DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-Wide
SUBJECT:
Annual Contract for Meal Preparation Services for Senior Nutrition Program
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with Meals on Wheels San Antonio to provide the Department of Human Services with meal preparation and delivery services for the Senior Nutrition Program for an estimated amount of $2,458,000.00, from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021, with four additional one-year renewal options for a total contract value of $18,182,222.00. Funding for the initial nine months of this contract in the amount of $1,710,000.00 is available from the Senior Nutrition Program grant and in the amount of $748,000.00 from the FY 2021 General Fund Budget. Funding for future years of this contract is subject to City Council approval of the annual budget and future grant awards.
Based on the proposal submission, site visits and corresponding interviews and taste testing, staff recommends entering into agreement with Meals on Wheels San Antonio for the operation of the meal preparation services for the Senior Nutrition Program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Submitted for City Council consideration and action is the proposal submitted by Meals on Wheels San Antonio to provide the Department of Human Services with meal preparation and delivery services for the Senior Nutrition Program. Pre-packaged meals will be delivered daily to an average of 2,500 older adults at approximately 52 sites which include community centers, churches and city-owned and operated facilities located within Bexar County.
The intent of the Senior Nutrition Program is to reduce hunger and food insecurity among older individuals, in addition to promoting socialization, health and well-being, and delay adverse health conditions of older individuals. The Senior Nutrition Program ensures that older adults are receiving high-quality meals meeting the nutrition standards set by The Older Americans Act. The Senior Nutrition Program is operated by the Department of Human Services.
On December 20, 2019, the City issued a Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (RFCSP) for Annual Contract for Meal Preparation Services for the Senior Nutrition Program. The City held a pre-submittal conference on January 9, 2020 to answer questions from potential Respondents. The proposal was advertised to the public in the San Antonio Express News, the City’s Bidding & Contracting Opportunities website and TVSA (Time Warner Cable Channel 21) and outreach notices were sent to existing meal preparation partners notifying them of the RFCSP and how to apply.
On February 12, 2020, the RFCSP closed and four responses were received. Three (3) proposals were deemed eligible for review and one proposal was deemed non-responsive for failure to meet the SBEDA sub-contracting requirements. On August 19, 2020, site visits were conducted at all respondent facilities to view their kitchen. On August 21, 2020, an interview, taste test, and evaluation were conducted with all respondents. The taste testing allowed for respondents to provide meals based on a designated menu package as it would be part of the Senior Nutrition Program. The evaluation panel consisted of representatives from the Department of Human Services, Metro Health Department, Parks and Recreation Department, the Joint Commission on Elderly Affairs, and a Senior Nutrition Program Volunteer. Proposals were evaluated and scored based on the published evaluation criteria in the RFCSP, which included: Experience, Background, and Qualifications (25 points), Proposed Plan and Taste Test (40 points), and Pricing (15 points). Twenty (20) preference points were allotted for the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program. The results of the RFCSP process were presented to the Audit & Accountability Committee on September 15, 2020, and the committee recommended forwarding the selected respondent to City Council for consideration. In addition, this item was briefed in a City Council “B” Session on September 30, 2020.
ISSUE:
This contract will provide the Department of Human Services with a vendor that will supply and deliver pre-packaged meals to participants of the Senior Nutrition Program at 52 sites.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small, minority, and women-owned business participation in the contract. The Goal Setting Committee applied twenty (20) preference evaluation criteria points for the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprise Prime Contract Programs. Additionally, the Goal Setting Committee set 16% Minority/Women Business Enterprise and 2% African American Business Enterprise subcontracting goals and Meals on Wheels San Antonio has committed to fulfill both goals.
This award is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to non-professional service contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, the department would be required to provide the daily meals for the Senior Nutrition Program participants; the department does not have the in-house staff or equipment to provide the meals.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with Meals on Wheels San Antonio to provide the Department of Human Services with meal preparation and delivery services for the Senior Nutrition Program for an estimated amount of $2,458,000.00, from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021, with four additional one-year renewal options for a total contract value of $18,182,222.00. Funding for the initial nine months of this contract in the amount of $1,710,000.00 is available from the Senior Nutrition Program grant and in the amount of $748,000.00 from the FY 2021 General Fund Budget. Funding for future years of this contract is subject to City Council approval of the annual budget and future grant awards.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this contract with Meals on Wheels San Antonio to provide the Department of Human Services with meal preparation and delivery services for the Senior Nutrition Program. This contract will ensure that the participants of the Senior Nutrition Program continue to have access to daily nutritious meals.
This contract is procured by means of Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal and a Contract Disclosure Form is attached.