Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO AUTHORIZE the County Administrator to execute an agreement to expedite the procurement of diesel powered, low floor, 60-foot articulated buses; providing that the executed agreement appear on the next available Board agenda in the form of a motion to note for the record.

ACTION:  (T-10:23 AM)  Approved.
 
VOTE: 9-0.

Authorizes the County Administrator to execute an agreement that will be necessary to procure diesel powered, low floor, 60-foot articulated buses. In accordance with the Broward County Procurement Code, Section 21.135.a.2.e, the County has the authority to enter into a contract awarded by a public procurement unit, if the public procurement unit and/or the vendor agree to such an award and the procurement was accomplished under generally accepted public procurement principles.

Allows for the County Administrator to execute the agreement necessary to expedite the purchase of up to 17 diesel powered, low floor, 60-foot articulated buses for use by the Transportation Department to improve the capacity of the transit system.

None

THE PURCHASING DIVISION AND THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.

Per Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 26.45(e) (2), the purchase of transit vehicles is not included in the annual goal setting process for Department of Transportation funding recipients. Therefore, a contract for transit vehicles does not fall under the review authority of the Office of Economic and Small Business Development for contract goal-review purposes. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program compliance requirements for transit vehicle manufacturers are addressed under 49 CFR 26.49.

The Transit Division has the need to secure a contract for the purchase of up to 17 diesel powered, low floor, 60-foot articulated buses. The Purchasing Division, the Transit Division, and the Office of the County Attorney are reviewing a potential contract source, an Agreement between Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) and New Flyer of America, Inc., (New Flyer), for diesel-powered, low floor, articulated buses, to determine if it is a viable contract to piggyback.

As due diligence, the Broward County Purchasing Division has also issued a Request for Information (RFI) to ascertain whether the RGRTA/New Flyer contract is the only available contract that would meet the requirements for the Broward County fixed-route transit fleet and comply with the piggybacking requirements of the Federal Transit Administration. Additionally, the Purchasing Division has advertised the RFI on-line to the industry trade magazines of the American Public Transportation Association and The Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc.

Based on the review of the potential contract sources, a contract will be pursued through the contract source that is determined to be most viable to meet all requirements. In order to expedite the procurement of diesel powered, low floor, 60-foot articulated buses, there may be the need for the County Administrator to execute the necessary agreement to effectuate the order for buses, and to obtain delivery of buses in an efficient manner, whereby timeliness is a major factor. Any such agreement that is entered into by the County Administrator will be presented to the Board as a motion to note for the record.