Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Purchase Order with Dell Marketing LP for the Phase 1 Citywide Computer Replacement Program.
End
From: Adolfo Ozaeta, Assistant City Manager
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Adolfo Ozaeta, Assistant City Manager
____________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Approve a Purchase Order with Dell Marketing LP for the Phase 1 Citywide Computer Replacement Program in an amount not to exceed $161,825 and find that the proposed contract offers the best pricing.
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BACKGROUND
The City of Westminster relies on reliable, secure, and properly supported end-user computing equipment to carry out daily municipal operations. City employees use computers to access financial and administrative systems, public records, permitting and business applications, communications platforms, public safety-related systems, and other essential City services. A Citywide Computer Replacement Program is necessary to maintain employee productivity, cybersecurity, operational continuity, and a supportable technology environment.
For more than a decade, the City has used a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment, most recently based on VMware Horizon/Omnissa technology, to provide desktop computing services to many employees. VDI was implemented to centrally host and manage employee desktop environments, applications, and data within the City’s data center rather than relying primarily on individual computers. At the time of implementation, this was a common approach for public agencies seeking to improve cybersecurity, standardize desktop configurations, simplify software updates and support, extend the useful life of endpoint devices, and provide staff with secure access to their work environment from different City locations or approved remote locations. This model can be appropriate for certain specialized use cases; however, the City’s environment has experienced performance and session-stability issues during the past several years. Users have encountered slow performance and, at times, sessions that lock or become unresponsive. These incidents require Information Technology staff to unlock user sessions or restart underlying servers, interrupting employees’ work and increasing ongoing support demands.
Due to the City’s reliance on VDI for an extended period, it did not maintain a regular replacement cycle for many endpoint devices. As a result, the proposed Citywide Computer Replacement Program would replace aging equipment and support the transition away from VDI. A planned Citywide Computer Replacement Program is an information technology best practices approach because computers become less reliable and more difficult to support as they age, fall outside warranty coverage, and no longer meet current operating-system, application, performance, and cybersecurity requirements. Standardizing the City’s endpoint hardware will also make devices easier to configure, manage, secure, repair, and replace.
The proposed replacement program will provide current, standardized Windows 11 Pro computers with modern security hardware, manufacturer support coverage, and the performance needed for the City’s business applications. The program will improve employee productivity, reduce the likelihood of interruptions caused by aging equipment or VDI session issues, and provide a more sustainable foundation for the City’s endpoint technology environment. The Citywide Computer Replacement Program is proposed to be implemented via a multi-phased approach as follows:
• Phase 1 - November 2026 to April 2027
• Phase 2 - May 2027 to October 2027
The proposed Phase 1 purchase includes 110 standard Dell Pro Slim desktop computers, 10 higher-specification Dell Pro Slim desktop computers, and five Dell Pro 16 laptop computers, for a total of 125 devices. Computer specifications, type, and quantity are seen in the summary table below:
|
Specification |
Standard Desktop |
High-Performance Desktop |
Laptop |
|
Model |
Dell Pro Slim QCS1250 |
Dell Pro Slim QCS1250 |
Dell Pro 16 PC16250 |
|
Quantity |
110 |
10 |
5 |
|
Form factor |
Small-form-factor desktop |
Small-form-factor desktop |
16-inch laptop |
|
Processor |
Intel Core Ultra 5 235 |
Intel Core Ultra 7 265 |
Intel Core Ultra 5 225U |
|
Memory (RAM) |
16 GB DDR5 |
32 GB DDR5 |
16 GB DDR5 |
|
Storage |
512 GB solid-state drive |
1 TB solid-state drive |
512 GB solid-state drive |
|
Operating system |
Windows 11 Pro |
Windows 11 Pro |
Windows 11 Pro |
|
Graphics |
Integrated Intel graphics |
NVIDIA RTX A400, 4 GB dedicated graphics |
Integrated Intel graphics |
|
Display |
Uses existing City monitor(s) |
Uses existing City monitor(s) |
16-inch with 1080p camera |
|
Manufacturer service |
Five years of onsite service after remote diagnosis |
Five years of onsite service after remote diagnosis |
Five years onsite/in-home |
Dell Marketing LP will ship the equipment to the City. Infinity Technologies, the City’s contracted IT services provider, will serve as the primary resource for device imaging, deployment, and user migration in coordination with Westminster IT staff. Staff will coordinate deployment to reduce disruption to City departments.
