LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

The Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee meeting was held on September 12, 2005, at 5:30 p.m. with Chairman Salters presiding. Members present were Mr. Hogan, Mr. Slavin, Mr. Shevock, and Mr. Shelton. Members of Council present were Mr. Carey, Mr. Sadusky, Mr. Ruane, and Council President Williams. Mayor Speed was also present.

AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS

Mr. Hogan moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Slavin and unanimously carried.

Evaluation of Bids - Police Station Second Floor Expansion - Server Room HVAC System

The Police Department is in the process of completing numerous technology upgrades which have been in the planning and development stages for many years, including an 800 MHz radio system ($557,264), an upgrade to the 911 telephone system (approximately $481,153), and a new statewide CAD system (statewide cost of $2.7 million for seven of nine 911 centers). These projects are fully funded by grants and are valued at over $1 million. In order to provide adequate infrastructure in terms of space and climate control to support these projects, staff proposed a Second Floor Communications Center as a 2007 CIP project, which would provide a server room to meet this need; however, the current HVAC system is not adequate to handle the additional area designated for the new technology systems and a supplemental system is proposed.

Staff was recently notified that the Building Access Control System project (PD0601), which was originally approved in the General Fund for $77,340, will be funded by a grant and are therefore requesting that the money be reallocated to the Second Floor - Communications Center project (PD0603) for a Liebert unit model VH125A-CAE0, HVAC system. The reallocation will allow the Police Department to complete the necessary HVAC work ($62,500). Pricing also includes all control wiring, refrigeration and condensate piping, necessary crane, rigging and supervision, drawing fees, structural and mechanical reviews inspection, all required ductwork (6 return air inlets and 12 supply air outlets), one year warranty from the date of purchase, and a four year limited manufacturer warranty on the refrigeration compressor. The remaining $14,840 of the allocation would be to complete electrical work and fire suppression work originally included in the FY 2007 Second Floor - Communications Center.

Staff is requesting that this purchase be made using the sole vendor justification due to the time constraints associated with providing a climate controlled area by September 2005 month's end, costs savings, and continuity of service. The current HVAC service provider is Service Unlimited of New Castle County, the only vendor staff has found certified by Trane to make repairs at a reasonable rate. Supplementing the existing service contract would be more cost effective than adding another service provider and paying for additional Level 1 service. The Police Department requires a Level 1 service contract which provides 365 day emergency service on a priority basis.

Staff recommended approval of the reallocation of $77,340 from Project PD0601 (Building Access Control System) to Project PD0603 (Second Floor - Communications Center); approval of Service Unlimited of New Castle as a sole source vendor for installing a Liebert HVAC system for $62,500; and approval of the revised CIP sheets.

Mr. Slavin moved to recommend approval of staff’s recommendation, seconded by Mr. Shelton and unanimously carried. It was noted that, due to time constraints, staff requested that this matter be considered during the Council Meeting later this evening for final approval.

Evaluation of Bids - Police Station Second Floor Expansion - Police Station Emergency Power Generator

Earlier this spring, staff evaluated the Police Station’s electrical circuitry and loads as part of the planning process for the Second Floor Expansion project; more specifically the requirements imposed for the heating and air conditioning (HVAC), as well as the extra power needed to sustain the 911 communications and Motorola radio rooms located within the new server room area. During this review, it was learned that there would be a significant increase in the electrical load that would have to be carried by the emergency generator. As a result, staff reviewed the existing requirements, validated the current requirements powered by the generator and measured the additional requirements imposed by the new additional space on the second floor. The analysis confirmed that the existing generator is insufficient to carry the full load of all the requirements.

Based on the electrical review performed by a City electrician, staff determined that an upgrade in generator models from the 100KW Kohler to a 200KW Kohler generator was necessary and would be more than sufficient to handle the additional planned load imposed by the Second Floor Expansion Project, as well as additional future requirements.

This project is the crucial piece in the implementation of the various related radio and computer system projects because this generator provides the backup power to the building during emergency power outages. The 911 dispatch center cannot function properly without power in an emergency situation, so City-wide public safety would be adversely affected if this project is not approved. This project was not included in the City's Capital Investments Program (CIP) because it was not known until May 2005 that the current generator could not support the additional emergency power requirements of the building.

Staff advised members that there is an excess of approximately $50,000 in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) grant funds available that could be redirected for this emergency equipment purchase. In addition, staff is working on securing the balance of the funds from this source for this project. In the event that this funding source is unavailable, other grant funding alternatives would be pursued. Staff is certain that no City funds will be needed for this purchase; however, a slight increase in maintenance and utilities costs is expected.

Staff requested bids based on the following basic specifications for the generator and this project:

Replacing the existing 100KW Kohler natural gas standby generator with a new 200KW Kohler natural gas standby generator and modifying, upgrading, or replacing existing generator support facilities as required.

The contractor, in coordination with the Police Department, will disconnect and remove the existing generator and place the generator on a trailer supplied by the City for use elsewhere in the City.

The contractor will provide a temporary standby generator during the period the existing standby generator is disconnected until the new generator is installed.

