HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 2002-05 - Board y
Public Utility District
Resolution No. 2002--a5
Directing that competitive bidding be dispensed with in
connection with the purchase of a new meter reading system
WHEREAS, the Administrative Services Department has been implementing various technological
solutions to improve its efficiency and response time to the customers; and
WHEREAS, support for the District's current automated meter reading system is being discontinued
by Itron, Inc. on December 31, 2002; and
WHEREAS, there are new meter reading technologies on the market that will read the District's electric
and water meters that are substantially more efficient than the current technology being used by the
District; and
WHEREAS, the District chose in 1999 to move its billing and accounting hardware and software
systems from Orcom Systems to National Information Systems Cooperative (NISC); and
WHEREAS, the meter reading software that is offered by NISC is more up to date than the software
the District has been using and it operates on the hardware that the District desires to acquire; and
WHEREAS, Itron offers updated mobile computer meter reading hardware which interfaces with the
NISC meter reading software; and
WHEREAS, purchasing and installing NISC's MVRS meter reading software and Itron's DataPac
hardware package will not require the District to change its billing software, and
WHEREAS, purchasing meter reading hardware from another vendor*`*and developing interface
software would not be desirable and would be costly to the District; and
WHEREAS, upon delivery of the hardware a representative from NISC will come to the District to install
the hardware and software, provide staff training and subsequent direct link support of such hardware
and software; and
WHEREAS, various California court decisions, including Graydon v. Pasadena Development Agency,
104 C.A. 3d 631 (1980), hold that if the subject of a contract is such that competitive proposals would
be unavailing or would not produce an advantage and the advertisement for competitive bids would
thus be undesirable or impractical, a public agency may dispense with competitive bidding; are;..
WHEREAS, due to the facts set forth above, competitive bidding would be unavailing and would not
produce an advantage to the District and the advertising for competitive bids would not produce an
advantage to the District and would be undesirable; and
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WHEREAS, Public Utilities Code Section 20206.4 generally requires that the District seek competitive
bids in connection with the purchase of goods; and
WHEREAS, the District finds that the computer hardware, software and support services more nearly
resembles a special service, for which no competitive bidding is required, as opposed to a "good"; and
WHEREAS, the Public Utilities Code Section 16034 and Government Code Section 53060 provide that
the District may, without competitive bidding, contract for special services and advice in financial,
economic, accounting, engineering, legal, administrative and professional matters if such persons are
specially trained and experienced and competent to perform the special services required; and
WHEREAS, since NISC would provide a sole source of purchase, installation, training and subsequent
support and that the installation and implementation would be smoother and more efficient because
of it.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors that it adopts the above stated
recitals as its findings.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE Board of Directors that for the reasons set forth above, the
District finds that competitive bids for the purchase of a meter reading system including hardware,
software and support services would be unavailing and would not produce an advantage to the District
and the advertisement for competitive bids would not produce an advantage to the District and would
be undesirable and costly.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the District finds that computer hardware, software and support
services more nearly resembles a special service, for which no competitive bidding is required, as
opposed to a "good."
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the District shall therefore dispense with competitive bidding for the
acquisition of new meter reading hardware and software, and the District staff is authorized to purchase
from NISC the necessary hardware and software to operate said system including installation costs
and training.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors at a meeting duly called and held within the District
on the 6th day of March, 2002 by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Aguera, Hemig , Sutton and Maass
NOES:None
ABSENT: van Gundy
TRUCKEE DON ER PU IC UTILITY DISTRICT
By:
Nelson Van Gundy, President, oard of Directors
ATTEST.
Peter L. Holzmeister, Clerk of the Board