REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: JESUS A. GONZALEZ, PE, Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
PETER A. MARACCINI, PE, PhD, Public Utilities Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Laboratory Information Management System for the Environmental Laboratory at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (Council District 3):
1. Affirm the City Manager’s finding that Promium, LLC., is uniquely qualified to procure and install the Element Laboratory Information Management System software into the environmental laboratory.
2. Approve a one-year Hosted Service Agreement in the amount of $95,980 to Promium, LLC., with provisions for five one-year extensions at an annual cost of $33,700, to procure, install, and host the Element Laboratory Information Management System software.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council affirm the City Manager’s finding that Promium, LLC. (Promium), is uniquely qualified to procure and install the Element Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) software into the environmental laboratory at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility; approve the award of a one-year Hosted Service Agreement in the amount of $95,980 to Promium, with provisions for five (5) one-year extensions at an annual cost of $33,700, to procure, install, and host the Element LIMS software; and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign all documents on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) seeks to contract Promium to install a new LIMS software into the Wastewater Management Division (WMD) environmental laboratory, migrate data in the current LIMS to the new LIMS, and provide any necessary training and support to the laboratory staff. LIMS software is not uniform between different vendors. Instead, each LIMS is specific to how the vendor developed the software, with some offering functionalities not available in others. As such, selection of the LIMS software that best met WMD’s needs was based on software testing carried out by the Laboratory Supervisor. Once selected, the only method to procure and install the software would be sole source procurement direct from the vendor. The upfront cost for installation is $62,280 with an annual subscription of $33,700; therefore, the total cost for the first year would be $95,980.
BACKGROUND
WMD operates an environmental laboratory at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility that is accredited by the State of California as an Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) for the testing of water, groundwater, wastewater, and biosolid samples. The laboratory is certified to test over 100 constituents, including those required to demonstrate regulatory compliance with the Waste Discharge Requirements, the City’s Pretreatment Program, and the City’s Water Supply Permit.
The laboratory staff utilize LIMS to support their day-to-day operations and testing, including standardization of tests and procedures, instrument integration for data recording, and an accurate account of sample handling and results.
The current LIMS is housed on physical servers that use a programming language no longer licensed to the City. Additionally, the current LIMS is outdated and doesn’t possess all the functionalities needed to efficiently run the laboratory. As such, WMD requires the procurement and installation of another LIMS prior to any potential disruption to regulatory compliance associated with samples delivered to the laboratory.
The WMD Laboratory Supervisor reviewed various software and determined the LIMS by Promium best suited the laboratory’s needs. In February 2023, the City Manager found Promium to be uniquely qualified to procure and install the Element Laboratory Information Management System software into the environmental laboratory. Since the City Manager’s review, the initial price quoted by Promium has increased by $200. However, Promium remains uniquely qualified to procure and install the Element Laboratory Information Management System software into the environmental laboratory. The upfront cost for installation is $62,280 with an annual subscription of $33,700; therefore, the total cost for the first year would be $95,980, then $33,700 per year thereafter. The initial term of the Agreement is a one (1) year subscription; thereafter, the City, at its sole discretion, may renew the subscription for five one (1) year terms. Promium may revise subscription fees and per-unit charges upon 30-day written notice to the City effective upon the renewal date of the subscription. The total first year costs were included in the Wastewater Division’s Fiscal Year 2023 Capital Improvement Program budget.
The Information Services Department (ISD) confirmed that the LIMS software adhered to City standards, including adherence to AO 8-21 Cloud Policy and support of single sign-on with Microsoft Azure. As such, ISD had no objection to the procurement and installation of the LIMS software into the WMD environmental laboratory.
The City Attorney has reviewed the Hosted Service Agreement and approved to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The procurement and installation of LIMS software into an environmental laboratory is not a project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference was not implemented because Promium was found to be uniquely qualified.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund. Funds for the procurement and installation of the LIMS software were included in the Wastewater Division’s Fiscal Year 2023 Capital Improvement Program budget. The software will solely be implemented at the environmental laboratory located in Council District 3.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Uniquely Qualified Memorandum
Attachment 2 - Element LIMS Hosted Services Subscription Contract for City of Fresno