S-44300-00018245 Final.pdf

SOLE-SOURCE DETERMINATION MEMO

FOR SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

Date: October 22, 2026 Sole source number: S-44300-00018245 (6346)

To: Kirk N. Rhoades, Designated Procurement Officer ODHS Office of Contracts & Procurement

Requestor: Jennifer Seamans Agency/division: Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, herein after referred to as “Agency” Program/office: Environmental Public Health Data & Epidemiology Unit Contract specialist: Heidi Tracy

Agency Sole source rule: Sole source authority:

OHA OAR 137-047-0275 ORS 413.033

Estimated total contract value: $49,950.00

1. Description of goods or services:

Following the recent resignation of a senior staff member, the Environmental Public Health's Data and Epidemiology Unit (D&E) currently lacks the staff capacity combined with institutional and program-specific knowledge to complete strategic planning and upcoming competitive proposals for renewal of federal funding in October 2026 and spring 2027.

A sole source contract with Water Insecurity Solutions LLC would provide consultation services to the Data and Epidemiology Unit to support the following time-sensitive objectives:

a. Expert consultative support for strategic planning and operational alignment.

Using existing program familiarity, the results of preliminary assessment work, and planned consultation with staff, support the development of a written strategic plan by the end of October. Assist in setting up internal systems to operationalize the strategic plan.

b. Grant proposal development. Provide strategic consultation, technical review, refinement, and coordination support for OHA’s contribution to the Occupational Public Health Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) response. Coordinate development of response to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, including work plan, evaluation plan, logic model and associated narrative.

2. Background: This sole source justification applies to the purchase of:

Consultation services in support of strategic planning, operations and grant application development for OHA’s occupational and environmental epidemiology programs, to commence upon execution of a contract and continue support through August 31, 2027, with a budget of $49,950.00.

OHA Environmental Public Health's Data & Epidemiology Unit (D&E) recently began strategic planning to support and coordinate programs and activities across the unit. A recent senior staff departure reduced unit capacity to coordinate and integrate staff and external contributions. Because this work spans organizational strategy, program development, evaluation, and competitive federal funding, temporary senior-level consulting support provides specialized expertise while avoiding the need for permanent staffing.

D&E expects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) related to the Oregon Occupational Public Health Program on or about October 30, 2026, with an anticipated 60-day response period that requires internal review to be completed by the end of November. Water Insecurity Solutions LLC support will incorporate available results from D&E strategic planning to inform strategic consultation on OHA program direction in the areas of occupational public health surveillance (data collection) and epidemiologic analysis. Support will include review of work plans, evaluation plans and logic models, technical review and refinement of OHA contributions, and coordination support.

D&E also expects CDC to release a NOFO in Q1 or Q2 of 2027 related to Oregon Tracking.

Water Insecurity Solutions LLC will support and coordinate Oregon Tracking Staff contributions to this effort. Support will incorporate available results from D&E strategic planning and include development of environmental epidemiology research aims, work plan, evaluation plan, logic model and various narrative elements.

The agency timeline and uncertainty in federal funding status make rehiring the staff position at this time unwise in terms of the 1) length of the hiring process, 2) onboarding to the level of program familiarity needed to support grant application development, and 3) possible changes to the funding award that could result in the need to lay off staff after the grant is awarded.

Water Insecurity Solutions LLC possesses expert knowledge of the programs supported by this contract. The principal consultant, Curtis Cude, previously held the D&E Unit manager role for over 16 years and served as Principal Investigator for the Occupational Public Health and EPH Tracking programs. Mr. Cude led the development of a total of 8 previous grant applications to the CDC programs in question. No other consultant could provide a higher level of familiarity with OHA’s Occupational Public Health Program and partners, specific application requirements of CDC’s Occupational Health Surveillance funding opportunity, and knowledge of OHA review and approval procedures. A competitive contracting process would result in delays that would negatively impact OHA’s timely development of a grant application and potentially jeopardize the future of the Occupational Public Health Program at OHA.

3. Prospective contractor/vendor:

Legal entity name: Water Insecurity Solutions LLC

DBA: N/A

Address: 6902 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97218 Contact person: Curtis Cude Phone: 971-394-3335 Email: Curtis.cude@waterinsecuritysolutions.com

Protests are due by 3:00 PM within seven calendar days after the first date the notice is posted on OregonBuys. Protests must be sent via mail, fax, email, or hand carried to the following address: Protests via telephone will not be accepted.

Oregon Health Authority Office of Contracts and Procurement ATTN: Heidi S. Tracy Address: 500 Summer Street NE, E-03, Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 971-372-0652 Fax: 503-378-4324 Email: heidi.s.tracy@odhsoha.oregon.gov

Agency reserves the right to expand the scope of Work, add additional phases or services of work beyond the initial term of the Contract, and to cover future time extensions of the Contract term, subject to funding being available.

