TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF AUGUST 6, 2015
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Report on rejection of bids for Contract 15-701-21, Furnish and Deliver a Turbo Blower and Accessories to the Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant, estimated cost $175,000.00
Body
Dear Sir:
On February 5, 2015, the Board of Commissioners authorized the Director of Procurement and Materials Management to advertise for bids, 15-701-21, Furnish and Deliver a Turbo Blower and Accessories to the Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant.
In response to a public advertisement on May 27, 2015, a bid opening was held on June 16, 2015. The bid tabulation for this contract is:
PILLER - TSC BLOWER CORPORATION $162,900.00
SULZER PUMPS SOLUTIONS, INC. $177,920.00
One thousand fifty-nine (1059) companies were notified of this contract being advertised and eighteen (18) companies requested specifications.
A review of the low bid, submitted by Piller - TSC Blower Corporation (Piller), revealed that the equipment offered does not comply with the contract specifications as follows:
• The specification required a noise rating of less than 70 dBA and Piller offered a blower less than 80 dBA.
• The specification required an air cooled motor and Piller offered a water cooling motor.
• The specification required the display of the following parameters: outlet temperature, inlet relative humidity, rotational speed, input power, motor torque, maximum speed and maximum power. Piller’s equipment does not contain these display parameters.
• The specification required a Master Control Unit that communicates with the plant Distributed Control System over the Ethernet network. The Piller equipment communicates via Profibus DP and does not have the specified UPS for protection in case of a power outage.
Therefore, the bid was considered non-responsive and was rejected in the public’s best interest. The Director of Procurement and Materials Management has notified Piller - TSC Blower Corporation of this action.
A review of the second low bid, submitted by Sulzer Pumps Solutions, Inc. (Sulzer), revealed that the firm took exception to the District’s General Requirements, Specifications and Conditions contained in the contract documents, such as the Indemnity and Liquidated Damages paragraphs on page G-6 and adding Sulzer’s own terms and conditions under the sections Intellectual Property Rights and Limitation of Liability.
Therefore, the bid was considered non-responsive and was rejected in the public’s best interest. The Director of Procurement and Materials Management has notified Sulzer Pumps Solutions, Inc., of this action.
The contract will be reviewed and re-advertised as soon as possible.
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management, DAL:SEB:cm
Respectfully Submitted, Barbara J. McGowan, Chairman Committee on Procurement
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for August 6, 2015