DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Solid Waste Handheld Inspection Devices
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with Barcodes, Inc., utilizing the United States General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule to provide the Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) with a mobile, handheld solution to capture and report against violations such as cart contamination, brush violations and other non‐compliant activities as they are discovered by SWMD route inspectors. The initial cost would be for an amount of $103,742.30 and $8,812.58 annually thereafter for a total cost of $130,180.04. Funding is available from the FY 2015 Enterprise Fund.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
SWMD provides collection services for over 340,000 single-family residential homes on a weekly basis for garbage and recycling and four times a year for brush and bulky material. Route inspectors report on violations relating to brush and bulky material, cart contamination, and other non-compliant activities. Route inspectors also enforce the City's Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance monitoring approximately 1,600 multi-family properties. Violation tracking is currently a paper based process which requires a great amount of data entry away from the violation site in an office setting. This current paper based process has very limited reporting capabilities. SWMD requires the implementation of an automated system using handheld devices and a centralized data repository. This will allow the department to realize efficiencies and re-purpose field personnel time to higher value tasks.
The solution from Barcodes, Inc., will provide SWMD route inspectors with a handheld device to capture information at the point of inspection. The real time component will allow route inspectors to upload and receive data necessary to track violations and to identify previous violators. This solution will also allow route inspectors to interface with customers at the point of inspection and provide a means to electronically filter, sort, and report inspection information. The accuracy and availability of the data will be dramatically improved and increase the level of effectiveness with the ability to track metrics and monitor trends. The introduction of an automated solution will allow SWMD to monitor larger areas and improve recycling.
This purchase is made through the GSA Advantage Program on Contract No. GS-35F-0429P through a Federal Supply Schedule of the United States General Services Administration per Texas Local Government Code ยง 271.103.
ISSUE:
This contract will provide SWMD with a mobile, handheld solution to capture violations using an automated system. This will reduce the time staff uses at each violation site, allowing a larger coverage area per inspector, and possible re-tasking of inspectors to problem areas detected through analyzing the collected data.
This contract is within the scope of the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program. However, due to the type of commodities/services being procured and value of the contract, no SBEDA tool is available.
This contract is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to goods/supplies contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, SWMD's capturing of violations process would remain manual and would not leverage the use of resources for other areas of improvement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds are not encumbered by this ordinance. All expenditures will be in accordance with the Department's adopted budget approved by City Council. The estimated cost for the contracts listed on this ordinance is approximately $130,180.04. The estimated total initial cost would be for $103,742.30 and $8,812.58 annually thereafter for a total cost of $130,180.04. Purchases made by the Department are as needed and dependent upon available funds within their adopted budget. Funding is available from the FY 2015 Enterprise Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this contract with Barcodes, Inc. utilizing the United States GSA Federal Supply Schedule to provide the SWMD with a mobile, handheld solution to capture violations using an automated system.
This contract was procured by means of cooperative purchasing and a Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.