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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,July 7, 2014 Page 16 b. Authorize Fire Department to Use the HGACBuy Purchasing Agreement for Buying New Fire Engine Tim O'Neill and Battalion Chiefs Dave Brosnahan; and Greg Peterson Battalion Chief Dave Brosnahan Chief Brosnahan provided a summary of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) Buy Program, its history and extensive expertise in evaluating bid re- sponses for capital purchased such as fire engines, with the City's engine sched- uled for replacement in 2015, with a current replacement budget of $550,000. Chief Brosnahan advised that he had personally spoken with the Cities of St. Lou- is Park, Plymouth, Coon Rapids, and No. St. Paul, who had used this program; and all of whom had nothing but positive information and feedback, and planned to use the program again in the future for applicable large capital items. Chief O'Neill advised that, at this time, the Department was at a crossroads in the process, having identified the apparatus chassis that would work best for the de- partment; but before moving further, was seeking City Council feedback and au- thorization to use this process versus the typical lowest bid process for purchasing a new engine. At the request of Councilmember Etten, Chief O'Neill clarified that this process allowed for the Fire Department to work exclusively with one specific vendor for total customization of the equipment versus a more generic specifications from a number of manufactures who could bid on the truck. Under the low bid process, Chief O'Neill advised that the Department ran the risk of getting a piece of equipment that was not specifically designed for the benefit and interest of the Fire Department or the community due to the need to make the design and speci- fications as generic as possible for multiple bidders. Chief O'Neill also respond- ed that, throughout the HGACBuy Program, as the Department Command Staff had done over the last 4-5 months by reaching out to various vendors who could provide a new engine, and viewing the equipment and providing feedback. As a result of that process, Chief O'Neill advised that the Department had identified a manufacturer they would be comfortable entering into a relationship with to pur- chase the engine. At the request of Mayor Roe, Chief O'Neill compared the HGACBuy Program and State Bid products, allowing for a process similar to state bid contracts in MN for chassis and cab designs, similar among all manufactures; then allowing for customization of the remaining vehicle specifications; and providing a better ap- proach and value for the City in their ultimate purchase customized to fit the needs of the community and Fire Department, by eliminating the guess work and provide the most ideal equipment.