From:        Steven Sterne
To:           Commission-Public-Records
Cc:           Lisa Keeney
Subject:        Office Supply Procurement to be considered 11/24, Agenda Item 6f
Date:         Monday, November 23, 2015 11:59:00 AM
To the Commission; CEO Fick; Senior Director Caplan; Director Huey
Regarding: Potential Office Supply procurement under discussion on November 24

If I could be there tomorrow to provide this point of view in person, I would. However, we have a
meeting with another large customer, and it was scheduled before this agenda was published. Thank
you for considering my thoughts as presented in writing.

First, I want to commend Mr. Caplan and his team for addressing many of our previously stated
concerns. This new memo presents a far better approach to an office supply procurement than the
one presented a month ago. We are pleased to have been consulted and to have provided input of
value.

However, we remain confused about the proposal. The Port has an excellent contract that
establishes preference for Green procurement with Keeney's, a local, certified woman owned,
certified small vendor that received tremendous praise from Port administrators and employees.
This contract was negotiated by the City of Seattle, a larger entity than the Port  one that has 4 to 5
times the Port's buying power as a separate customer. Where is the evidence that an independent
procurement would result in lower prices than those the City negotiated some 8 years ago, with very
few price increases requested in the meantime?

Keeney's has a proven, documented track record of providing savings to the Port year after year, and
has proven to have greater pricing integrity than the vendors the Port used previously.

Keeney's has expressed a willingness to partner with Mr. Caplan and his team to phase in the
stockroom program described in the procurement under the current contract, so the Port can see if
it works and work out any bugs before the current contract expires in 2018. Why go through the risk
and expense of going out to bid now, when this easier and less costly path is available and will
answer all of the stated goals and advantages in the memo?

Sincerely,

Steven

Steven Sterne
General Manager
Keeney's Office Supply | Office Interiors
Phone: 425.869.7555 | Toll Free: 1.877.743.7252 | Fax: 425.556.1742
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