HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 12 - Veterinary Medical ServicesMEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRUNO RUMBELOW, CITY MANAGER
MEETING DATE: AUGUST 1, 2023
SUBJECT: VETERINARY CONTRACT FOR ANIMAL SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION: City Council to consider the award of an annual contract for veterinary
medical care from Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners, RSVP
Services, LLC. for the Police Animal Services Department.
FUNDING SOURCE: Funds are available in the General Fund (Police Department) for an
annual estimated amount of $200,000.
BACKGROUND: This purchase is for veterinary medical care services for the shelter
animals to be performed at the Animal Shelter, including sterilization,
vaccination, testing, examinations, procedures, medication, grooming, and
other surgical services.
This procurement of veterinary medical care of the shelter animals will be
made as a professional service purchase from RSVP Services, LLC in
accordance with Local Government Code Chapter 252, Subchapter B, §
252.022. General Exemptions (a) (4). Additional renewals will be based
on veterinary medical care performance of the vendor.
Staff recommends approval.
Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
Relief Services for
Veterinary Practitioners
SERVICE AGREEMENT
This service agreement (Agreement) is entered into this day of August, 2023 by and
between Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners, RSVP Services, LLC. (Dba RSVP), a
Texas corporation located at 2701 Hartlee Field Road, Denton, TX 76208, and the City of
Grapevine, a Texas municipal corporation, located at 200 South Main Street, Grapevine, TX
76051 (City).
DEFINITIONS
Fiscal Year —The City conducts business across a period of time identified as twelve (12)
consecutive months. The City's fiscal year is from October 1 to September 30.
City —The animal care facility located at 500 Shady Brook Drive, Grapevine, Texas, 76051, that
is owned and operated by the City and operated for the purpose of protecting the health, safety,
and welfare of domestic and wild animals in the community and those brought to the City.
Independent Contract Veterinarian(s)—A Licensed Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine (DVM)
under contract with RSVP, in good standing with the State Board of Veterinary Medicine and fully
authorized to practice all levels and/or types of veterinary medicine in the State of Texas in which
he/she wants to work Shift(s).
RSVP —Abbreviation for Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners.
RSVP Employee(s)—Any non -veterinarian member, including, but not limited to, receptionist(s),
manager(s), veterinary assistant(s), and/or veterinary technician(s), whose contact with the City
was initiated by/through RSVP.
Shift(s)—One or more temporary working arrangements, constituting a full or partial day
timeframe, in the City. Multiple days represents Shifts.
Saturday Shift(s)—Shift(s) that occur at/or during daytime operational hours at the City on a
Saturday and are defined as a minimum of five (5) hours with no expected lunch.
Weekday(s)—Defined as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Weekday Shift(s)—Shift(s) occur at/or during hours that are approximately from 0600 to 1800
hours and/or hours when employee(s) are working at the City. Weekday shift(s) are not to be
confused with the retail hours the City is open to the public.
RECITALS:
The City has a need to engage an Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP
Employee(s) for shift(s) with Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP Employee(s)
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
desiring to work shift(s).
RSVP desires to provide these services for the City pursuant to this Agreement.
The City desires to contract with RSVP to identify and schedule Independent Contract
Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP Employee(s) to work on shift(s) basis, as needed, or to hire an
Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP Employee(s) as a full-time or part-time
employee of RSVP.
DUTIES OF RSVP:
• Use its best efforts to identify an Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP
Employee(s) to fill shift(s) or permanent placement request that satisfy the criteria of the
City. No guarantee is made that RSVP will be successful in filling the requested shift(s)
or placement(s).
• Maintain an active profile on the City regarding Independent Contract Veterinarian(s)
preferences of the City.
• Collect and remit shift(s) fees to the Independent Contract Veterinarian.
• Ensure that Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) provided by RSVP will be properly
licensed by the State of Texas to practice all aspects of Veterinary Medicine and possess,
manage, and dispense, in accordance with State laws and professional regulations, all
forms of veterinary medication (over the counter, controlled substances, and/or all
regulated pharmaceuticals).
• Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP Employee(s) shall provide their own
professional liability insurance coverage.
• RSVP shall enroll as a vendor with the City of Grapevine, completing all required
documentation and shall remain, across the length of this service agreement, an approved
vendor with the City of Grapevine.
DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF THE CITY:
• Notify RSVP in advance, as reasonably as possible, of impending needs for shift(s) to be
filled.
• Notify RSVP in advance and in compliance with this Agreement when shift(s) are
eliminated or not needed.
• The City has the right to accept and/or refuse any Independent Contract Veterinarian(s)
and/or RSVP Employee(s) as they are presented by RSVP to fulfill the shift(s).
• Acceptance of RSVP's Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP Employee(s)
for specific shift(s) should occur within 24-hours to insure their availability.
• Cancellation provisions, as described below, do apply once acceptance has occurred.
TERM AND TERMINATION:
The initial term of this Agreement shall be for the period commencing on the later date signed by
one of the authorized parties and continue in effect for one (1) year. Thereafter, the Agreement
shall renew, automatically and on an annual basis, unless terminated by either party. Either party
may terminate this Agreement, at any time, by giving no less than thirty (30) days' prior written
notice to the other party. At any time while this Agreement is in effect, either party may terminate
the Agreement for cause, including insolvency and material breach, provided the non -defaulting
party gives the other party written notice detailing the nature of its material breach of the
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
Agreement. If the material breach remains uncured 30 days after notice to the breaching party,
or if the breach is of a nature that cannot reasonably be cured in such 30-day period and the
breaching party has failed to diligently commence and pursue actions necessary to cure the
breach, then the non -defaulting party may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing
written notice of the date of termination to the other party. Upon termination of this Agreement,
RSVP will return or dispose of the other party's Confidential Information in its possession or under
its control and the City will pay RSVP for all Services performed through the effective date of the
termination. Additionally, the City shall honor shift(s) scheduled prior to notice of termination
occurring during the 30-day period of notice, subject to the Cancelation Policy below.
FEES FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACT VETERINARIAN SHIFT(S):
• City will pay RSVP a predetermined fee per shift(s), due within ten (10) business days of
the completion of the shift(s), except where consecutive shift(s) are involved, in which case
compensation shall occur within five (5) business days of the last working day. Federal
and City recognized holidays are excluded from all calculation(s) of business days. Fees
for consecutive shift(s) extending beyond seven (7) business days shall be paid to RSVP
by the final business day of the following week.
• The City agrees to pay RSVP $1000.00 for a five (5), consecutive working hour period,
three (3) shifts per week, for an Independent Contract Veterinarian(s). This will be fifteen
(15) working hours per week.
• Shift(s) that exceed the hours defined above may be billed for additional hours worked at
an hourly rate not to exceed the hourly rate for normal working hours, by RSVP on a
rounded -up (fifteen (15) minute increments) hourly basis.
• Fees for Sunday, custom circumstances, emergency services, and night shifts will be
determined on an individual basis.
• Any dispute on charges or shift(s) shall be brought to the attention of RSVP and the City,
in writing, within ten (10) business days of the date of service being called into question.
If the issue is not brought to the attention of RSVP and/or the City within the ten (10)
business days, the service will be expected to be paid in full by the due date on the invoice.
• For purposes of recognizing a holiday for non -working day(s), RSVP and/or the
Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) shall utilize the eight (8) holidays recognized by the
City and in accordance with when the City authorizes non -working day(s):
o New Year's Day
o Memorial Day
o Independence Day
o Labor Day
o Thanksgiving Day
o Day After Thanksgiving
o Christmas Eve
o Christmas Day
FEES FOR RSVP EMPLOYEE SHIFT(S):
For other services, RSVP Employee(s) are billed by the hour, on a rounded -up (fifteen (15)
minute increments) hourly basis, with a 5-hour minimum per day.
The City agrees to pay RSVP $31.00 an hour for a veterinary technician. The City desires
to acquire a veterinary technician for thirty-two (32) working hours a week.
For purposes of recognizing a holiday for non -working day(s), RSVP shall utilize the eight
(8) holidays recognized by the City and in accordance with when the City authorizes the
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
non -working day(s):
o
New Year's Day
o
Memorial Day
o
Independence Day
o
Labor Day
o
Thanksgiving Day
o
Day After Thanksgiving
o
Christmas Eve
o
Christmas Day
Nothing in this service agreement prohibits the City from requesting additional RSVP
Employees, under the terms of this agreement. Billing costs for additional RSVP
employees, not described in this service agreement, are subject to assignment type.
