase seven (7) laptops and accessories to support testing services to twenty (20) nursing homes in the Houston area
- To lease refrigerators to house the COVID-19 vaccines
- To lease eighty (80) laptops for temporary staff for the immunization program
- To purchase additional testing supplies for COVID-19
- For the rental and installation of covered structures at HHD testing sites
- To purchase signage for HHD testing sites
- To improve automation required to stabilize the Disease Surveillance System and increase processing power to handle the increased load
- To secure a location for mass distribution of the Coronavirus vaccine
- To secure assistance from medical personnel to operate and staff vaccination sites
- To collect hazardous waste generated at testing and vaccination sites
- For rental and service of portable toilet units at various HHD testing sites
- To provide support to the Houston Area Women’s Center 24-hour domestic violence and sexual assault hotlines
Additionally, it is also requested that authorization be given to issue purchase orders in any amount to vendors for the provision of goods and services related to the contact tracing, PPE, testing related to COVID-19, and COVID-19 vaccinations (“Remainder Purchase Orders”) with the balance of any monies in the CARES Act 2020 Fund that remain available for expenditure (e.g. they have not been either encumbered, allocated, or expended or have been de-encumbered or de-allocated), provide that the aggregated total amount of such Remainder Purchase Orders when combined with all of the other City expenditures of whatever kind using the monies in the CARES Act 2020 Fund shall not exceed the amount of the Coronavirus Relief Fund allocation granted to the City ($404,868,873.40) plus any interest accrued thereon.
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.
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Jerry Adams, Chief Procurement Officer
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division
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Estimated Spending Authority
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Department
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FY2021
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Out years
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Total
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Finance
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$22,072,031.25
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$0.00
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$22,072,031.25
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