Accept the Lowest and Best Bid Submitted by Mears Motor Leasing - Invitation to Bid (ITB) #4971-BR Driver Education Vehicles (Business Division)

This bid was prepared at the request of the Supervisor of Driver Education to establish a firm price for providing and maintaining vehicles for the District's Driver Education Program. This award is made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting specifications. Although only one bidder responded, a review of cost reflects a $101 reduction per vehicle over last year's cost. The lack of response is attributed to the number of vehicles required by the District and the need to ensure low mileage when returning vehicles. Evaluation of the bid response revealed an error between the unit price and the extended price. Terms of the ITB indicate the unit price will prevail when an error of this type occurs. By using the stated price per day of $8 for compact vehicles, the District's monthly payment would be higher than the amount proposed by the company; therefore, a $.66 per day discount from the company was accepted. The discount which is allowed in the ITB terms reduces the cost per day for compact vehicles to $7.34 per day. This recommendation has been reviewed by the Supervisor of Driver Education. To ensure fair and open competition, the District utilizes an online vendor registration system to notify potential bidders of opportunities. Through this system, one bidder responded. A more detailed review of specifications can be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department.

As stated in OPPAGA report: “Efficient purchasing and warehousing require that management processes be in place to ensure that supplies, equipment, and services vital to the school’s education mission are purchased from a competitive source, in the right quantity, delivered timely to the correct location, and stored in a secure location. These criteria should be met for each purchase without sacrificing quality.”

These funds are, or will be, included in the General Fund Budget in an amount not to exceed $614,000.

Contract administration or evaluation is performed by the Project Manager (end user) and Purchasing Agent, who function as a team. Reviews are conducted face to face, typically quarterly, or by utilizing an online vendor performance report. Prior to soliciting a new contract, the Contract Administration team must first give consideration to the specifications and supporting data of the expiring contract.