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Central Services
POBox 37
Ephrata WA 98823
(509) 754-2011 Ext -3276
Board of County Commissioners January 26, 2023
Re: New Courthouse Security Contract
The Board is aware of the issues we have had with Phoenix Protective and their ability to fulfill
their Contract to supply security guards for the Courthouse campus, the remote District Court in
Moses lake, and Youth Services in Ephrata.
After negotiating the issue and working together to resolve it, Phoenix felt that without meeting
their demand for a higher wage, they could no longer support the Courthouse and provided the
County with a letter to terminate the Contract effective February 28.
During the negotiations, a search was completed. A spreadsheet was sent to various elected
officials and stakeholders detailing ten firms that signed a Department of Enterprise Services
contract and were selected by the state to service our area and a synopsis of the issue.
After reaching out to nine of those firms (Pheonix Protective was one of the ten), two firms
responded, but only one firm Pacific Security stated they could meet the demands of our
facilities.
Interestingly of the three firms, Pacific, Pheonix, and Allied, None were willing to meet the
dollar amount of the state contract. This noncompliance with the DES Contract is due to
evolving pay issues in the industry and a lack of people in the workplace today. The lack of
manpower or the ability to find willing workers is being felt across all industries and was echoed
without prompting in almost the same manner by all three firms.
With a termination date of February 28, the County is in a precarious position. We need security
for our facilities, but this does not leave us the proper time to perform a competitive bid process
and have a company under Contract by the time Pheonix Protective terminates its Contact.
Central Services sees a solution to this and asks the Boards permission to move forward based on
the following;
Tom Gaines
Director of Central Services
tgaines@grantcountywa.gov
all
JAN 3 1. 2023
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"To meet current and future needs, serving together with public and private entities, while fostering a respectful and successful work environment."
The state performed a competitive process, and contracts were signed with the State of
Washington in April of 2022, less than one year ago. We are master users and authorized to use
this Contract. The increases by both Pheonoix and Pacific are not unrealistic and, frankly, are
still what we would consider on par or possibly low for this area.
The costs for both firms are significantly less than trying to hire full-time employees and perform
this work ourselves. We have checked Pacific's references which came back positive.
Let's look at this through the competitive process, as both companies fully know what is required.
Pacific is lower than Phoenix by $30,000 per year and would be the low -responsive bidder, and
there are no other companies we are aware of (after searching) that can fulfill our needs.
Given the time frame and the need, while not emergent, it is also unrealistic to think we could
perform our bid process and receive a different or better result.
Central Services is recommending and asking the Board to approve a new contract valued at
$316,728.00 per year for three years of coverage with six full-time guards. This amount may be
reduced if we can reduce the guard count by a single guard. The state contracted price is $24.29
per hour, but this Contract is $26.50 per hour. For reference, Pheonix Protective's cost would be
$346,608.00 at $29.00 per hour.
The current Contract is valued at $274,000 per year. However, we have paid more than that
based on actual "On Call" guard usage, which we will eliminate in the new Contract. This
Contract will be paid out of the Facilities Contracted Services budget line, and if a budget
extension is needed at the end of the year, it will be requested at that time.
Respectfully submitted,
�ox &arncf
Tom Gaines
Director, Grant County WA
Central Services Department
Cc: K. Smith, K. Allen, K. Schmidt,
K. McCrae, D, Ochocinski, S. Palacios