ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                                Date: October 5, 1995
                                                Dept. File No. H762-19

   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     General Manager of Engineering Services and 
             Manager of Purchasing Services

   SUBJECT:  Tender No. 39-95-07, Supply of Conventional Cab & Chassis


   RECOMMENDATION

        THAT Council accept  the bid  from Metro Motors  which offers  best
        value to  the City for six Ford LN7000 cabs  and chassis at a total
        cost of $277,500 ($46,000  each, plus $250 each for  optional front
        P.T.O),  plus the Provincial Sales  Tax, the 7%  Goods and Services
        Tax  (less  any  municipal  rebate  received)  and  the  Provincial
        Environmental  Levy,  subject to  a  contract  satisfactory to  the
        Director of Legal Services.

   COUNCIL POLICY

   The policy  of  Council  is  to award  contracts  for  the  purchase  of
   equipment,  supplies and services that will give the highest value based
   on quality, service and price, except where an allowance of a maximum of
   5% is given to those bidders whose tender reflects local content.

   Contracts with a value over $200,000 are referred to Council for award.

   DISCUSSION

   Tenders  for the above were opened on July  31, 1995 and referred to the
   General Manager  of Engineering Services  and the Manager  of Purchasing
   Services  for report.    The Provincial  Sales  Tax,  the 7%  Goods  and
   Services Tax  (less any  municipal rebate  received) and the  Provincial
   Environmental Levy are in addition  to all pricing shown in  this report
   and in the tabulation.  A copy of  the tabulation of bids is on file  in
   the  Purchasing Service's office.   Funds of $450,000  for this purchase
   are provided from the Truck Plant Account.

   This tender called for prices for conventional cabs and chassis.  Eleven
   bids  were received  from  eight suppliers  with prices  including front
   power-take-off option ranging  from $41,819.00 to $49,790.86 each.   Six
   cabs and chassis are required.


                                     - 2 -


   These trucks are  to be utilized  primarily as dump  trucks and as  snow
   plow and salter trucks during winter.

   Bids  1 to  3 for  a Ford  F800 cab  and chassis  are from  $2,007.28 to
   $4,431.00 each less than the recommended bid but do not offer best value
   to the City because the cab design has limited  headroom, the top of the
   windshield is low  and the  front hood is  high.  The  City has, in  the
   past, operated  other models  of truck with  the same  headroom and  low
   windshield.  This resulted in poor forward vision, especially at the top
   of the  glass not  cleaned by  the wipers  and when approaching  traffic
   lights.  As plow trucks, good visibility over the front hood is required
   during plowing and the high hood offered impedes this vision.

   Bid 4  for a GMC  TC7H042 cab and chassis  is $1,069 each  less than the
   recommended  bid but  suffers  the same  low  windshield and  high  hood
   problems of the first three bids.

   We  are, therefore, recommending acceptance of the bid from Metro Motors
   which  offers best  value  for six  Ford  LN7000 conventional  cabs  and
   chassis  at a total price of $277,500  ($46,000 each, plus $250 each for
   optional front P.T.O.).




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