Accept the Lowest and Best Bids Submitted by Various Vendors - Invitation to Bid (ITB) #4821-KO Paint, Athletic Field and Pavement Marking (Business Division)

This bid was prepared at the request of the Sites Department to establish a firm price to provide paint for athletic fields and pavement marking. This award is made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidders meeting specifications. The recommendation is to award on an item by item basis, with the exception of items 10 through 13 which are recommended for award as a group. Paint samples were requested from each vendor who submitted a response for Items 1 and 2. The Sites Department performed an analysis on the athletic field at King High School for each sample received. The test was done to evaluate each sample for area coverage, brightness of color, the flow of paint through the paint striping machine, and amount of sediment remaining in the tanks. After all samples for Items 1 and 2 were evaluated, the Sites Department concluded that the paint from Pioneer Manufacturing Company provided more coverage per 5-gallon container and met all specifications. Therefore, the award recommendation is as follows: Items 1 and 2 Pioneer Manufacturing Company, Items 3 through 8 and Items 14 and 15 The Sherwin-Williams Company, Items 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17 Modern Paints of Tampa, Incorporated, Items 18 through 23 Safety Zone Specialists, Incorporated, and Item 24 Floor Style Products, Incorporated. This recommendation has been reviewed by the General Manager of Maintenance. To ensure fair and open competition, the District utilizes an online vendor registration system to notify potential bidders of opportunities. Through this system, eleven bidders 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 items are, or will be, included in the General Fund Budget in an amount not to exceed $130,000. An analysis on the cost and usage of 20 items from the previous year and 20 of the 24 items from this year demonstrated a savings of over $17,170.18 or 15.41% as shown on Cost Analysis (Attachment A).

Contract administration or evaluation is performed by the Project Manager (end user) and Procurement Officer, 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.