REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PACO BALDERRAMA, Chief of Police
Police Department
BY: MARK SALAZAR, Police Deputy Chief
Investigative Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the First Amendment to the service contract with Bode Cellmark Forensics, Inc., to increase the contract amount by not to exceed $518,400 to cover the expenses incurred and projected through FY 2024 (Bid File 9616)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve the First Amendment to the service contract with Bode Cellmark Forensics, Inc. to increase the original contract amount of $203,700 by the amount of $314,700 but not to exceed $518,400 to cover the expenses incurred and projected through FY 2024.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno has been awarded grant funds of $2,186,109 from the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance to assist with the follow up investigation of sexual assault cases. The grant period is from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2024. On September 3, 2021, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP #9616) requesting proposals for a Requirements Contract for Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant 2020 “Testing of Partially Tested Kits”. The RFP received two responses and an evaluation committee comprised of Police Department personnel within the Sex Crimes Unit of the Family Justice Bureau and Grants Management Unit unanimously recommended that Bode Cellmark Forensics be awarded the contract not to exceed $203,700. The City of Fresno and Bode Cellmark Forensics, Inc. entered into a service contract on April 18, 2022.
BACKGROUND
While investigating cold cases from 2016 to 2018 with funding from the 2019 SAKI grant, FPD discovered that there were Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs) in our inventory that the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) would classify as “partially tested.” Of the approximate 2,500 SAKs in our inventory, it is estimated that nearly 50% have suspect DNA profiles while the others do not. Many of the backlog cases have been worked by SAKI detectives and resubmitted to the lab for testing; however, it is believed there are still SAKs that are partially tested, or at a minimum, cases that have additional evidence that can be tested.
A committee consisting of a Police Officer from the Fresno Police Department SAKI Grant unit, the retired Director of the Fresno Department of Justice Regional Laboratory and the Fresno Police Department Grants Management Unit Manager was formed to develop an RFP for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant 2020, “Testing of Partially Tested Kits”.
On September 3, 2021, the committee released RFP (#9616) for Requirements Contract for Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant 2020 “Testing of Partially Tested Kits”. When the RFP closed on September 28, 2021, it received a total of two responses. Respondents were Bode Cellmark Forensics and Utah Cold Case Coalition, Inc. dba Intermountain Forensics.
Upon the committee’s thorough reviews and discussions of the submissions, on October 21, 2021, Bode Cellmark Forensics was unanimously selected as the vendor of choice. The City of Fresno entered into a service contract with Bode Cellmark Forensics to provide lab testing.
To date, Bode Cellmark Forensics has received 407 “Partially Tested Kits”, with 311 being invoiced by Bode Cellmark Forensics; and 96 still being processed.
Original 3-year contract amount: $203,700
Council approved increase: $314,700
Total revised contract amount: $518,400
Staff is recommending approval of this First Amendment to the service contract with Bode Cellmark Forensics to cover the expenses incurred and projected through FY 2024. The First Amendment will allow Bode Cellmark Forensics to continue to complete processing the 96 remaining “Partially Tested Kits” and to pay the remaining invoiced amount due. The cost for these efforts is $314,700 adjusting the contract amount not to exceed $518,400. City Attorney has reviewed this First Amendment and approved to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable because only one local business submitted a bid and that bid was non-responsive.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no net impact to the general fund. The 2020 SAKI grant provides full cost recovery for all positions, operations, training, equipment, testing and supplies for this program during the period of the grant. Expenses will be claimed and reimbursed on a quarterly basis.
Attachments:
First Amended Bode Cellmark Forensics, Inc. Service Contract
Bode Fresno Service Contract, 9616, FE