Agenda Item AGENDA STAFF REPORT ASR Control 23-000366
MEETING DATE:	05/23/23
legal entity taking action:	Board of Supervisors
board of supervisors district(s):	2, 5
SUBMITTING Agency/Department:	Sheriff-Coroner (Approved)
Department contact person(s):	John McCulloch (714) 647-1807
	Gary Lewellyn (949) 673-1025

Subject: Approve Purchase of One 35 foot Aluminum Fireboat

ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

3 Votes Board Majority

Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost: $1,471,227

Annual Cost: N/A

Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:

Sole Source: Yes

Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

Funding Source: Fund 13R (SCRAM): 100%	County Audit in last 3 years: No
Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

Prior Board Action: 3/28/2023 #13, 6/28/2022 #8

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute the sole source purchase with Gravois Aluminum Boats dba Metal Shark of one 35 foot fireboat in the amount of $1,471,227.

SUMMARY:

Approval of sole source purchase of one 35 foot aluminum fireboat with Gravois Aluminum Boats dba Metal Shark will allow the Sheriff-Coroner Department to continue to conduct law enforcement patrols, firefighting and serve as emergency first responders to Orange County's harbors and coastline.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol Bureau (Sheriff) is responsible for 24/7 maritime law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency response, serving as emergency first responders for everything in Orange County Harbors and coastline. Most of the Sheriff's 16 boats have exceeded their service life and are above the industry standard for years in service. Over the last thirty-three years, the Sheriff purchased its current arrangement of boats from multiple vendors.

The Sheriff put out an Invitation for Bid in 2020, and Gravois Aluminum Boats dba Metal Shark (Metal Shark) was the awarded bidder. The Sheriff purchased a patrol boat with that bid and due to the success of its implementation; another vessel was procured in 2022 as a Board-approved sole source contract. In 2023, the Sheriff purchased a third and fourth Metal Shark Patrol boat for the fleet and this will be the Sheriff’s fifth boat purchase. The Sheriff intends to replace its entire fleet with Metal Shark boats to fulfill the desired standardization of the fleet. There are currently 6 fireboats in the Sheriff’s fleet. Sheriff plans to replace 1 fireboat every 4 years. That way when one reaches its useful life cycle, it will have had 24 years of service.

The Sheriff has studied boat manufacturers for many years. The Sheriff searched for builders who constructed commercial-grade, mission-specific law enforcement vessels and found few builders who could deliver the long list of specific requirements. Of the small list of vessel builders who met the criteria, Metal Shark boats stood at the top of the list because of their high-grade materials used to construct the boats, the fit and finish of the welded parts, the design and delivery times, and the vessel's performance. Metal Shark boats provide all of the desired features and uniformity for a new fleet. These vessels are the same make, model, and layout as the boats used to train at the Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center (MLETC), where Sheriff Deputies receive their basic and advanced certifications for Marine Law Enforcement.

Sheriff's Deputies assigned to the Harbor Patrol Bureau often operate in highly stressful emergencies. Deputies must be sure how a vessel will work in these emergencies. It is helpful when control panels, switches, drive sticks, and steering wheels are consistent from boat to boat, so the boat operator can make the control inputs safely and securely while enforcing laws and conducting rescues in rough seas and stressful situations. Metal Shark furnishes every boat with the same equipment, in the exact locations on the boat. The uniformity of the patrol boats re-enforces muscle memory of Deputies, who can operate faster and more efficiently during stressful situations. Using the same materials for each Metal Shark vessel also allows for easier maintenance and less money spent on parts over the vessel's lifetime.

As each new Metal Shark boat is delivered, a current Harbor Patrol boat will be retired. The Sheriff has implemented a strategic vessel replacement plan to replace the fleet over the next 15 years. Metal Shark is one of the few boat manufacturers with a history long enough to indicate that they will continue making boats for years to come. In addition, having purchased vessels from Metal Shark previously, the Sheriff now qualifies for multi-boat purchase discounts.

The table below shows the recent history with Metal Shark:

Board of Supervisors (Board) Approved	Amendment Number or Contract	Contract Term	Contract Amount	Comments
6/28/22	Contract	one-time purchase	$299,655	Sole source one-time purchase order PO-060-22011236. Purchase of one patrol boat.
3/28/23	Contract	one-time purchase	$691,826	Sole source one-time purchase order PO-060-23010718. Purchase of two patrol boats.

Sheriff now requests Board approval of the Metal Shark sole source purchase contract as noted in the Recommended Action.

This contract does not include subcontractors or pass through to other providers. Please see attachment B for the Contract Summary. Contractor performance has been confirmed as at least satisfactory. Through the normal County vetting process, the contract for one aluminum fireboat, has been deemed a sole source due to its unique proprietary nature. The Department has verified that there are no concerns that must be addressed with respect to contractor's ownership/name, litigation status or conflicts with County interests. The Orange County Preference policy is not applicable to this sole source contract award. Additionally, Metal Shark is not an Orange County Local Small Business.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

Appropriations for this contract are included in the Sheriff-Coroner’s FY 2022-23 Budget Fund 13R (SCRAM). The contract contains language allowing the Sheriff-Coroner Department to terminate the contract without penalty with cause or after 30 days of written notice without cause in the event that funding is reduced and/or not available to continue funding the contract.

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A

ATTACHMENT(S):

Attachment A - Contract Number PO-060-23010911
Attachment B - Contract Summary