Interdepartmental Competition Benefits Southern Arizona Community Food Bank
by Laura Fairbanks, Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD)
A friendly competition during the 2007 holiday season resulted in significant donations to the Southern Arizona Community Food Bank. Three departments under the Public Works Department umbrella were involved in the competition. The Department of Transportation (DOT) partnered with the Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) to challenge the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) (formerly named the Wastewater Management Department). The challenge was to see who could collect the most food and money to benefit the food bank. The results were a combined total of 8,105 pounds of non-perishable foods, 892 pounds of frozen meats, and $1,493.32 in cash donations.
The competition first began last year when DOT director Priscilla Cornelio challenged RWRD director Michael Gritzuk to a food collection competition. The “losing” director would make a $100 donation to the food bank. Last year, DOT won the competition. This year, DOT invited RFCD to join them to help more closely match the larger number of RWRD employees. The directors of the departments agreed that the director of the losing department(s) would again make a personal donation of $100. Last year, RWRD director Michael Gritzuk wrote that check. This year DOT director, Priscilla Cornelio and RFCD director Suzanne Shields were the check writers.
The holiday drive was organized in two parts. The first part of the competition ran from November 9, 2007 through November 20, 2007. After the first half of the competition the DOT/RFCD team was ahead. At that time they had collected 754 pounds of non-perishable food items compared to RWRD's 646 pounds. In the frozen food category, DOT/RFCD had 86 pounds of frozen foods compared to RWRD's 72 pounds. Monetary contributions as of November 20 were $293.32 for DOT/RFCD and $120 for RWRD. As of November 20, it appeared that RWRD director Mike Gritzuk might once again have to write a $100 check to the food bank.
However, RWRD employees rose to the occasion between November 21 and December 21. During that 31 day period, RWRD staff donated 3,895 pounds of non-perishable food compared to DOT/RFCD's donation of 2,456 pounds. In the frozen foods category, RWRD employees donated 640 pounds compared to 94 pounds collected by DOT/RFCD. Finally, cash donations from RWRD totaled $969 compared to $115 donated by DOT/RFCD staff.
Contributions from the departments are outlined below:
11/9/07 – 11/20/07
Non-perishable food: DOTRFCD 1,754 lbs; 646 lbs RWRD
Frozen Foods: DOT/RFCD 86 lbs; 72 lbs RWRD
Cash: DOT/RFCD $289.32; $120.00 RWRD
11/21/07 – 12/21/07
Non-perishable food: DOTRFCD 2,456 lbs; 3,895 lbs RWRD
Frozen Foods: DOT/RFCD 94 lbs; 640 lbs RWRD
Cash: DOT/RFCD $115.00; $969.00 RWRD
TOTALS
Non-perishable food: 8,195 lbs
Frozen Foods: 892 lbs
Cash: $1,493.32
The competition between these Pima County departments greatly benefitted the community. Next year the competition promises to be even more inspiring. Congratulations to the employees of all three departments whose generosity will help less-fortunate individuals and families of Southern Arizona to meet one of their most basic needs.
In discussing the food drive, John M. Bernal, Assistant County Administrator for Public Works remarked that he was impressed by the departments' generous donations:
“Congratulations to everyone who participated this year. There are really no ‘losers' in this type of competition. I'd like to see other Public Works Departments join the food drive during the next holiday season.”
State of the County Centerpiece Contest
ATTENTION: ALL Pima County Employees!!!
The 2008 State of the County Luncheon is scheduled for Friday, April 18, 2008, and all Pima County Employees are invited to show off their creativity by designing a Centerpiece(s) that will be placed on display at this year's luncheon.
Each year, employee participation in this event has grown, and we are hoping to set a new record this year as well. Last year we received over 45 entries; with over a hundred tables to cover there is always room for more entries. Below are the winning centerpieces from last year's event.
3rd Place, Pima Health Systems and Services,
Designed by: Kerry Carlson and Ruth Cocio
Submitted by: Julia Flannery
2nd Place, Pima County Juvenile Court Center,
Submitted by: Margaret Singleton
1st place, Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Office, Designed and submitted by: Simon Herbert.
ALL Pima County employees/departments are invited to participate in the State of the County Luncheon Centerpiece Contest which is held during the luncheon. Employees are encouraged to create a centerpiece that is representative of their department and incorporates the theme of the State of the County Luncheon.
This year's theme is “People, Programs, Progress.” Each centerpiece will be displayed during the luncheon on one of the tables. Departments are encouraged to submit multiple entries if possible. The centerpieces will be judged and scored, then the top three centerpieces receiving the highest scores will be awarded a 1st , 2nd or 3rd place ribbon. The award winning centerpieces and departments will receive recognition at the luncheon as well as an article in the E-scoop along with a photograph of each winning entry. This is an exciting event to participate in because there are so many individuals that enjoy seeing the centerpieces created by our own County employees.
If you would like to participate, please register your entry with Julie C. Simon at 740-6566, or by e-mail Julie.simon@dot.pima.gov, by April 11, 2008. Please make sure you provide the following information: Contact Name, Department, Contact Phone Number, and Number of Entries. All centerpieces will need to be delivered to the Tucson Convention Center on April 18, 2008, by 8:30 A.M. If you would like your centerpiece returned to you, please place a label on the bottom with your return information.
Here are the specifications for the centerpiece contest: Height 12 inches, Width 9 inches or Diameter 9 inches. Here's an additional challenge: Use recyclable materials to create your centerpiece.
If you have any questions, or need additional information, please contact Julie C. Simon.
INNOVATION: Reverse Auction Procurements
by Terry Finefrock, Procurement Department
Pima County Central Procurement is exploring the use of the Reverse Auction (RA) procurement process to solicit and subsequently establish contracts for the goods and services requested by County client departments. If you have a new contract requirement, or are aware of a contract whose term is expiring and for which there are no remaining renewals, contact the appropriate Contracts & Commodity Officer to determine if the Reverse Auction process would be beneficial.