HIRING RSVP EMPLOYEE(s):
In the event that the City of Grapevine desires to hire and/or hires, either directly or through a third
party, an RSVP Employee, during the terms of this agreement or within six (6) months of
termination of this agreement, independent of RSVP, RSVP shall be compensated with the
placement fee. Placement fees would be in the amount of $6,000.00 for a veterinarian technician
and/or $25,000.00 for a Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine (DVM).
This agreement applies to all personnel assigned from RSVP or those whose initial contact was
initiated by RSVP and the City of Grapevine, either verbally or in writing, and extends for a period
of 6 months beyond the most recent communication or contracting of RSVP personnel. Failure to
communicate this intention does not relieve the City of Grapevine of its commitment to pay the
RSVP the placement fee.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Cancellation of a scheduled RSVP Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or RSVP
Employee(s) shift(s) by the City shall be communicated at least ten (10) business days prior to
the scheduled shift(s) occurring.
If the City cancels shift(s) in less than ten (10) business days of the scheduled shift(s), a
cancellation charge of 20% of the shift(s) fee may be charged.
A cancellation made less than twenty-four (24) hours in advance of scheduled shift(s) may result
in a charge of no more than 50% of the service rate for the canceled shift(s).
GENERAL PROVISIONS:
1. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Texas.
2. Any litigation brought forth from this Agreement shall be litigated in Tarrant County, Texas.
3. In the event any action or suit is brought by either party by reason of any default or breach
of this contract by the other, then the non -defaulting party shall be entitled to recover from
the defaulting party all its costs and/or expenses of suit, including reasonable attorneys'
fees and costs.
4. An Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) scheduled by RSVP is not covered by RSVP
Workers' Compensation Insurance nor the City's Workers' Compensation Insurance, as
they are neither employees of RSVP nor the City. The Independent Contract
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
Veterinarian(s) shall be required to secure Workers' Compensation Insurance or like
coverage as determined by specific State laws. The Independent Contract Veterinarian(s)
shall provide RSVP and the City a copy of the Workers' Compensation Insurance or like
coverage before shift(s) may be scheduled (Professional Liability Insurance Trust
coverage).
5. RSVP will use its best efforts to supply an Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) and/or
RSVP Employee(s) that meet the needs of the City.
6. RSVP provides and maintains, at all times, during the term of this service agreement, an
accident policy covering all RSVP employee(s) (temporary technicians and receptionists).
7. RSVP provides and maintains, at all times during the term of the service agreement, a
Workers' Compensation Insurance policy covering all RSVP Employee(s) while RSVP
employee(s) are working shift(s) at the City. It shall be the responsibility of RSVP to pay
the premiums of and handle the administrative duties associated with this Workers'
Compensation Insurance policy for RSVP employee(s). RSVP shall provide the City a
copy of the Worker's Compensation Insurance policy for each RSVP employee assigned
to and working at the City.
8. RSVP reserves the right to propose changes and/or adjustments to any section of this
service agreement as deemed necessary by RSVP after notifying the City of proposed
changes, in written format, at least thirty (30) days before the proposed effective date of
the change.
9. Any proposed increase, by RSVP, of service cost(s) for the forthcoming fiscal year for the
City shall be submitted to the City no later than March 1 of each year, before the beginning
of a new fiscal year planning.
10. RSVP in no way guarantees the results or performance of its Independent Contract
Veterinarian(s).
11. RSVP shall guarantee that all training, licensing, certifications, etc. for RSVP employees
is adequate and current to the meet the needs of the City and to be, and remain, compliant
with legal standards, professional standards, and expectations, at no cost to the City.
12. Any compensation not paid after the expiration of 30 days from the completion of a shift(s)
shall be charged an interest at a rate of 1 % per month. Payment will be billed by and
payable to RSVP.
CONTRACT AGREEMENT:
I, the undersigned, do hereby acknowledge that it is the goal and practice of RSVP to provide the
City with qualified and professional staff. It is expressly understood and agreed upon that
Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) shall operate as an independent contractor, as to all rights
and privileges granted herein, and not as an agent, representative, or employee of the City.
Independent Contract Veterinarian(s) shall be liable and responsible for any and all property loss,
property damage, and/or bodily injury to person(s) and/or animal(s), including death, to the extent
caused by Independent Contractor's negligence, gross negligence, or intentional misconduct.
