Approval of a Purchase Order for the Acquisition of Two Hundred Sixty (260) Office Desk Chairs from Systems Source Office Systems and Furnishings in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $153,349.14.

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Approval of a Purchase Order for the Acquisition of Two Hundred Sixty (260) Office Desk Chairs from Systems Source Office Systems and Furnishings in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $153,349.14.

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Contact Person/Dept:  Erica McAdoo

Phone Number:  310-253-6018

Fiscal Impact:  Yes [X]    No []                                                                General Fund:  Yes [X]     No []

Public Hearing:  []                               Action Item:                     []          Attachments: [X]   

Commission Action Required:     Yes []     No [X]    Date:          

Public Notification:   Meetings and Agendas - City Council (06/18/15), Systems Source (Jim Norfolk: 06/18/2015); Knoll Inc. (Tom Lester: 06/18/2015)

Department Approval:  Jeff Muir (06/15/15)

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RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends the City Council approve a Purchase Order for the acquisition of two hundred sixty (260) office desk chairs from Systems Source Office Systems and Furnishings in an amount not-to-exceed $153,349.14 to replace existing desk chairs throughout various City offices.

BACKGROUND

In general, a majority of the City’s office desk chairs were purchased in 1995 at the opening of the current City Hall and are now twenty years old, exceeding the warranty period (12 years) and life cycle.  With the wear-and-tear conventional to any office furnishing having been maximized, most office seating is now in need of replacement. 

Occupational health research studies have suggested employees on average spend five hours and forty-one minutes per day in chairs.  With these prolonged sitting trends in mind, the significance of seating replacement cannot be minimized. Proper seating in a well-constructed chair can help reduce fatigue and discomfort, increase blood flow, reduce the risk of injury, and increase productivity.  The City’s Risk Management Division of the Human Resources Department has seen a steady increase of requests for ergonomic evaluation of workstations, in large part due to uncomfortable seating attributed to chairs which have exceeded their useful life (e.g. worn cushions; mechanical problems, detached arms, etc.).  Many of these requests may have been circumvented with timely chair replacements throughout the City.  Further, the requests have created a hodge-podge of seating capital within the City’s building.

DISCUSSION

The aim of the Chair Replacement Program is to standardize the purchase of ergonomic desk chairs while also producing cost-savings. The Purchasing Division has surveyed offices throughout the City and identified approximately 244 chairs in need of replacement.  An additional 16 chairs (or 6.5%) have been incorporated into the final total to accommodate any further requests:

Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” strategy, a committee of staff representing various City departments convened and provided valuable feedback suggesting a “two-fits-most” approach and elected to give employees the opportunity to choose between active-ergonomic or passive-ergonomic chair options.  The final chairs selected are both manufactured by Knoll, Inc. 

This procurement is excepted from bid requirements per Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.045(G). Section 3.07.045(G) excepts bidding requirements where competitive bid procedures have already been utilized by another public agency.  Because of the City’s participation with the U.S. Communities National Cooperative Program, this procurement meets this requirement.   

Systems Source is the only vendor in the region authorized by the manufacturer to provide the preferred pricing offered through the contract with Knoll Inc.  Therefore, staff recommends approving a Purchase Order with Systems Source to replace City office desk chairs in an amount not-to-exceed $153,349.14, including all fees and taxes.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

In the City Council Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2014/2015, $100,000 was appropriated for a comprehensive chair replacement program in the Equipment Replacement Fund (30716100.740100) for the first round of purchases. A second $100,000 has been recommended in the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 to purchase the remaining order balance.  Purchasing 260 Desk Chairs will result in expenditures including shipping, handling and taxes totaling $153,349.14.  Subject to the City Council’s approval of the Budget for Fiscal Year 2015/2016, there will be sufficient funding in the Equipment Replacement Fund to support the proposed expenditure.

ATTACHMENTS

Letter Validating Systems Source as Authorized Area Dealer for Knoll Inc. Under US Communities Contract

MOTION

That the City Council:

1.                     Approve a Purchase Order for the procurement of two-hundred sixty (260) desk chairs from Systems Source Office Systems and Furnishings in an amount not-to-exceed $153,349.14; and,

2.                     Authorize the Purchasing Officer to issue such Purchase Order.