BENEFITS
This process provides significant benefits over the traditional Bid processes:
• Enhanced Competition and Pricing
• Expands the solicitation to more Suppliers, which enhances competition, optimizes unit pricing and promotes satisfaction of the prudent expenditure of public funds requirement inherent in public procurement law.
• The multiple bid feature also helps to assure that the County receives best market price available at that time
• Enhances the ability of Small Businesses to participate
• Allows existing budgets to purchase more (an attribute that might become very useful in peacefully surviving this next Fiscal year)
• Improved Productivity, less costs, for both Buyer and Sellers
• The RA process can be completed in significantly less time, about 30-days, than the traditional +90-day formal solicitation processes
• The RA system maintains a detailed record of the bid transactions and generates a detailed record of the bid tabulation at the conclusion of the auction. This task, and documentation, is a requirement of the public procurement process and typically requires considerable work for the procurement officer to generate
• Environmentally Friendly
• Replaces hard bid documents with digital transactions
US State Department Benefits
Statistics regarding the results of 2,198 RA Procurements conducted by the US State Department (Fiscal year 2002 to Fiscal 2006) and published in the July 2007 issue of Contract Management (Source: FedBid, Inc.) indicate the following benefits:
- 10% price reduction over independent estimate of expected cost
- Awards to Small Businesses increased from 52% to 77%
- Average number of sellers notified increased from 336 to 1201
Pima County Benefits
We've conducted several RA's; for example, Caustic Soda used in the treatment of wastewater, Telephone Equipment and Termite Control Services.
The Caustic Soda procurement was conducted at a time when demand was far exceeding supply; the expiring contract price was $1.17/gallon; market research indicated we should expect pricing during the new contract year as high as $1.76. The contract price generated by the RA was $0.92, a 21% reduction in the expiring contract price, and frozen for the contract year.
The most recent RA for Termite Control Services resulted in a contract price with a local small business that was about 30% lower than the expiring contract. A nationally recognized firm participated but did not earn the award.
Statistics provided by our RA System provider indicates that the price reductions generated by the RA's conducted by their Users range from 5% to 32%.
How It Works
As with traditional procurements, submit a comprehensive specification of the products/services to be procured along with the approved Synergen requisition. Include notes or comments regarding your interest in utilizing the RA procurement process. The Contracts Officer and Requesting Department Project Manager (Requestor) prepare the solicitation documents and provide to our Internet RA System Provider. The system provider can also provide statistics regarding results of RA's conducted for other clients and advice regarding the construction of the RA.
The RA process uses the Internet to notify prospective Suppliers that a solicitation within their stated market is being conducted and to allow them to submit bids until the closing date and time of the auction (solicitation for bids). The RA system provider maintains a list of suppliers that have announced their desire to participate. We also publish and add our known suppliers to the notification list.
The process is similar to the traditional “Sealed Bid” or Invitation for Bid (IFB) process with the additional dynamic that multiple lower than previous bids are allowed until the bidding process is closed. Although each bid is displayed to all bidders, the actual identity of the Bidder is not revealed.
We typically require that Suppliers “pre-qualify” before they are allowed to access and participate in the Internet bid event.
The Auction can be open for several days, or open and close within a half hour or so. If desired, Bids received in the closing moments can trigger an extension of the bid period for a few more minutes, to allow for another lower bid.
Summary
The Reverse Auction process is another technology tool that we can all use to conserve the use of public funds and provide value to our Departments and our Community. I invite you to work with our Procurement Staff to explore and learn more about this exciting opportunity to modernize and improve our processes and results.
Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget—Country Club Road Improvements
by Carol Brichta, DOT
On Friday, January 11, 2008, the Honorable Ramón Valadez, Pima County Board of Supervisors, District 2, the Honorable Robert Walkup, Mayor of City of Tucson, and the Honorable Steve Leal, City of Tucson, Ward 5, joined the Pima County Department of Transportation for the roadway improvement project dedication of Country Club Road: from 36th Street to Milber Street, which is part of the 1997 Bond Program.
The project began in December of 2006 and was completed ahead of schedule and under budget in December of 2007. The road improvements included: Roadway expansion north of Ajo Way to three (3) lanes and five (5) lane expansion south of Ajo Way, paved shoulders, a new storm drain system, sidewalks and landscaping. The bridge over the Tucson Diversion Channel was also replaced.
The contractor for this project was the Ashton Company.
The dedication was held at the Community Food Bank.
PIMA YOUTH BENEFIT GAME —
March 2, 2008
Tucson Electric Park is the place to be Sunday, March 2, 2008, to watch the Arizona Diamondbacks battle the Chicago White Sox. Besides enjoying the game with your family, you'll be performing a good deed for the community because the proceeds generated from the game are used to provide financial assistance to organizations throughout Pima County that sponsor programs for at-risk youth.
GET SPECIAL PRICE TICKETS!
All Pima County employees get 50% off the ticket price for the March 2, 2008, game.
Just print this coupon:
and present it at the Diamondbacks ticket office located at 2500 East Ajo Way along with your Pima County identification card to receive 50% off each ticket you purchase. Telephone and online orders will not receive the discounted price.
KEEPING THE COMMUNITY CONNECTED
Each year the Southern Arizona Sports Foundation (SASF) partners with Major League Baseball and designates one spring training game as a charity event. All proceeds from the game are donated to the Southern Arizona Sports Foundation. Then SASF distributes the funds (over $140,000 last year) by making grants to at-risk youth programs and non-profit organizations serving youth in Pima County.
To learn more about SASF please visit the website at www.soazsports.org.
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