NOTICE OF PROPOSED SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Notice #: PAR132050

The Division of Contracts and Procurement has received a request to purchase from a “sole source” vendor. If, for any reason, any party does not agree that this sole source purchase is applicable, please email the contact person for Salt Lake County Contracts and Procurement Division prior to the “Comments Due Date:” indicated below:

Title: Dura Edge Baseball Infield Mix

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

Sole source procurement is appropriate when goods or services are only available from a single vendor; when the most important consideration is the standardization or compatibility of equipment, materials, technology, software accessories, replacement parts, or service; where transitional costs are unreasonable or cost prohibitive; or if it otherwise qualifies under County Ordinance 3.20.030.

Proposed Standardization Provider: Dura Edge

Notice Start Date: June 16, 2026

Comments Due Date/Time: June 23, 2026, before 1:00pm MDT

Estimated Costs: $50,000/year for 5 years ($250,000)

Contact Person: Matt Bass email address: mabass@saltlakecounty.gov

Materials Provided to Salt Lake County The County is a governmental entity subject to the Utah Governmental Records and Access Management Act (GRAMA), Utah Code Section 63G-2-101 et seq. All documents submitted in response to this RFI will be treated as protected records under GRAMA Section 63G-2-305(7). Please be advised that documents submitted in response to this RFI will become public records upon execution of a contract directly relating to the subject of this request or in the event the County does not enter into a contract which directly relates to the subject matter upon the expiration of two years from the date of issue of this RFI. Trade secrets and commercial information will not be disclosed provided that you have properly compiled with Utah Code Section 63G-2-305 and Utah Code Section 63G-2-309.

DO NOT RESPOND THROUGH UTAH PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PLACE

SEND COMMENTS DIRECTLY TO CONTACT PERSON!

http://library.municode.com/HTML/16602/level2/TIT3REFI_CH3.20PUPR.html#TIT3REFI_CH3.20PUPR_3.20.030PRNORECOPR

BACKGROUND

Explain in detail why the service or product is only available from a single supplier:

Our most recent purchase of infield mix from Rock Utah has proven to be unsuitable for our athletic field maintenance needs due to its high clay content. While the material initially performs adequately, it becomes extremely compacted as it dries, creating a hard, brick-like surface that is difficult to loosen and maintain. This increases labor requirements, reduces field playability, and makes routine maintenance more challenging. For many years, our athletic fields have successfully utilized an infield mix consisting of approximately 65% sand and 35% clay/silt. This blend provides the proper balance of stability, drainage, and ease of maintenance. The Dura Edge infield mix closely matches our established field specifications, with a composition of approximately 70% sand and 30% clay/silt. Because of its similar makeup, Dura Edge can be effectively blended with our existing infield material, allowing us to improve field conditions without the expense of a complete replacement.Using Dura Edge will provide several benefits, including improved workability, reduced maintenance labor, enhanced field performance, and lower overall costs by allowing us to amend and improve the current infield surface rather than remove and replace it entirely. For these reasons, Dura Edge is the most practical and cost-effective solution for maintaining safe, high-quality athletic fields.

Describe in detail what is unique about this product/service to justify a sole source:

Dura edge infield mix is the closest infield mix to our current mixture. Our current infield mix is about a 65% sand 35% silt/clay mixture. This mixture is a 70% sand and 30% silt/clay mixture. Making so mixing with our current infield mix will blend and keep the playing fields at a more consistent mix for maintenance.

Could the good or service be reasonably modified to allow for competition?

Explain in detail:

No, our old infield mix is no longer mixed through the company we used to order it from.

Other supplier of dirt are the wrong mix to add to our excising infield dirt.

Explain the market research performed to make the sole source recommendation:

I've reached out to other local cities and suppliers to explore our options. The majority of local cities are using Dura Edge, and the other suppliers we looked into offer mixes that are too clay-heavy and don't have enough sand to work properly with our equipment.

There are also no active state or county contracts in place to help fulfill this need.

Luckily Dura Edge has become even more available with the new Bee's Stadium nearby.

List the names of suppliers contacted, contact person and summary of their response:

RockOn, 801-569-2327, formally Rock Utah mix is red sand contains too much clay to mix.

Describe the existing equipment, goods, or services that this procurement item must be compatible with and explain why. Include the original purchase price and date of purchase if known:

The athletic fields currently contain an established infield mix consisting of approximately 65% sand and 35% clay/silt that has been developed and maintained over many years. Any new infield material must be compatible with this existing surface to ensure consistent playing characteristics, proper drainage, and manageable maintenance requirements. The Dura Edge infield mix, which contains approximately 70% sand and 30% clay/silt, closely matches the composition of our existing infield material and can be blended into the current surface without negatively affecting field performance. Alternative products with significantly higher clay content are not compatible with the existing infield mix and can create excessively hard, compacted surfaces that are difficult to maintain. We'd like to be able to purchase $50,000 annually to maintain our fields.

What is the remaining life expectancy of the existing equipment or goods?

Our fields are overdue for top dressing, which is required every four to five years. This has become a critical and immediate need. Going forward, we aim to implement a proactive rotation schedule, top dressing four or more fields (depending on the size of the fields) per year to ensure we don't fall behind again.

What procurement method was used to purchase the existing equipment, goods, or services (RFB, RFP, Sole Source, etc.)?

Originally top dressing was being provided from Geneva Rock, under contract 0000001800 (tied to a RFC). However we lacked the budget and labor to complete the fields and have not purchased from them in a number of years. We have contacted them but they are no longer making the mixture we need and have stated they will not make it for us. After this contract lapsed we tried another mixture from RockOn but it resulted in an issue with with not being able to work the fields. This was not able to fill the need for the correct ballfield mixture.

Describe the costs of transitioning to another vendor that are considered unreasonable or cost prohibitive. (These costs shall not include those of preparing for or engaging in a procurement process or negotiating/drafting a new contract.):

Selecting a vendor with a higher clay ratio would require a complete infield replacement, resulting in significantly greater material volume and cost. In contrast, supplementing our existing infield mix with Dura Edge is a more cost-effective solution, as it works with the material already in place rather than requiring a full replacement.

Explain the research performed to determine the cost of changing an existing provider of, or type of, procurement item:

We don't have an existing provider for infield mix. Our current mix was made by Geneva Rock, but they discontinued it a few years ago. We reached out to see if they would resume production, but they declined. There are also no active state or county contracts in place that could cover this need, so we'll need to identify a new source.