RSVP shall have the exclusive right to control the work of RSVP employee(s) and shall be solely
responsible for the negligent acts and/or omissions and/or willful misconduct of its employee(s).
RSVP acknowledges that the doctrine of respondent superior shall not apply as between the City,
its officers, agents, servants, employees, and RSVP and its RSVP Employee(s). RSVP further
agrees that nothing herein shall be construed as the creation of a partnership and/or joint
enterprise between the City and RSVP. It is further understood that the City shall in no way be
considered a Co -employer or Joint employer of RSVP or its RSVP Employee(s) and/or
Independent Contractor Veterinarian(s).
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
I acknowledge this Texas veterinary practice is owned by a licensed Texas veterinarian
and is in full compliance with the Texas Veterinary Practice Act. I accept responsibility to notify
RSVP immediately if this changes.
I acknowledge this entity is a non-profit/exempt from ownership by a Texas licensed
veterinarian and is in full compliance with the Texas Veterinary Practice Act. I accept responsibility
to notify RSVP immediately if this changes.
City of Grapevine Agent, City Manager Bruno Rumbelow
Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners, RSVP
ATTEST:
Tara Brooks, City Secretary
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Date:
Date:
Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
Relief Services for
Veterinary Practitioners
HOSPITAL EVALUATION
THIS EVALUATION IS DESIGNED TO HELP US PREPARE TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS
OF THE CITY. BY KNOWING THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS, RSVP WILL BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE THE CITY WITH THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING ON A TEMPORARY AND/OR
PERMANENT BASIS. THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED, SIGNED, AND RETURNED TO
RSVP BEFORE SERVICES CAN BE RENDERED.
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
CITY
500 SHADY BROOK DRIVE
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS 76051
PHONE:817-410-3370
OWNER:
CITY OF GRAPEVINE
BILLING ADDRESS:
CITY
500 SHADY BROOK DRIVE
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS 76051
FAX: 817-410-3057
CONTACT EMAIL:
KVALENTINE@GRAPEVINETEXAS.GOV
I acknowledge this entity is a non-profit/exempt from ownership by a Texas licensed
veterinarian and is in full compliance with the Texas Veterinary Practice Act. I accept
responsibility to notify RSVP immediately if this changes.
OFFICE MANAGER:
Kristina Valentine
CONTACT FOR ACCOUNTING
KRISTINA VALENTINE
PHONE:
817-410-3370
CITY HOURS:
EMAIL:
KVALENTINE(ci)GRAPEVINETEXAS.GOV
EMAIL:
KVALENTINE(d)GRAPEVINETEXAS.GOV
AFTER HOURS CONTACT PHONE:
817-223-5638
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sa
Pm CLOSED
DOCTOR HOURS:
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
am
pm
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
PRACTICE/FACILITY TYPE (CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY):
SMALL ANIMAL LARGE ANIMAL EMERGENCY NONPROFIT/SHELTER
VACCINE CLINIC EXOTICS EQUINE OTHER:
WHAT PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE ARE YOU USING?
PET POINT
WHO HANDLES AFTER HOURS PET EMERGENCIES?
KRISTINA VALENTINE; 817-223-5638
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT RSVP? BID RESPONSE
AT RSVP IT IS OUR IDE THE CITY WITH EXCELLENT CUSTOMER
SERVICE AND A VETERINARIAN THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE CITY AND EXCEEDS
THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE CITY. PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS SO
YOU MAY BE BETTER SERVED.
PLEASE RATE YOUR METHOD OF CONTACT IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE:
CLINIC PHONE
FAX
CELL PHONE
EMAIL
TEXT MESSAGE
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL RELIEFVETERINARIAN:
PLEASE RATE THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:
EFFICIENCY BEDSIDE MANNER
PERSONALITY PROGRESSIVE MEDICINE
COMPASSION PRODUCTION
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
SURGICAL SKILLS
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:
ENGLISH
SPANISH
OTHER
APPOINTMENT INTERVALS:
CLIENT SERVICE SKILLS
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
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Agreement, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners and City of Grapevine
IS SURGERY A REQUIREMENT? YES NO
IF YES, PLEASE EXPLAIN:
VETERINARY DRESS CODE:
BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR PRACTICE: (neighborhood, clientele, values, etc.)
PLEASE LIST ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR REQUIREMENTS BELOW:
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