COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

 

DATE:

January 9, 2004

   

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 27, 2004

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

   

FROM:

Sheriff Don Horsley

   

SUBJECT:

Temporary Continuation of Contract Payments with Grinnell-Simplex Corporation

 

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Controller to continue payments on the existing contract with Grinnell-Simplex Corporation from January 1, 2004 through March 31, 2004.

 

Background

On June 20, 2000, the County entered into a two-year Agreement [Resolution No. 63732] with Grinnell-Simplex Corporation to provide maintenance services for the many security-related electric and electronic systems operating within the Maguire Correctional Facility [MCF]. These systems provide the cornerstone for allowing the "direct supervision" architectural and minimum staffing model used at MCF to function smoothly and safely. The Agreement included a maximum amount of $252,000 for the period of July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2002. Grinnell-Simplex Corporation has been the security systems maintenance provider since 1996.

On March 29, 2002, your Board approved Amendment No. One [Resolution No. 65127] to the Agreement. During the term of the original contract, several system enhancements and repairs were necessary. Amendment No. One increased the maximum amount payable under the Agreement by $164,000 from $252,000 to $416,000 as well as extended the term by one-year to an expiration date of June 30, 2003.

The Grinnell-Simplex Corporation was initially selected through a Request For Proposals [RFP] process in 1996, and it was time for a new RFP selection process to proceed. In March 2003, the Sheriff's Office formed a committee composed of representatives from the Sheriff's Office, Information Services Department, and the County Manager's Office Building Security Coordinator. Public Works Building Services personnel also provided initial consultation support for the effort. The Committee enlisted technical support from the County's security consulting firm, Tomasi-Dubois and Associates, to develop and help administer the RFP process. Due to the anticipated length of the RFP process, as well as to avoid any lapse in services, your Board approved Amendment No. Two [Resolution 066045] to the Agreement on June 10, 2003. Amendment No. Two extended the expiration date of the Agreement by six months to December 31, 2003, as well as increased the total Agreement obligation by $110,000 from $416,000 to $526,000.

 

Discussion

The new RFP consolidates maintenance support for the Maguire Correctional Facility (MCF), the Hall of Justice Transportation/Court Security checkpoint and court floors video monitoring system, and the Women's Correctional Center (WCC) on Maple Street. Much of the equipment in these facilities is antiquated and/or needs upgrading to better accommodate current security requirements. During the months of August through December, 2003, the committee closely reviewed each proposal submitted; developed a list of 18 supplemental questions for the vendors to answer, covering technical, operational and cost areas; and subsequently requested additional information regarding the Transportation/Court Security and WCC areas, which have been under-served in the past, lacking a comprehensive security system maintenance agreement such as has existed at MCF. The list was narrowed to two potential vendors with Grinnell-Simplex Corporation being one of them.

The committee reviewed a great deal of material and took a number of factors into consideration in making a final decision. In late December the committee unanimously decided to recommend that the Board award a contract to Johnson Controls, Inc. Presently, detailed terms, pricing and conditions of the new agreement are being negotiated. When the proposed Agreement is completed and fully approved by County Counsel, it will be brought to your Board for approval.

Because of the extended evaluation process noted above, it has taken longer than initially anticipated to bring the RFP process to closure and bring a recommended Agreement to your Board. To ensure continued provision of services from Grinnell-Simplex Corporation during this transition period, it is necessary to authorize the Controller to continue to make payments at the existing rates and terms of the contract through March 31, 2004. This resolution allows Grinnell-Simplex Corporation to continue to provide the vital services to maintain and operate the various security-related electric and electronic systems smoothly and safely in the County's adult security facilities.

The proposed Resolution has been approved as to form by County Counsel.

 

Vision Alignment

Support for this Resolution aligns with your Board's Shared Vision 2010 commitments of ensuring basic health and safety for all; and helps achieve goal (7) Maintain and enhance the public safety of all residents and visitors.

 

Fiscal Impact

The annual cost of electronic security systems maintenance is a basic operating expense of the jail and has been included in the 2003-04 MCF, WCC, and Transportation/Court Security operating budgets. The cost of the current and the proposed new maintenance contracts are included within the Sheriff's Office Adopted 2003-04 budget; therefore, there will be no new impact on the County's General Fund.