TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager to execute a contract with Cardon Solutions, LLC, of Weston, FL, to provide technical and functional maintenance support and development services for the City’s suite of Financial Accounting Management Information Systems (FAMIS) and Simpler Suite (EZ FAMIS) reporting, in an annual amount of $171,600, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for two additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager, with the option to add expenditures up to 10 percent (or $17,160), if necessary, for a total annual amount not to exceed $188,760. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into a contract with Cardon Solutions, LLC, to provide maintenance support and development services for FAMIS and EZ FAMIS. The City first contracted with Cardon Solutions, LLC, in June 2009. The City has used FAMIS since February 1998 to meet its accounting, purchasing and budgeting needs. It is currently used by over 1,000 users in every City department. FAMIS’ accounting module is the City’s official “book of record” for tracking and auditing all City accounting transactions, as well as for preparing the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Other FAMIS modules are used Citywide to create, route and publish requisitions and purchase orders, as well as to record and track City-owned fixed assets. FAMIS’ budget module is used extensively to develop and publish the annual Citywide budget. In 2008, the City implemented EZ FAMIS, a web-based reporting tool that allows users throughout the City to easily generate their own financial/budgetary reports from FAMIS data for management, auditors, grantors, regulatory agencies and other end users.
Since 1998, the City has contracted with various companies to ensure that its FAMIS software has had on-going and uninterrupted maintenance and support. This contract will continue to provide uninterrupted maintenance and support until a planned financial system replacement is implemented. Examples of support services include: identifying, troubleshooting and resolving reported system bugs and user issues, creating and maintaining complex interfaces between FAMIS and the City’s other software applications, and developing and implementing software modifications and enhancements to support ever-changing business, accounting, auditing and regulatory requirements. EZ FAMIS has been widely adopted by City staff and has become an integral component of the City’s financial system, and, as such, requires on-going maintenance and support services, similar to those required by the underlying FAMIS financial system.
Cardon Solutions, LLC, is the only company that provides maintenance support and development services for both FAMIS and its integrating reporting solution, EZ FAMIS. Therefore, no useful purpose would be served by advertising for bids, and to do so would constitute an unproductive use of time and an unnecessary expenditure of public funds.
City Charter Section 1801 requires that contracts for City purchases be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder after a competitive bid process, but allows for awards without a competitive bid process if accompanied by a Resolution adopted by the City Council.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy R. Webber on August 19, 2015 and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on August 20, 2015.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on September 15, 2015, to ensure there is no gap in services.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total annual contract amount will not exceed $188,760, and is budgeted in the General Services Fund (IS 385) in the Citywide Activities Department (XC). There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
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Respectfully Submitted,
JOHN GROSS
DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER