Title
Draft Resolution - Consideration of Election Services Provider for 2019 PEC Elections - D Ballard
Other Info
Submitted By: Sylvia Romero
Department: Legal Services
Financial Impact and Cost/Benefit Considerations: Expenditure of Cooperative funds estimated not to exceed $242,295* (amount includes 8% contingency for postage, membership increase, and number of pages required for 2 district bio booklets) currently planned to be included in the Cooperative's 2019 operating budget. Pricing and costs subject to negotiation or procurement.
Contract Costs
2019: $242,295 - estimate*
2018: $223,796 - estimate (pending final billing)
2017: $211,147 - actual
2016: $214,318 - actual
The 2019 renewal estimate also includes services for telephone voting and SmartHub voting. Those services are expected to cost approximately $1,595 (+0.17 cents per minute) for telephone voting and $700 for SmartHub voting. Survey and Ballot Systems has indicated they are seeing about 20% of online votes coming through SmartHub.
Discussion
The Board's Election Policy and Procedures at Section 4 provides that "[a]t or before the August Regular Board meeting each year, the General Counsel will recommend to the Board whether to extend the contract for the services of the Election Service Provider then retained by the Cooperative under the Bylaws and the Board will make a determination whether to extend the contract or seek an alternate Election Service Provider. Any such extension may be implemented without competitive procurement, notwithstanding any PEC policy or procedure."
It further provides that "[w]hen the Board decides to solicit for election service providers, the Board shall direct the General Counsel to initiate a competitive procurement to identify and recommend to the Board the most qualified Election Service Provider. In any such decision the Board should recognize that such procurement will typically take between four and six months. Unless the Board directs otherwise, a competitive procurement will be performed every three years."
A competitive solicitation was utilized in 2015 to select an election services provider. On October 20, 2015, the Board approved the execution of a contract with Survey & Ballot Systems ("SBS") for a one-year term with two optional one year contracts. SBS' current 1-year contract will end upon completion of the 2018 Election services. The Board may now consider:
1. Approve a 1-year contract with SBS for the 2019 PEC elections; or
2. Approve procurement of an election services provider through competitive solicitation for the 2019 election.
The Board may consider a 1-year contract with SBS, subject to pricing and negotiation. The one-year contract would complete a 3-year cycle for the election of all 7 Directors utilizing similar election services (2017-2019). This 3-year cycle also coincides with one full rotation of all Director district elections through single-member-district voting. A one-year contract would provide for consistent use of the independent election services provider through election of all 7 Board Directors. A one-year contract would provide another year of experience utilizing integrated enterprise platforms for balloting - SBS' integration with PEC's member portal, SmartHub.
Body
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS that the General Counsel, or designee, is authorized to negotiate and execute an additional one-year contract with Survey & Ballot Systems for Election Services Provider on behalf of the Cooperative.
OR
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS that the General Counsel initiate a competitive solicitation to procure the services of an independent election services provider and recommend such provider for the 2019 Cooperative election; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board authorizes the General Counsel, or designee, to take all such actions to implement this resolution.