Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Mark Church, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Chief Elections Officer
Subject: Agreement with Kofile Technologies, Inc. for Archive Restoration, Preservation and Data Conversion Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) The President of the Board of Supervisors to waive the Request for Proposal Process; and
B) The President of the Board of Supervisors to execute an agreement with Kofile Technologies, Inc. for archive restoration, preservation and data conversion services, during the term of October 5, 2021, through October 4, 2022, in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000; and
C) The Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder or his designee to execute contract amendments and minor modifications not to exceed $25,000 (in aggregate) and/or modify the contract term and/or services within the current or revised fiscal provisions.
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BACKGROUND:
By statute, the County is tasked with the recordation, indexing, secure custody and preservation in perpetuity of official records (documents evidencing title to real property and other matters) and vital records (birth, death, and marriage). As part of that task, the Recorder must make determinations about what records should be preserved in original or electronic format to maintain an accurate historical record of the County. To ensure perpetual preservation of these records, we have previously created back-up copies of these records formatted as microfilms stored off-site and as in-house digital image files.
This county's archive of bound paper records includes nearly 10,400 volumes of historical records in their original bindings and some large-scale original maps. Most of the volumes are in poor or extremely poor condition, due to acid hydrolysis deterioration. pH testing found this acidic condition in official records books dating from 1856 through 1976 and in vital records dating through 2003. The acidified volumes are at risk of being lost if proper restoration and preservation measures are not taken soon.
DISCUSSION:
This one-year Agreement for $3,000,000 provides for Phase One of a planned multi-phase project to preserve historical County documents. Phase One encompasses 6,088 maps dating from approximately 1850 to 1910, and the installation of a secure, fire-resistant storage system at the 40 Tower Road facility for all archival Recorder documents. The document preservation work includes: (1) creating a log of the condition and location of each map; (2) cleaning, repairing and applying preservative-protective polyester film coatings; (3) repairing or replacing covers, bindings, and tabs; and (4) verifying and correcting volume titling, based on actual contents, (5) re-binding the volume, and (6) capturing and processing digital images of each volume. These irreplaceable documents are in extremely fragile condition due to the deterioration that naturally occurs with documents printed on acidic paper.
This project is envisioned as the opening stage of a comprehensive preservation program, which is projected to span several decades. However, the Department recognizes that in the future, as new technologies evolve, it may provide a basis to reassess the need for this project and its cost. This project is therefore designed to prioritize the County’s most significant and endangered historical documents. This project will ensure the survival of unique and historical materials and preserve the best image original for the application of future archiving technologies.
A waiver of the Request For Proposals process is requested because Kofile has participated in the California Department of General Services’ competitive process and was awarded California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) Contract Number GS-35F-275AA. The pricing in the proposed Agreement is the same as the pricing set forth in CMAS Contract Number GS-35F-275AA.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Agreement as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
These costs for the Kofile Preservation for Archive Restoration, Preservation and Data Conversion Services Project will be fully funded by the County Clerk-Recorder’s Modernization Trust Fund. There is no additional Net County Cost impact.