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Show 3 IfGARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL - The city council has voted fiumously to purchase a i" 'ipiiier costing $123,000-- though the bid was about higher than the low 5 w- As result, a representa-w representa-w ;Ail the company submit-I'Mlielow submit-I'Mlielow bid charged city J FMls with conducting "an K! 2gan1 irre8ula'-' "id Qfl j,.lhecily council voted to Hi Repurchase of a com-' com-' 'rora Management Con-!;SService(MCS),afirm Con-!;SService(MCS),afirm f : supplies IBM computer -4&ptd bid was J:ij w and ws second iJSJrt submitted a S :ShH ?f 5H1.176. The ,3 ,1. S'orlhe'wo firms S B 9'.885 for MCS and 8 'or Burroughs. " the revised bids? Recorder Arden J said several factors , ' ken into considera-lust considera-lust low bid. He not- L Merwas aso based v. 'jre, service, time it toS 10 insIa. delivery w the computer, etc 3tpu'y Recorder Mark McRae told the council that MCS ranked high in all categories being considered and "We felt it an all-around better offer to accept MCS even though Burroughs was low bidder." HE NOTED that MCS has serviced several Utah cities, including Provo, which has a city program system very similar to Bountiful. Mr. McRae explained that the bid specifications were "very flexible" so that the city could negotiate with the supplier. "WE DID negotiate with these and other companies, finding out just what it would cost to do the job that we feel has to be done in the city now and in the future," said Mr. McRae. As a result, MCS's bid was lowered from $129,885 to $123,075 and Burrough's bid was increased from $93,176 to $111,176. CLIVE WADE, representing represent-ing Burrough Corp., was very upset with the procedure and results. "I've been with Burrough's 28 years and this is the first time 1 have ever seen changes made in the bidding," he said. "1 was more than $36,000 below the next low bidder and yet I don't get the bid. "I CAN'T understand it. What's the use of putting out bids if you're not going to take the low bid. If you want the best service for the lowest price, then Burroughs can give it to you." Mayor Elmer W. Barlow replied: . "THE CITY doesn't have to accept the low bid. We can accept another bid if we feel that company can give us better service and provide more of what we want." Mr. Wade countered, "The council is acting on things not even in the specifications. No one asked me how long it would take to install and I know that we can provide as good service as MCS or any of the other bidders." BUT UPON a motion by Councilman Warde Tolman, seconded by Councilman Paul Allen, the council voted unanimously to accept the bid of MCS for $123,075. The computer is to be installed in-stalled in a computer room already built in the new city hall. Mr. McRae said the computer should be ready for service by mid-July, in time to handle the billings and payroll for the city effective July 1. MR. JENSON noted that the city has needed its own computer for 3V2 years. The city has used a computer billing service for the past 11 years. He said the city has paid $2,400 per month for this service ser-vice but that the billing service ser-vice has increased (effective. March 1) its fees to $3,000 per month. "WE CAN pay for a computer com-puter in a relatively short time with money saved from the rental service," he told the council. He said bids were sent to 20 vendors, and this was only about one-tenth of all the vendors interviewed as possible possi-ble vendors. Nine bids were returned. |