ORD-2008-020 Approval of County and School Capital Project Ordinances

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4 Reallocation of Fiscal Year 2007-08 Capital Funds to Allow Emergency Purchase of Animal Control Trucks Over the last week, Animal Services staff has made the Manager aware of a potentially dangerous situation regarding the County's animal containment transportation boxes. Pursuant to the Transportation Standards of the NC Animal Welfare Act, "ambient temperature of the animal boxes shall be maintained between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.» In order to comply with the regulation, "animal containment units must be equipped with operable air-conditioning, forced-air cooling and heating or other appropriate temperature control mechanisms." Orange County currently has six Animal Control trucks equipped with forced air containment boxes. The forced air is not conditioned. Animal Services staff have performed numerous temperature tests on high heat days and found the present forced air boxes inadequate to meet State standards. Staff proposes atwo-year .Animal Control truck replacement plan, beginning with a reallocation of capital funding approved in the current fiscal year. Purchasing staff have researched and found 2008 -state contract vehicles are still available for purchase. The Manager will consider replacement of the remaining three trucks in the 2009-19 CIP. Staff feels it imperative to pursue replacement of three vehicles immediately before the summer months arrive. This will allow Animal Control to stage compliant vehicles at strategic points throughout the County and ensure that three compliant vehicles are available at all times for animal transportation. The County can purchase 2008 model year pickups through the North Carolina State Contract until May 19, 2008. The trucks have an estimated delivery time of ten to twelve weeks, and the cost is $15,284 each for a total of $45,852 for three. The containment transportation boxes will be purchased from and installed by a separate vendor at a cost to be determined -staff anticipates the costs of the boxes will range between $14,000 and $19,000 each. Staff anticipates the cost of the boxes to be derived through one of the following means: • Informal bids • GSA contract • "Piggyback" a bid done by another local government The anticipated cost of the transportation boxes exceeds the Purchasing Director's purchase order signature limit of $20,000. In order to expedite. the acquisition of the boxes and get the new units on the street, staff would like the board to authorize the Purchasing Director to determine whichever method above is the most advantageous to the County and execute the necessary paperwork. If "piggybacking" is the best alternative for the county, staff will prepare the necessary decision agenda item for a regular Board meeting prior to the end of the current fiscal year. Based on the cost information above, staff anticipates replacement of three trucks and installation of associated carriers to be in the neighborhood of $100,000. The Manager recommends borrowing monies from two existing County capital projects -Building Entry Access ($75,000) and Capital Repairs/Replacement Reserve ($25,000) - to fund the replacement trucks. When originally allocated, funding for the Building Entry Access project was to include a pilot project for an access system at Whiffed Human Services Center. Given the proposed near future move of Department of Social Services staff and potential move of the Health Department