HomeMy WebLinkAbout25C - AGMT MERCHANT PAYMENT SRVSREQUEST FOR
COUNCIL ACTION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE:
JUNE 6, 2017
TITLE:
THIRD AMENDED AGREEMENT FOR
MERCHANT PAYMENT SERVICES WITH
TRANSFIRST, LLC
(STRATEGIC PLAN NO. 4, 1; 7, 5F)
/ o
CITY ANAGER
RECOMMENDED ACTION
CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY:
APPROVED
❑ As Recommended
❑ As Amended
❑ Ordinance on 1" Reading
❑ Ordinance on 2ntl Reading
❑ Implementing Resolution
❑ Set Public Hearing For
CONTINUED TO
FILE NUMBER
Authorize the City Manager and Clerk of the Council to execute a third amended agreement
with TransFirst, LLC for a one year extension of TransFirst, LLC's existing cashiering credit
card merchant payment services agreement, effective July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, for
an amount not to exceed $165,000 subject to non -substantive changes approved by the City
Manager and City Attorney.
2. Authorize City staff to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for integrated cashiering
merchant payment processing before December 31, 2017.
DISCUSSION
The Treasury & Customer Service Division of the Finance and Management Services Agency
("Treasury") is responsible for maintaining all monetary transactions related to City services.
Currently, customers may utilize a credit card to pay City assessed taxes, permits, fees, fines
and other monies due to the City. Acceptance of a credit card as payment involves utilizing a
merchant payment processor such as TransFirst, LLC ("Trans First"). TransFirst presents credit
card payments on behalf of all City facilities integrated into the citywide cashiering system.
In March 2012, City Council authorized a moratorium on the imposition of City credit card
processing fees in order to promote electronic payments by customers. In seeking to reduce
associated costs to the City, Treasury, in March 2013, approached the City's cashiering merchant
payment processor, TransFirst, and negotiated a reduction in the TransFirst discount fee from
1.5% to 0% resulting in a savings of over $55,000. TransFirst agreed to maintain the reduced
rate for the life of its agreement with the City. Thereafter, in lieu of releasing an RFP for
continuing merchant payment processing services, City Council, in June 2013, instead authorized
a three-year agreement with Vizant Technologies, LLC, ("Vizant") ending December 2016, for
continuous credit card processing costs reduction analysis.
25C-1
Third Amended Agreement for Merchant Payment
Services with TransFirst, LLC
June 6, 2017
Page 2
This agreement with Vizant was entered into in recognition of the highly commoditized nature of
credit card merchant payment processing, services in which price, among competent service
suppliers, is typically the primary component of the selection process. The agreement authorized
Vizant to lead a City RFP in the event their analysis indicated a potentially realizable long-term
savings by re -bidding credit card merchant processing services. During the term of this
agreement Vizant's continuous analyzes indicated that no long-term net costs savings could be
realized when comparing potential competing providers against TransFirst's reduced credit card
merchant payment processing rate.
On that basis, City Council in June 2015, approved a First Amended Agreement with TransFirst
(Agreement #A-2015-117) to extend the term of the existing agreement with TransFirst
(Agreement #A-2014-071) through June 30, 2016 with a further option exercisable by the City
Manager to extend the agreement by letter for one additional year from July 1, 2016 through
June 30, 2017. The First Amended Agreement included an annual 'expenditure cap of
$95,000. However, due to the rapid growth in credit card payments made by residents and
businesses, both in terms of number of transactions and sales volume, staff anticipated that
the annual cap might be exceeded. As such, on June 21, 2016, the annual cap amount was
increased to $165,000 per year via a Second Amended Agreement (Agreement #A-2014-148).
On June 27, 2016, the City exercised its option to extend the underlying TransFirst agreement to
June 30, 2017.
Subsequently, in February 2017, the Police Department replaced its parking citation processor,
Phoenix Group, with a new processor, Data Ticket, Inc. (Agreement #A-2017-026) requiring an
upgraded integration with the City's city-wide cashiering system and payment kiosk for which
TransFirst is incorporated as credit card merchant processor. Therefore, staff recommends
extending TransFirst's contract for one additional year to allow the City time to fully assess the
upgraded functionality of the system prior to issuing an RFP before December 31, 2017, in
connection with future merchant payment services commencing July 1, 2018.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Approval of this item assists the City in meeting Goal #4 City Financial Stability, Objective #1
(maintain a stable, efficient and transparent financial environment) and Goal #7 - Team
Santa Ana, Objective #5F (explore opportunities to engage with outside agencies, both
private and public, to share information and increase efficiencies).
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds up to the annual amount of $165,000 in account no. (various -62300) are budgeted and
available, upon Council approval for FY 2017-18 on an allocated basis in various departmental
accounts.
25C-2
Third Amended Agreement for Merchant Payment
Services with TransFirst, LLC
June 6, 2017
Page 3
APPROVED AS TO FUNDS AND ACCOUNT:
l�hS�t� y r
Francisco Gutierrez,
Executive Director
Finance and Management Services Agency
EXHIBIT: 1. Third Amended Agreement
F -Al CAVAM
25C-3
25C-4
EXHIBIT 1
THIRD AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT
THIS THIRD AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT, is entered into on this 60' day
of June 2017, by and between TransFirst, LLC, (hereinafter "Consultant"), and the City
of Santa Ana, a charter city and municipal corporation organized and existing under the
Constitution and laws of the State of California (hereinafter "City").
RECITALS:
A. The parties entered into a payment processing service agreement (Agreement 4A-
2014-071) dated April 18, 2014 (hereinafter "said Agreement") by which Consultant
has provided payment processing services to the City.
B. The parties subsequently entered into a First Amendment to said Agreement (A-2015-
117) on June 17, 2015 to increase the Compensation and Term of said Agreement.
C. The parties subsequently entered into a Second Amendment to said Agreement (A-
2016-148) on June 21, 2016 to increase the Compensation of said Agreement.
D. In accordance with the terms and conditions of said Agreement, the parties wish to
amend the Term of said Agreement to provide for a one (1) year extension beginning
July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018.
E. The parties also wish to amend and add Compensation for the extended Term.
WHEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants contained in said Agreement, and
subject to all the terms and conditions of said Agreement, except those amended in the
aforementioned First and Second Amendments to said Agreement, the parties agree as
follows:
1. The parties hereto now desire to amend Section 3. of said Agreement (TERM). This
Third Amendment to Agreement shall commence on July 1, 2017 and terminate on
June 30, 2018, or unless terminated earlier in accordance with Section 12 of said
Agreement.
2. The parties hereto now desire to amend Section 2. of said Agreement
(COMPENSATION) to extend the increase in annual compensation agreed to by the
parties pursuant to the Second Amendment to Agreement to include the one (1) year
extended term of this Third Amendment to Agreement. The total sum to be
expended under the amended term of said Agreement shall not exceed $165,000.
3. This Third Amendment to said Agreement must be signed below and may be signed
in counterpart and delivered by fax, emailed as a PDF (Portable Document Format)
file attachment, or by other means that displays the original or a copy of the
signatures. Any subsequent amendments may be signed and delivered in the same
manner.
1
25C-5
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Third Amendment to
Agreement on the date and year first written above.
ATTEST: CITY OF SANTA ANA
MARIA D. HUIZAR CYNTHIA J. KURTZ
Clerk of the Council Interim City Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
SONIA R. CARVALHO
City Attorney
Lisa Storek
Assistant City Attorney
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL: TRANSFIRST, LLC.
Francisco Gutierrez, Execrative Director
Finance & Management Services Agency
3
25C-6
Name:
Title:
Tax ID#