COM 0521.039 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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County Council May 28, 2004 Page 2 clarify our requirements. The selection process, which included demonstrations, reference checks, site visits, clarification of items in the proposals and request for best and final offer took five months. Contract negotiations took several more months. Fortunately there were no protests from non-selected vendors. Our timelines are not offered as a standard, but to illustrate what can be involved in even a fairly simple RFP procurement. At any given time there are many RFPs and contracts in the system and various events effect the procurement timing. All of us involved in the process had ongoing regular duties that impacted our ability to meet the RFP schedule. We were fairly safe from protest because of the nature of the product we were purchasing. When the sale is relatively small and there are many other customers, it's not worth taking time to protest. The same could not be said for the waste management industry, where the investment and profit potential are huge and customers are limited. It costs a vendor nothing to protest a selection and might result in a change. The minimum impact on the County is lost time before a contract can be signed and implemented. Aside from the procurement issues and risk of delay in building a sort station, the actual cost to the County is a concern. The County is able to borrow money at a rate lower than private contractors. We use a bid process for construction projects that is designed to keep prices as low as possible. To pay out cash now for the construction of the sort station will likely result in a savings to the County over having the facility built by a private contractor who then recoups the cost, plus profit for the life of the facility. This information is offered in the hope that it will be of assistance in making this difficult decision regarding the future of our island. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity for input. cc: Mayor Director of Finance