11-19-2002 CC RPT 24 - Laserfiche WebLink

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People Serving People CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM Riverside Ali-America Cl~y 1998 HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: November 19, 2002 ITEM NO: 24 SUBJECT: Request for Bid Waiver - Annual Purchase Order With Enterprise Rent-a-Car BACKGROUND: The Police Department regularly conducts covert investigations targeting illicit drug sales, violent gang activity, and vice related crimes. The deployment of discreet vehicles is a key to successful undercover operations. Due to the volume of these investigations and the sophistication of the criminal element, it is impractical to rely upon City purchased fleet vehicles to fulfill this requirement. After conducting informal market research, it was determined that Enterprise Rent-A-Car has a program designed to meet the unique requirements of police agencies requiring surveillance vehicles. References were provided, detailing fitleen Southern California agencies utilizing this service, including State, Federal and local law enforcement. The rental program provides for delivery or trade-in of vehicles at over 300 locations in Southern California, with access to over 70 makes and models of foreign and domestic vehicles. In the event that a surveillance vehicle is compromised, a replacement vehicle is immediately available at no additional cost. All regularly scheduled maintenance is included in the contract amount, and replacement vehicles are provided while rental vehicles are being serviced. This program assures that investigative personnel have access to reliable, discreet vehicles on an on-going basis. The fleet can be reduced, maintained, or increased each month, based upon current needs. A one-year trial period was established with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, to evaluate their ability to meet their stated performance specifications. Vehicles have been delivered and exchanged in a satisfactory manner during this period, which began on July 1, 2001. The program was found to provide several advantages. Vehicles may be obtained with anonymity, at any Enterprise location. Vehicles may be traded out at any interval, even several times a day, if necessary; in order to assure that identification as law enforcement is avoided. In practice, Enterprise exceeded their quoted specifications, by upgrading vehicles at no additional cost when requested models were unavailable. Due to monthly pricing, as opposed to daily or weekly rates offered by other vendors, pricing by Enterprise was found to be the lowest. Two other rental agencies were compared, and it was determined that (1) Enterprise's monthly rates represented a savings in each vehicle category, and (2) Enterprise offered the largest fleet and the best coordination for exchanges of vehicles. It is in the best interest of the City to authorize a waiver of the formal bidding process, and to issue an am~ual purchase order to Enterprise Rent-A-Car covering the remainder of the fiscal year. Enterprise has demonstrated the ability to provide anonymity for effective undercover work, flexibility in the exchange of vehicles at any interval or location, service without down time or added expense, and a rate lower than the competition. 24-1