EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: May 16, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Melvin E. Gaines, City Manager
BY: Jeff Liu, Interim Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Increase in Purchase Authority with Peninsula Uniforms of Redwood City Recommendation
Adopt a resolution:
1. Ratifying payment to Peninsula Uniforms of Redwood City for $606.14;
2. Authorizing the City Manager to increase the purchase authority with Peninsula Uniforms of Redwood City by $10,000, bringing the total not-to-exceed to $35,606.14; and
3. Waiving the formal bid procedures under section 2.84.070(D) of the Municipal Code.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 3: Increase Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Priority No. 4: Improve Public Facilities and Infrastructure Background
The current Police Uniform and Safety equipment purchase order with Peninsula Uniforms of Redwood City is budgeted for $25,000. In previous years, $25,000 has been sufficient to cover the cost of equipping officers with uniforms and safety equipment. However, during Fiscal Year 2022-23, the police department hired a large number of new officers to fill existing vacancies and has needed to supply these officers with uniforms and equipment. To date, the purchase authority with Peninsula Uniforms has been slightly exceeded by $606.14. Staff requests authorization to increase the purchase order by $10,606.14.
Analysis
Staff requests that the City Council ratify the overage of $606.14. Additionally, the $10,000 increase will allow the police department to provide the necessary safety equipment for our new personnel through the end of this fiscal year.
While this would bring purchasing over the $27,000 limit without the requisite proposal process, staff finds that only Peninsula Uniforms, located in Redwood City, is able to provide the required uniforms and safety equipment in San Mateo County. Continuing with the current vendor to close out the existing order would be most expeditious. Additionally, conducting formal bidding would not likely lead to additional savings for an order of this size. Therefore, staff are asking that the City Council of the City of East Palo Alto finds that special circumstances exist that warrant disregarding bid procedures pursuant to East Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.84.070(D), which allows the dispensing of bidding when "special circumstances require, and the City Manager recommends disregarding bid procedures, and City Council approval is obtained to disregard bid procedures.” Moreover, going forward, the City will conduct formal bidding in the future.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact will be $10,606.14 in General Fund dollars. However, there will be no increase to the adopted General Fund expenditures because there are existing general fund savings for this fiscal year to cover these costs.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and at the San Mateo County Library located at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The proposed action does not constitute a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(4) and (5) in that it is a governmental fiscal, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
Attachments
1. Resolution