[Vision2020] UI Still Reviewing Bids for Campus Security Contract

Tom Hansen thansen at moscow.com
Sat Apr 3 06:39:13 PDT 2010


Courtesy of today's (April 3, 2010) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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UI officials still reviewing bids for campus security contract
City of Moscow has held patrol role since 1966
By Christina Lords Daily News Staff Writer

University officials are still wading through information relating to what
could be a million-dollar contract for security personnel on the
University of Idaho campus.

Christopher Johnson, UI director of purchasing services, said while there
is no official deadline to select one of the seven bids for the contract,
the university may exceed the previously estimated 90-day period for
deciding the outcome.

"It's a bit bigger contract than most, so we're assuming the vendors will
be patient with this," he said. "There are some pretty thick and pretty
involved responses, and it's taken a lot of work to go through and figure
out what's best for the students."

Requests for proposals, or RFPs, for the contract with the university were
due by Jan. 12.

The city of Moscow has held the campus policing contract since 1966
through the Moscow Police Department.

City Supervisor Gary Riedner said the city gave a formal presentation on
its bid to members of the UI's committee in mid-March.

The other six proposals were provided by private security entities from
throughout the Northwest.

University officials have previously said it is not uncommon to seek
outside bids for contracts for more than $250,000.

"We've never been requested to respond to an RFP before," Riedner said. "I
can't explain that because I don't work for the university. If that's the
university's process, that's the university's process."

The department's contract with the UI for this fiscal year is a little
more than $1 million, and it makes up a significant portion of the city's
police services budget. Police services comprise about 40 percent of
Moscow's general fund budget - about $4.4 million of the city's $11.3
million budget.

Johnson said the university is in the process of reviewing all major
contracts to determine their effectiveness and evaluate UI's selection
processes.

Other contracts that have been reviewed include the recently renewed food
services contract with Sodexho, employee benefits contracts and student
health contracts, he said.

Whenever the university is spending a large amount on a contract, "you
want to find the best value for your dollar," Johnson said. "We want to
see if there's a more efficient way of taking care of business."

He said the requests for outside bids are not meant to demean the work the
Moscow Police Department has done for the university "in any way."

The university would still seek outside bids without the budgetary issues
UI faces, he said.

The review committee for the contract is made up of the university's
senior management but does not have any student members, Johnson said. He
declined to name who sits on the committee, but said it is a part of their
employment duties to serve on these types of committees.

Riedner said the university and the city of Moscow have - and will -
continue to maintain, "a great, cohesive" relationship, no matter the
outcome of the bidding process.

"The great thing about (Moscow's contract) is that you have uniformed
police throughout the city," he said. "The laws enforced on campus are the
same laws enforced downtown. That uniformity and consistency of (our) law
enforcement's message is of great value."

Moscow Police Lt. Dave Lehmitz said he is "extremely confident" the
contract between the university and the police department will be renewed.

Lehmitz is one of three officers that serves the UI campus full time.

"I'm very confident that there will be a contract," he said. "As far as
police services go, there are only three entities that provide actual
police services on (campus): the city of Moscow, Latah County Sheriff and
the Idaho State Police. Nobody else could provide police services."

With or without a contract, the Moscow Police Department would still be
responsible for responding to criminal activity on the UI campus.

Assistant Police Chief David Duke said a private security company could
provide services like safety resources, such as providing building patrols
and safety escorts at night if someone were locked out of a dorm room.

Duke said the university used to employ a night watch, private security
entity in the 1990s. The police department worked closely with that entity
and would work in the same manner if another private security company was
chosen for the contract, he said.

"We do track campus calls, and the university campus is a very safe area,"
Duke said. "There is very little crime that occurs ... and we'll continue
to keep it that way."

If the contract is not renewed with the city of Moscow, the police
department could be greatly affected, Lehmitz said.

"That's a lot of money lost to city of Moscow," he said. "You are talking
personnel. You are talking projects. Somehow that money has to be found in
other places."

Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney said the city has a "strong and positive"
working relationship with the university.

She said she hopes UI President Duane Nellis' "good judgement prevails in
this matter."

"The university is in a tough spot right now, as are all higher education
facilities in state and nation," she said. "They are looking for ways to
make their fiscal ends meet. They are looking for ways to cut back where
they can, and I'm hoping that area is not in law enforcement and policing
on campus and around our community."

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Note to UI Prez Duane Nellis: You have already started on the wrong foot
by exercising sovereign power over all UI staff/faculty contracts, please
do NOT worsen things by cutting one of the few remaining ties between UI
and Moscow.

If so, perhaps the UI Board of Regents should renogtiate YOUR contract
with UI.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
UI '96

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown




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