The breakdown of cost is as follows:
|
Quote Item |
Price |
|
Dell Pro Slim QCS1250 standard desktops |
$118,417.20 |
|
Dell Pro Slim QCS1250 higher-specification desktops |
$17,912.10 |
|
Dell Pro 16 PC16250 laptops |
$6,053.90 |
|
Environmental fee |
$25.00 |
|
Estimated sales tax |
$11,709.03 |
|
Quoted Total |
$154,117.23 |
|
Freight and final tax contingency |
$7,707.77 |
|
Not-to-exceed Authorization |
$161,825.00 |
Dell Marketing LP has been awarded Contract #C000001115143 under the Dell NASPO Computer Equipment Participating Addendum - California, Customer Agreement No. 23026 / 7-23-70-55-01. NASPO ValuePoint is a cooperative purchasing program that provides public agencies with access to competitively solicited contracts for technology equipment and related services. The cooperative purchasing process offers pre-negotiated, competitively solicited contracts with vetted vendors, allowing public agencies to save time and money without undergoing the procurement process. This agreement allows the City to “piggyback” on the purchasing volume and competitive solicitation process of larger public agencies, giving Westminster access to pre-negotiated public-sector pricing, established contract terms, and manufacturer support without conducting a separate bid process.
Per Section 3.44.080.G.5 of the Westminster Municipal Code, the City is authorized to enter into contracts where services, supplies, and equipment are procured through participation in a Federal General Services Administration (GSA) contract, California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contract, leveraged purchase agreement, or similar agreement or process utilizing a valid competitive bidding process. To utilize this “piggybacking,” the City Council should find “that the proposed contract offers the best pricing.”
Staff has determined that this contract pricing provides the best value for the City’s proposed computer purchase. The Dell NASPO contract was competitively awarded and provides pre-negotiated public-sector pricing for computer equipment. Because the City is purchasing 125 devices through this contract, it receives pricing based on the combined purchasing power of public agencies nationwide. This same agreement is trusted by many California state and local agencies. The proposed purchase also includes five years of Dell manufacturer warranty and onsite service.
The Information Technology Division reviewed the City’s current endpoint computing needs and recommends the purchase of the proposed desktop and laptop computers from Dell Marketing LP through this cooperative purchasing agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this purchase is available in the City’s Technology Replacement Budget, Account No. 14502-421700, in an amount not to exceed $161,825.00. Dell Quote No. 3000206626014.1 totals $154,117.23, including equipment, manufacturer warranty and onsite service coverage, a $25 environmental fee, and estimated sales tax. The requested authorization includes a $7,707.77 contingency for final freight, delivery, environmental-fee, or tax adjustments. Dell’s quotation identifies shipping as $0.00 but notes that taxes and freight are estimates and final invoice amounts may vary. Any unused contingency amount will remain unspent.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Phase 1 of the proposed Citywide Computer Replacement Program is necessary to replace aging endpoint equipment, transition users from a legacy VDI environment that have experienced performance and session stability issues and restore a consistent lifecycle-management approach for City computers. The proposed multi-phase Citywide Computer Replacement Program will provide City staff with current, standardized, secure, and manufacturer-supported devices that are better aligned with current operational requirements. Approval of the proposed purchase order with Dell Marketing LP will enable the City to improve employee productivity, reduce recurring support demands associated with the existing VDI environment, strengthen endpoint security and supportability, and provide reliable technology resources for continued delivery of City services.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Quote from Dell LP
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager