Staff said the change simply provides remaining budgeted funds to continue maintenance while staff evaluates additional options and other providers listed in the state contract. The city manager explained that Mesa currently handles maintenance under the state cooperative agreement and that the change would not increase the overall budget but would simply allow the city to continue spending allocated funds on maintenance.
Council members questioned whether the city should issue its own request for proposals (RFP) to compare local pricing with state contract pricing. Staff said the state has already put out a request for proposals and the city could participate in that process; Employees also said they contacted other providers under the same government agreement and one provider appeared to offer lower rates for similar services.
After a lengthy discussion, the Council voted to approve Amendment No. 1 to the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with Mesa Energy Systems. The roll call vote featured yes votes from Councilmembers Calabianakis, Larrabee, Earl, McMahon, Watts and Mayor Bridal and a “no” vote from Vice Mayor Skilcorn, resulting in a 6-1 vote in favor of the amendment. Staff said they will continue to evaluate other providers for the state agreement and will contact the council for new contract approvals.
Why it matters: The change keeps city HVAC systems under contract while staff compare options; The procurement approach (piggybacking on a state contract vs. issuing a local RFP) was the central topic of the debate. Council agreed to the change, but Deputy Mayor Skilcorn objected to the procurement direction.
What to keep in mind: Staff said they would contact the council if they recommended entering into a new contract after comparing alternative providers listed in the state agreement.