Monday November 12th, our Rochester Hills City Council will authorize $1,276,509.00 in spending. I thought it would be appropriate to publish in the Rochester Patch a brakedown of the spending, and post a few comments, questions and suggestions. Those interested in local government spending, I urge you to read and look over these requests this coming Monday night. And PLEASE post your comments or attend our next City Council meeting; this discussion is open to the public. I sincerely thank the Rochester Patch for this post, and would hope our 7 member City Council will not rubber stamp these purchases without question!


Rochester Hills City Council Regular Meeting
Meeting date/time: November 12, 2012 7:00 PM
Meeting location: 1000 Rochester Hills Drive
 
Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - BLDG: Contract/Blanket Purchase Order for ADA Facility Improvements at Fire Station #1 in the amount of $38,663.55 with a 10% contingency of $3,866.35 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $42,529.90; M.J. White & Son, Inc., Novi, MI "City Council is requested to authorize a contract/blanket purchase order for ADA Facility Improvements at Fire Station #1 to M.J. White & Son, Inc., Novi, Michigan in the amount of $38,663.55 with a 10% contingency of $3,866.35 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $42,529.90 and further authorizes the Mayor to execute a contract on behalf of the City." -- Scott Cope, Director of Building/Facilities
Question
Mr. Cope -- I don't question why the work needs to be done, also thanks for providing a bid tabulation for City Council and the residents to look over.

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - MAYOR: Contract for fireworks displays for Festival of the Hills 2013 and 2014 in the amount not-to-exceed $70,000.00; Wolverine Fireworks Display, Inc., Kawkawlin, MI "Over the past thirteen (13) years the Festival of the Hills, including the fireworks show has become a strong annual tradition in the City, allowing citizens to gather with their families to celebrate our country’s heritage. It is the City’s goal to provide the citizens of the City of Rochester Hills the best fireworks entertainment within the funds raised for the Festival of the Hills event. The funds for the City’s Festival of the Hills, including the fireworks display, are raised by the Mayor through sponsorships." -- Alan Buckenmeyer, Parks Operations Manager
Thanks!
Mr. Buckenmeyer for your expertise, and our private sector for the funding to provide the Festival of the Hills year after year!

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - MIS: Purchase of GIS Software Maintenance in the amount not-to-exceed $31,000.00; Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, CA
Question
Bob Grace, Director of MIS, will this cost from this sole source provider of this maintenance (ESRI) a fee will have to pay every year and why?
 
Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - MIS: Project Budget for the purchase of equipment, supplies and software in the amount not-to-exceed $44,400.00 through December 31, 2013; State Contracts and Other Supply Sources
Statement
Bob Grace, Director of MIS does an excellent job managing our software needs.
Question
Mr. Grace, why year after year software updates cost the taxpayers $40+ thousand a year, and what percentage of the cost of these updates are federal and state mandates, and why do they continue to be forced upon our local communities without those agencies helping out with those costs.

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - CITYWIDE: Blanket Purchase Order for office supplies and equipment in the amount not-to-exceed $65,000.00 through December 31, 2013; Office Max, Warren, MI; other office supply vendors... Our City does offer an excellent explanation for Office Max at http://roch.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1236979&GUID=F90F549F-70C4-4F93-8EB7-F824E6B0261A&Options=&Search=
Question
I personally don't have a problem with blanket purchase orders within reason; but as a community we should provide total transparency of purchase online on our City Website; any check/credit card swipe, receipt the city cuts should be posted within 24 hours of the purchase. And this purchase should be one click away from the homepage of our City Website.

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - CITYWIDE: Blanket Purchase Order for various maintenance, hardware and building supplies in the amount not-to-exceed $35,000.00 through December 31, 2013; Home Depot, Rochester Hills, MI "City Council is requested to authorize a blanket purchase order to Home Depot, Rochester Hills, Michigan for the purpose of various maintenance, hardware, and building supplies in the not-to-exceed amount of $35,000.00 through December 31, 2013." -- Jean Farris, Supervisor of Procurement
Question
Why Home Depot? -- we do have other business that provide this service in our community? I personally don't have a problem with blanket purchase orders within reason; but as a community we should provide total transparency of purchase online on our City Website; any check/credit card swipe, receipt the city cuts should be posted within 24 hours of the purchase. And this purchase should be one click away from the homepage of our City Website.
 
Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - PLANNING/DPS/ENG: Contract/Blanket Purchase Order for wetlands and environmental consulting services in the amount not-to-exceed $58,000.00 through December 31, 2014; ASTI Environmental, Brighton, MI
Question
Is this a $58,000.00 purchase with no bid? One vendor why? Was this bid out? If so why are those bids/proposals not available to City Council or the public to look over. When we offer this service to the private sector that wants to build in our town do we provide it for free? If not what do we charge the private sector to recoup cost?

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - DPS/ENG: Blanket Purchase Order for geotechnical engineering, construction inspection and materials testing services in the amount not-to-exceed $401,830.00 through December 31, 2014; Testing Engineers and Consultants, Inc., Troy, MI
Question
WOW! $401,830.00 purchase and no bid? One vendor why? Was this bid out? If so why are those bids/proposals not available to City Council or the public to look over. When we offer this service to the private sector that wants to build in our town do we provide it for free? If not what do we charge the private sector to recoup cost?

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - BLDG/FACILITIES: Blanket Purchase Order for natural gas for various City owned buildings in the amount not-to-exceed $128,750.00; Consumers Energy, Lansing, MI
Question
What did we pay last year... and when if we do discover natural gas on city owned property how will that discovery affect this annual bill from Consumers Energy?

Purchase
Request for Purchase Authorization - BLDG/FACILITIES: Blanket Purchase Order for purchase and delivery of electric energy for City facilities in the amount not-to-exceed $400,000.00 through December 31, 2013; DTE Energy, Detroit, MI and Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, Livonia, MI
Question
What did we pay last year... what green technologies have we implemented at City Hall and other facilities to reduce cost; and what future plans does our City Facilities have to not rely on the grid for electricity?* What government grants can we apply for, for renewable sources of energy for City Hall and other City Facilities?

*"Nearly 60 percent of Michigan's electricity comes from coal, and all of that coal is imported from other states. In 2011, Michigan families and businesses sent $1.7 billion dollars to other states to finance our dependence on coal. The cost of importing coal has gone up 71 percent since 2006, and will only increase." http://www.legalnews.com/washtenaw/1369042/


P.S. Happy Thanksgiving


source: http://roch.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=174384&GUID=09D3A5BE-91E3-4A9A-B54F-73F4D3E3D91F&Options=&Search=