40-S0076-24-CP258_Sole Source Form - Reunity Resources - 06.2024.pdf.PDF

2021 Sole Source Form

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

SOLE SOURCE REQUEST AND DETERMINATION FORM

A sole source determination is not effective until the sole source request for determination has been posted for thirty (30) calendar days without challenge, and subsequently approved in writing by the State Purchasing Agent or, for Professional Services Agreements, the Secretary of the General Services Department. The foregoing requirement is regardless of whether the sole source request for determination has been signed by the Agency and/or the Contractor.

I. Name of Agency: Santa Fe Public Schools

Agency Chief Procurement Officer: Marie Gutierrez

Telephone Number: 505-467-2010 Agency Contact for this request: Lucy Stanus Telephone Number & Email Address: 505-467-3443, lstanus@sfps.k12.nm.us

II. Name of prospective Contractor: Reunity Resources

SHARE Vendor Number (must be active): 0000143523 Address of prospective Contractor: 1000 Cordova Place #650, Santa Fe, NM 87505

Contact Name, Telephone Number and Email Address: Michael Ciano, 505-629-0836, tejinder@reunityresources.com Amount of prospective contract before tax: $59,005 Estimated tax amount (tax is subject to change):

Term of prospective contract: August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025

Note: For terms longer than one year, Request for Policy Exemption from DFA MUST be included.

III. Agency is required to state purpose/need of purchase and thoroughly list the services (scope of work), construction or items of tangible personal property of the prospective contract (if this is an amendment request to an existing contract, include current contract number issued by SPD):

Reunity Resources currently serves 22 Santa Fe Public Schools in the collection of daily cafeteria and kitchen food waste. They provide each school with two to four rolling carts, depending on the need of each site, and these carts are “traded out” twice a week by Reunity Resources. New, clean carts, with biodegradable bag liners are exchanged for the existing carts filled with food waste. This service is provided in conjunction with the schedule and customized needs of each of the 22 facilities, and may grow in the coming school year. Also, at the time of initial set up of the composting protocols at each site, Reunity Resources provides staff members to assist us in training site personnel and students. This training typically lasts 3 days, for 3 hours a day, and occurs at the beginning of each site’s adoption of a composting system for the school, to provide standardization and continuity.

IV. Provide a detailed explanation of the criteria developed and specified by the agency as necessary to perform and/or fulfill the contract and upon which the state agency reviewed available sources. (Do not use “technical jargon;” use plain English. Do not tailor the criteria simply to exclude other contractors if it is not rationally related to the purpose of the contract.)

In conjunction with Santa Fe Public Schools’ sustainability program, we are seeking to reduce our waste to landfill, and increase our recycling diversion rate. Approximately 40% of our school site waste is from the cafeteria, and consists mainly of food waste. We have several criteria that align with our program goals of energy and water use reduction, carbon footprint reduction, and waste avoidance, as well as food waste collection efficiency:

· Licensed by the City of Santa Fe to collect food waste (Ordinance driven)

· Regular, predictable food waste removal from site, complying with Health Code

· Educational support regarding compost process

· Training support regarding food waste collection

· Proximity to Santa Fe to reduce energy use and pollution in transport/collection

· Local processing of food waste to enable student interaction and product use

The second bullet listed eliminates the need to consider all other criteria, although the other criteria is important to us, as Reunity Resources is the only food waste hauler currently able to deliver the clean food waste carts, and remove the full carts, to and from every site.

V. Provide a detailed, sufficient explanation of the reasons, qualifications, proprietary rights or unique capabilities of the prospective contractor that makes the prospective contractor the one source capable of providing the required professional service, service, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property. (Please do not state the source is the “best” source or the “least costly” source. Those factors do not justify a “sole source.”)

As noted in section IV, Reunity Resources is the only food waste hauler currently able to deliver and pick up the food waste carts, to and from each site, on a scheduled and routine basis. Santa Fe Public Schools does not have the capacity to provide this service, and without it, would be unable to provide a food waste composting and waste reduction program to our schools. This valuable commodity would then end up in the landfill.

VI. Provide a detailed, sufficient explanation of how the professional service, service, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property is/are unique and how this uniqueness is substantially related to the intended purpose of the contract.

See answers to items IV and V.

VII. Explain why other similar professional services, services, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property cannot meet the intended purpose of the contract.

Since the original City of Santa Fe Contract with Reunity Resources to be the sole provider of this food waste to compost service, another local vendor has also been given the authorization to provide the composting component of the service. They do not however, provide the cart delivery and removal service essential to Santa Fe Public Schools. As noted in section IV and V, without the consistent drop off and removal of the food waste collection carts, SFPS would be unable to offer this program, which is an important piece of the waste to landfill reduction effort. SFPS does not have the current receptacles, or staffing, to be able to service the 22 schools, 40 plus food waste carts, and biweekly servicing needed to run the program efficiently, cleanly, and in compliance with health standards.

VIII. Provide a narrative description of the agency’s due diligence in determining the basis for the procurement, including procedures used by the agency to conduct a review of available sources such as researching trade publications, industry newsletters and the internet;;

contacting similar service providers; and reviewing the State Purchasing Divisions’ Statewide Price Agreements. Include a list of businesses contacted (do not state that no other businesses were contacted), date of contact, method of contact (telephone, mail, e-mail, other), and documentation demonstrating an explanation of why those businesses could not or would not, under any circumstances, perform the contract; or an explanation of why the agency has determined that no businesses other than the prospective contractor can perform the contract.

New Mexico Recycling Coalition: https://www.recyclenewmexico.com/resources/ -comprehensive resource and listing guide for recycling services in New Mexico. Reunity Resources is the only local provider of food waste collection services

Payne’s Soil Yard: 6037 Agua Fria, Santa Fe, NM, 505-424-0336

- runs the Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency’s green waste composting program, but green waste must be brought to the SFSWMA facility. No multi-site pick up available

Soilutions: 9008 Bates Road SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505-877-7220

- Soilutions will pick-up food waste locally in Albuquerque, but they do not offer this service in

Santa Fe. Considering Santa Fe Public Schools seeks to minimize carbon emissions, the number of schools being serviced twice weekly would require multiple vehicles to travel the 120 mile round-trip, negating much of the environmental benefit of the food waste to compost program.

google search: food waste composting, food waste collection in City/County of Santa Fe, NM

Certified by: Date:_6/27/2024

Agency Chief Procurement Officer

Agency Approval by: Date: ____________________

Cabinet Secretary/Agency or Entity Head or Designee

APPROVED: Date:____________________

State Purchasing Agent

If this sole source is being submitted by a governmental agency or governmental entity not under the final authority of the State Purchasing Agent, the State Purchasing Agent’s signature is not required. The signature line may be removed from this form or marked as N/A. Hard Copy Documentation for Courtesy Postings do not need to be submitted to SPD for approval.

mariegutierrez Inserted Text 6/27/2024

I. Name of Agency: Santa Fe Public Schools