TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JULY 9, 2009
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Title
Issue purchase order and enter into an agreement with Horizon Technology, Inc. to furnish, deliver and install an Automated Solid Phase Extractor System and a Dryvap Concentrator/Drying System, in an amount not to exceed $84,346.00, Account 101-16000-634970, Requisition 1275748
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue a purchase order (PO) and enter into an agreement with Horizon Technology, Inc. (Horizon) to furnish, deliver and install a new Automated Solid Phase Extractor System and a Dryvap Concentrator/Drying System at the Egan Organic Compounds Analytical Laboratory (EOCAL) of the Monitoring and Research Department. This equipment will be used to analyze aqueous and solid wastewater samples for emerging compounds (pharmaceuticals and personal care products). This PO will expire on December 31, 2009. Special features of these systems are explained below.
Horizon’s Automated Solid Phase Extractor is the only extractor that applies vacuum technology and provides optimal recoveries of organic compounds. Other vendors use pump technology, and therefore the sample process time is longer and recoveries are lower. The Horizon extractor is also the only system in the market allowing each extractor station to operate independently and therefore run multiple EPA extraction methods simultaneously. Solvent volumes used to extract organics from the disk are approximately three mLs, which saves the EOCAL’s solvent consumption and reduces the operating costs. The Horizon extractor is the only system that can be used with either disks or cartridges and the only system providing an auto-rinse function to ensure high recoveries of extractions.
The DryVap Concentrator System allows automation in drying and concentration of organic solvents, and this is the only system in the market that combines drying and concentration technologies on the same equipment. Horizon is the only vendor manufacturing dry disks to remove water from the extracts to eliminate the use of sodium sulfate. It is the only product to utilize a combination of sparge gas, vacuum, and heat in the sealed system to control the concentration process to improve the accuracy of the results. It has a master control panel for independent control of each station; therefore it can handle six samples simultaneously or individually to increase productivity. This master control panel is also only manufactured by Horizon.
Therefore, Horizon, the sole-service provider to furnish, deliver and install an Automated Solid Phase Extractor System and a Dryvap Concentrator/Drying System, has submitted pricing for the services and equipment required. Inasmuch as Horizon Technology, Inc. is the only source of supply for the services and equipment required, nothing would be gained by advertising for bids (Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act). In addition, the equipment and accessories provided under the agreement are economically procurable from a single source.
Horizon is registered and in good standing with the State of Illinois.
The Multi-Project Labor Agreement is not applicable due to the specialized nature of the services required.
In view of the foregoing, it is recommended that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue a PO and enter into an agreement with Horizon, in an amount not to exceed $84,346.00.
Funds are available in Account 101-16000-634970.
Requested, Louis Kollias, Director of Monitoring and Research, LK:WJS:MPC:KB:op
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management
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 July 9, 2009