Title
MOTION TO REJECT ALL BIDS FOR IFB # TS-26-03 “EXAGRID HARDWARE” AND TO AUTHORIZE THE ADVERTISEMENT OF IFB # TS-26-05 "EXAGRID HARDWARE RE-BID”.
Summary Explanation and Background
PROCUREMENT PROCESS TAKEN:
- Chapter 35 of the City’s Code of Ordinances is titled “PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES, PUBLIC FUNDS.”
- Section 35.15 defines an Invitation for Bid as “A written solicitation for competitive sealed bids with the title, date and hour of the public bid opening designated therein and specifically defining the commodities or services for which bids are sought. The invitation for bid shall be used when the city is capable of specifically defining the scope of work for which a service is required or when the city is capable of establishing precise specifications defining the actual commodities required. The invitation for bid shall include instructions to bidders, plans, drawings and specifications, if any, bid form and other required forms and documents to be submitted with the bid.”
- Section 35.18 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "COMPETITIVE BIDDING OR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS REQUIRED; EXCEPTIONS."
- Section 35.18(A) states, "A purchase of or contracts for commodities or services that is estimated by the Chief Procurement Officer to cost more than $100,000 shall be based on sealed competitive solicitations as determined by the Chief Procurement Officer, except as specifically provided herein."
- Section 35.19 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCEDURE."
- Section 35.19(A) states "All sealed competitive solicitations as defined in § 35.18 shall be presented to the City Commission for their consideration prior to advertisement."
- Section 35.19(F) states, "Rejection of bids. The City Manager and City Commission may reject bids, parts of all bids or all bids for any one or more commodities or services included in the proposed contract when the public interest will be served thereby. The Chief Procurement Officer shall not accept a bid from a contractor who is in default on payment of taxes licenses or other moneys due the city."
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. On April 15th, 2026, the City Commission authorized the advertisement of IFB # TS-26-03 “ExaGrid Hardware”, which was advertised on April 22, 2026.
2. The purpose of this solicitation was to replace end-of-life hardware and maintain the City’s ExaGrid backup and replication infrastructure to ensure continued data protection, system reliability, and rapid recovery capabilities in support of uninterrupted City operations.
3. On May 19, 2026, the City opened ten (10) bid responses. Following the bid opening, staff conducted a comprehensive due diligence review to verify that each vendor quoted the correct ExaGrid hardware, submitted all required documentation, and fully complied with the specifications outlined in the solicitation.
4. During the evaluation process, all responding vendors advised that they were unwilling to guarantee their pricing through the City’s anticipated award process. Vendors cited uncertainty related to an impending manufacturer price adjustment scheduled for July 1, 2026, as well as tariffs and broader supply chain challenges.
Because firm pricing could not be confirmed or maintained through the award process, staff determined that rejecting all bids and re-soliciting the project would be the most prudent course of action to obtain current, firm pricing while ensuring compliance with the City's Procurement Code.
5. Request the City Commission to reject all bids for IFB # TS-26-03 “ExaGrid Hardware” and to authorize the re-advertisement of the solicitation as IFB # TS-26-05 "ExaGrid Hardware Re-Bid".
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
TS-26-05 "ExaGrid Hardware Re-Bid"
Funds are available in account # 001-513-2002-664400-0000-000-0000 (Other Equipment) and 001-513-2002-546801-0000-000-0000 (IT Maintenance Contracts)