Staff requested quotes from three different vendors; however, all proposals are now being reworked to include "Statement of Work" specifications. Therefore, a specific vendor cannot be selected at this time. Bids were received as follows:

U.S. Tech - $104,081 – This vendor has dealt with the Electric Department in the past and has apparently worked out well. Staff has been advised that this is an “open ended” bid which would reward the contractor for being late.

Electric Unlimited Inc. - $122,134 - They are the electric side of the company who we are trying to get sole vendor source justification on for the HVAC. It is a known vendor with a good reputation and has been working well with us and for us.

Deltronics - $126,182 – This vendor is unfamiliar to the Police Department.

Chief Horvath thanked Mr. Mike Adkins and Mr. Bill Morrow of the 436th Civil Engineering Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, for their pro bono assistance in writing the technical specifications for this project, as well as evaluating the project proposals received from all three vendors. Chief Horvath noted that he sincerely appreciated their expert assistance with this project and thanked Dover Air Force Base for allowing their support to the department.

Staff recommended, due to time constraints, approval of the project and its implementation and authorization to allow the Police Department to select one of the vendors once the final bids are received, not to exceed $126,182 of grant funding.

Mr. Hogan moved to recommend approval of staff’s recommendation, seconded by Mr. Shevock and unanimously carried. It was noted that, due to time constraints, staff requested that this matter be considered during the Council Meeting later this evening for final approval.

Revenue Forecasting - Mock Report

During their Regular Meeting of August 8, 2005, the committee considered Revenue Forecasting and opportunities for improving forecasting for revenues. Members suggested that staff provide quarterly Revenue Forecast Reports to be reviewed by members of Council during their first Meetings in the months of October, January, April, May, and June. For the first three meetings, the reports would contain information on the previous quarter and then be reviewed on a monthly basis just prior to and during the budget review. The reports would be presented directly to Council and would provide members the opportunity to give staff direction for developing the next year’s revenue projections. Prior to scheduling the presentation of the reports to Council, members requested that staff develop a mocked up report based on the committee discussions, utilizing real time figures, to be presented to the committee at their next meeting. It was suggested that staff include footnotes giving explanations for any increases or decreases for further clarification.

Mrs. Mitchell, Finance Director, reviewed with members the Mock Revenue Forecasting Report.

The committee took no further action. (City Clerk’s Office Note: These reports will be scheduled to be presented to members of City Council during their first meetings in the months of October, January, April, May, and June).

Code Review - Chapters 1-5 - Amendments

Members began a Comprehensive Review of the City Code of Ordinances. The City Clerk, Mrs. Green, explained that the process for the reviews will include members of City Council, committee members, department and division heads, as well as secretaries/administrative assistants. The City Clerk will provide Sections of the Code for their review and recommendations in advance of the committee meeting to allow for one document, to be inclusive of all recommendation and comments to be provided to members for their review. Once the committee has conducted their review and has made recommendations, the City Clerk's Office will prepare the necessary ordinance amendments which will be presented as attachments to the committee minutes when reported to City Council for their approval. The ordinances would then be presented to Council for a First Reading, and then forwarded for the Final Reading and adoption.

The City Clerk provided recommendations for amending Chapters 1-5 of the Dover Code. After consulting with the Finance Director/Treasurer, Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Green requested that the recommendation to delete Division 4 - Finance Director, of Chapter 2 - Administration, Article IV - Officers and Employees, be removed. Staff recommended approval of the Proposed Amendments to Chapters 1-5 of the Dover Code, as amended.

Mr. Ruane noted that the Model City Charter contained wording that would be very appropriate for use during the review of the Code. He stated that it would be helpful to have a parallel column comparing the City’s current Code with the recommendations in the Model City Charter and recommended that action not be finalized until members review the comparable sections in the Model City Charter. Mrs. Green reminded members that the 2005 Charter Review Committee was in the process of reviewing the Charter and that the LF&A Committee was reviewing the Code.

Mr. Ruane felt that the Charter Review Committee will find that many items in the Charter would be more appropriately placed in the Code since it is easier to amend the Code than the Charter. He also noted that there are rules regarding the conduct of meetings, executive sessions, etc., that there is no reference to in the Charter or Code that he felt should be included.

Responding, Mr. Slavin noted that the examples provided regarding open meetings, executive sessions, etc., are mandated by State law and felt that the City should refrain from including repetitive requirements.

Mrs. Green suggested at this time, since the City recently completed a recodification of the Code of Ordinances, that members review the Code to amend those items, such as the typographical errors and items which conflict with current policies and procedures. Once the Charter Review Committee has completed their review and Council has acted on their recommendations, then perhaps there would be a need to consider further Code amendments.

Mr. Hogan noted that the proposed amendments to Chapter 1-5 of the Code are minor. He suggested that staff include these amendments with the next scheduled set of amendments to be presented to members for consideration during their next meeting. This would allow additional time for those that did not have an opportunity to review these Chapters and submit their comments.

Mr. Hogan moved to defer action on Chapters 1 - 5 of the Code until the next meeting, seconded by Mr. Slavin and unanimously carried.

Mr. Slavin moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Shelton and unanimously carried.

Meeting Adjourned at 6:16 P.M.

                                                                                    Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                    Reuben Salters

                                                                                    Chairman

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