T26264.A2 - Approve an amending ordinance to Ordinance No. 2018-0247 approved on March 28, 2018, as amended by Ordinance 2020-0491, passed on June 10, 2020 to increase the maximum contract amounts of 1) a contract for Westlaw Computer-Assisted Legal Research Services and Clear Services from $810,193.34 to $912,141.43 for Contract No. 4600014783 and 2) a Library Maintenance Agreement for Print Products from $340,300.00 to $361,661.50 for Contract No. 4600014784, between the City of Houston and West Publishing Corporation, doing business as WEST, a Thomas Reuters Business, for the Legal Department.
Specific Explanation:
The City Attorney and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve an amending ordinance to increase the maximum contract amounts of 1) a contract for Westlaw Computer-Assisted Legal Research Services and Clear Services from $810,193.34 to $912,141.43 and 2) a Library Maintenance Agreement for Print Products from $340,300.00 to $361,661.50 between the City of Houston and West Publishing Corporation, doing business as WEST, a Thomas Reuters Business, for the Legal Department.
West provides online legal research tools and must-have law books to the City under 2 separate contracts. The contracts were awarded on March 28, 2018, by Ordinance No. 2018-0247 for a three (3) year term, with two (2) one-year options in the original amounts of 1) $687,193.34 for Westlaw Computer-Assisted Legal Research Services and Clear Services and 2) $333,300.00 Library Maintenance Agreement for Print Products. On June 10, 2020, Ordinance No. 2020-491 was approved to amend Ordinance No. 2018-0247 to amend the Agreements’ Term of the original Agreement to June 30, 2023 and increase the maximum contract amounts from 1) $687,193.34 to $810,193.34 and 2) $333,300.00 to $340,300.00.
The Houston Police Department (HPD) and the Houston Airport System (HAS) would like to join the online legal research contract, and thus, the Legal Department seeks to increase the maximum contract amount for that addition by $101,948.09 through June 2023. In addition, as new attorneys are added, they may also need additional law books and so the Legal Department also proposes increasing the Library Maintenance Contract by $21,361.50, also through June 2023. No contract amendments are necessary for these changes, but Council approval is required to increase the spending authority.
Online Research Contract
HPD currently has its own arrangement with Westlaw through a PO that expired in January 2021, under which they receive access to fewer online resources than what the Legal Department receives under the current contract. HPD is also paying significantly more per user for their attorney team. HPD would like to discontinue its contract and rather than issue a new PO, HPD seeks to add its 20 users to the City contract under which Legal operates. Similarly, HAS would like to add 3 attorney users to the contract under which Legal operates. Each department will bear its fair share of the cost such that all 3 departments will pay the same price per user (a blended rate of approximately $111.94 per user). The estimated costs to add 20 HPD users, 3 HAS users and possibly 7 more users between now and June 30, 2023, is $101,948.09 (increasing the maximum contract amount from its current $810,193.34 to $912,141.43).
Library Maintenance Contract
The Legal Department needs additional books between now and June 2023. Therefore, it proposes an increase of $21,361.50 to the Library Maintenance contract, which would increase the maximum contract amount from $340,300 to $361,661.50.
M/WBE Subcontracting:
MWBE Zero-Percentage Goal document approved by the Office of Business Opportunity.
Fiscal Note:
Funding for this item is included in the FY2022 Adopted Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required.
___________________________________ ___________________________
Jerry Adams, Chief Procurement Officer Department Approval Signature
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division
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Estimated Spending Authority:
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Department
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FY 2022
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Out Years
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Total
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Legal Department
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$61,654.80
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$61,654.79
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$123,309.59
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