REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

BOARD MEETING DATE:  September  13, 2022
CATEGORY:  Consent - Health and Human Services-12.

SUBJECT:

Waive competitive procurement requirements, approve and award the purchase of the MagNA Pure 24 DNA Extraction Instrument, including a one-year warranty, to Roche Diagnostics Corp., and approve a budget amendment for the purchase.

Supervisorial District No. :  All

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:  Robin Schurig, MPH, CPH – Public Health Branch Director. (530) 245-6869

STAFF REPORT APPROVED BY:  Robin Schurig, MPH, CPH – Public Health Branch Director

RECOMMENDATION

Take the following actions: (1) Waive competitive procurement requirements of Shasta County Code 3.04, Purchasing, to purchase a MagNA Pure 24 DNA Extraction Instrument (Instrument) capital asset; (2) approve and award the purchase of the Instrument, including a one-year warranty, to Roche Diagnostics Corp. (Roche) in an amount not to exceed $55,000 (including taxes and delivery); and (3) approve a budget amendment to increase appropriations by $55,000 and revenue by $142,473 in the Public Health budget.

DISCUSSION

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) in 1999 with the purpose to respond to biological and chemical threats in the United States. The Shasta County Public Health Laboratory is the only LRN reference lab to service the counties of Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, Lassen, Tehama, Plumas, Glenn, and eastern Trinity.

Approval of this purchase will allow the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Public Health Branch to continue servicing the above-mentioned counties in testing and detecting various biological and chemical elements, including emerging infectious diseases, bioterrorism threats, chemical terrorism, and other public health emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The lab equipment purchase is for a Roche Diagnostics MagNA Pure 24, a nucleic acid extraction and purification instrument. Roche is the sole source manufacturer and distributor of the Instrument and all accompanying reagents. Due to this restriction, HHSA is requesting the competitive procurement process be waived.

As part of agreement of this purchase, Roche Diagnostics is applying a Public Health Laboratory discount of $29,500 for the purchase of the MagNA Pure 24 (valued at $79,500).

ALTERNATIVES

The Board may choose not to approve the capital asset purchase, defer consideration to a future date, or provide alternate direction to staff.

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

The recommendation has been reviewed by the County Administrative Office. The Support Services Department – Purchasing Unit has reviewed and approved the recommendation.

FISCAL IMPACT

The purchase is funded with monies from the LRN Grant totaling $142,473, which expires July 31, 2024, and use of the Instrument will assist HHSA to continue to meet CDC requirements. The proposed budget amendment will accommodate the purchase. There is no County match required.