Item - 2022.EC31.27

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommend that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Children's Services, to negotiate and execute a non-competitive contract with Louise Kool & Galt Limited for the supply of Community Playthings cots and storage dollies for the Toronto Early Learning and Child Care Services Programs in the amount of $434,589.05, net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($442,237.82, net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) for the contract period of (date of award) to December 31, 2025, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The purpose of the report is to request authority to enter into a non-competitive contract with Louise Kool & Galt Limited for the supply the Community Playthings brand cots and storage dollies in the amount of $434,589.05 net of Harmonized Sales Tax, for the date of award to December 31, 2025.

Louise Kool & Galt is the exclusive supplier of Community Playthings cots and storage dollies in Canada. Through research, we have found that this is the only cot on the market that offers vertical stacking ability. Cots are an essential piece of equipment in childcare centres. Historically at the City, cots were stacked horizontally. This presented an ergonomic hazard to Childcare Workers, as they are required to bend repetitively to stack and unstack cots.

Approval of this non-competitive contract will allow Children's Services to continue to provide ergonomically safe cots and storage dollies in our City owned Toronto Early Learning and Childcare Services locations in an effort to reduce musculoskeletal injuries.

This report also includes as information, purchases not previously reported that occurred during the period November 2018 to November 2021 inclusive, at a total value of $255,478.90 net of Harmonized Sales Tax.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195, Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Acting Chief Purchasing Officer's authority of the cumulative five year commitment limit for each vendor under Article 7, Section 195-7.3(D) of the Purchasing By-law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71, Financial Control, Section 71-11a.