4. Written findings of fact (market research):

The findings below must include factual information supporting the determination that meet the sole source requirement in statute.

Pursuant to ORS 279B.075, Agency must conduct market research that supports the assertion that there is only one source that can provide the goods or services. Market research includes utilization of the internet, trade journals, agency vendor lists, professional organizations, studies, catalogs/industrial periodicals, vendor sources, yellow pages, etc.

Agency must select at least one of the findings and prepare the determination as it specifically relates to the good or service being procured. More than one finding can be addressed. The findings are as follows:

Pursuant to ORS 279B.075 (2)(a): Provide findings supporting the determination that the efficient utilization of existing goods requires the acquisition of compatible goods or services from only one source. [Enter supporting documentation] or Pursuant to ORS 279B.075 (2)(b): Provide findings supporting the determination that the goods or services required for the exchange of software or data with other public or private agencies are available from only one source. [Enter supporting documentation] or Pursuant to ORS 279B.075 (2)(c): Provide findings supporting the determination that the goods or services are for use in a pilot or an experimental project. [Enter supporting documentation] or Pursuant to ORS 279B.075 (2)(d): Any other findings that support the conclusion that the goods or services are available from only one source.

The EPH Data & Epidemiology Unit completed the Buy Decision checklist to assess other preferred contracting options. ORS 190, Surplus Property, Oregon Forward Contractors, Inmate Labor, and DAS Price Agreements do not apply to the requested services. The proposed sole source contractor, Water Insecurity Solutions LLC is a COBID-certified ESB, OSBE, and VBE firm.

Water Insecurity Solutions LLC is positioned to provide the best value to OHA for the following reasons:

• The principal consultant, Curtis Cude, served as manager of the unit requesting services for 16 years, during which he also served as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator of the Occupational Public Health and EPH Tracking programs and was responsible for setting the occupational and environmental epidemiology strategy for the agency;

• Curtis has experience leading the development and submission of 4 previous Occupational Public Health grant applications and 4 previous EPH Tracking grant applications. It would not be possible for another person to have a higher level of expertise responding to CDC Notices of Funding Opportunity for the programs in question;

• Given this institutional history, Curtis is well equipped to provide consultation on what aspects of OHA program strategy have been successful in the past and inform the development of program strategies for the next 5-year funding cycles that build on those successes.

Additionally, we conducted a search to identify potential contractors equipped to deliver the services requested on the statement of work. The following search for “Oregon contractor strategic planning grant development occupational environmental epidemiology” did not yield the names of any consulting firms with required knowledge or expertise. While some of the search results list organizations who are partners in other EPH programs, they do not have familiarity with the Occupational Public Health/EPH Tracking programs and do not provide the type of services requested:

https://www.google.com/search?q=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+develop ment+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&oq=oregon+contractor+strategic+plann ing+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKg YIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgYIAhBFGEAyCAgDEOkHGPxV0gEJMjk5OTVqMGo3 qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on

Another search result for "environmental public health consultants Oregon" returns results that are mostly focused on industrial hygienists – note that this is a different type of subject matter consulting that does not apply to the surveillance and epidemiology functions of the Occupational Public Health program:

https://www.google.com/search?q=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&oq= environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBC Dk4MTZqMGo0qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#ip=1

APPROVED:

By:

Signed by DPO electronically via OregonBuys Kirk N. Rhoades or acting DPO https://www.google.com/search?q=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&oq=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgYIAhBFGEAyCAgDEOkHGPxV0gEJMjk5OTVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on https://www.google.com/search?q=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&oq=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgYIAhBFGEAyCAgDEOkHGPxV0gEJMjk5OTVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on https://www.google.com/search?q=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&oq=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgYIAhBFGEAyCAgDEOkHGPxV0gEJMjk5OTVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on https://www.google.com/search?q=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&oq=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgYIAhBFGEAyCAgDEOkHGPxV0gEJMjk5OTVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on https://www.google.com/search?q=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&oq=oregon+contractor+strategic+planning+grant+development+occupational+environmental+epidemiology&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMgYIAhBFGEAyCAgDEOkHGPxV0gEJMjk5OTVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on https://www.google.com/search?q=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&oq=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDk4MTZqMGo0qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#ip=1 https://www.google.com/search?q=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&oq=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDk4MTZqMGo0qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#ip=1 https://www.google.com/search?q=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&oq=environmental+public+health+consultants+oregon&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDk4MTZqMGo0qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#ip=1