Corcoran Municipal Code Ch. 9 Purchasing Policy

In order to establish efficient procedures for the purchase of supplies, services and equipment; to secure for the city supplies, services and equipment at the lowest possible cost commensurate with quality needed; to exercise positive financial control over purchases; to clearly define authority for the purchasing function; and to assure the quality of purchases, a purchasing policy is hereby adopted. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

A. Budgeted Supplies, Services And Equipment: Purchases of budgeted supplies, services and equipment in an amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) to one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) shall be made only by purchase order signed by the department head.

B. Supplies, Services And Equipment Not Budgeted: Purchase of supplies, services and equipment not contained in the annual budget in an amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) to one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) shall be made only by purchase order signed by the department head and the city manager or finance director. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

A. Budgeted Supplies, Services And Equipment: Purchases of budgeted supplies, services and equipment between one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) shall be preceded by obtaining no less than two (2) written quotations from separate vendors for compatible items. Such purchases shall be made by purchase order with the approval of the city manager.

B. Supplies, Services And Equipment Not Budgeted: Purchases of supplies, services and equipment not contained in the annual budget between one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) shall be with the approval of the city council after presenting no less than two (2) written quotations from separate vendors on comparable items. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

Except as otherwise provided herein, purchases and contracts for supplies, services and equipment of an estimated value greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) shall be by written contract with the lowest responsible bidder pursuant to the procedure described herein:

A. Notice Inviting Bids:

1. Notices inviting bids shall include a general description of the article(s) to be purchased and shall state where bid blanks and specifications may be secured and the time and place for opening bids.

2. Notice inviting bids shall be published at least ten (10) days before the date of opening of the bids. Notice shall be published at least twice, not less than five (5) days apart, in a newspaper of general circulation, printed and published in the city, or if there is none, it shall be posted in at least three (3) public places in the city that have been designated by ordinance as the places for posting public notices.

B. Bidder's Security: When deemed necessary, bidder's security may be prescribed in the public notices inviting bids. Bidders shall not be entitled to return of bid security upon refusal or failure to exercise the contract within ten (10) days after the notice of award of contract has been mailed, unless the city is responsible for the delay. The city council may, on refusal or failure of the successful bidder to execute the contract, award it to the next lowest responsible bidder. If the city council awards the contract to the next lowest responsible bidder, the amount of the lowest bidder's security shall be applied by the city to the difference between the low bid and the second lowest bid, and the surplus, if any, shall be returned to the lowest bidder.

C. Bid Opening Procedure: Sealed bids shall be submitted and shall be identified as bids on the envelope. Bids shall be opened in public at the time and place stated in the public notices. A tabulation of all bids received shall be open for public inspection during regular business hours for a period of not less than thirty (30) calendar days after the bid opening.

D. Rejection Of Bids: At its discretion, the city council may reject any and all bids presented. The city council may then readvertise for bids.

E. Award Of Contracts: Contracts shall be awarded by the city council to the lowest responsible bidder except as otherwise provided herein. The council shall have the right to waive any informality or minor irregularity in a bid.

F. Tie Bids: If two (2) or more bids received are for the same total amount or unit price, quality and service being equal, and if the public interest will not permit the delay of readvertising for bids, the city council may accept the one it chooses or accept the lowest bid made by negotiation with the tie bidders at the time of the bid opening.

G. Performance Bonds: The city council shall have authority to require a performance bond before entering a contract in such amount as it shall find reasonably necessary to protect the best interests of the city. If the city council requires a performance bond, the form and amount of the bond shall be described in the notice inviting bids. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

All departments shall submit to the finance director, at such time and in such form as he/she shall prescribe, reports showing all supplies and equipment which are no longer used or which have become obsolete or worn out. The finance director shall have authority to sell all supplies and equipment which cannot be used by any agency or which have become unsuitable for city use, or to exchange same for, or trade in the same on, new supplies and equipment. Sales of supplies and equipment with an estimated value of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or more shall be authorized by the city council. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

If two (2) or more quotations or bids received are for the same total amount or unit price, quality or service being equal, bids from firms located within the city shall be preferred over bids from firms located outside the city. In determining net costs to the city of a bid made by a local firm, consideration shall be given to the ultimate receipt of local sales tax by the city. An award may be made to a local firm even though the bid is not low if other cost considerations, such as ease of selection, pickup and delivery speed or service and maintenance, are sufficiently advantageous to justify buying from such local firm. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

An emergency exists when a need arises that could not be anticipated and that jeopardizes the health, safety or welfare of the public. Department heads are authorized to make needed purchases in these situations, within their budget authorization; needs in excess of that authorization must be approved by the city manager or his designee. (Ord. 498, 9-8-1992)

The purpose of this policy is to support the purchase of products that will minimize any negative environmental impacts of city work. The city of Corcoran recognizes that the purchasing decisions of city employees can make a difference in favor of environmental quality. The city prefers the purchase of environmentally preferable and recycled products whenever they perform satisfactorily and are available at a reasonable price.

A. Definitions:

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PRODUCTS: Products that have a lesser impact on human health and the environment when compared with competing products. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product.

PRACTICABLE: Sufficient in performance and available at a reasonable cost.

RECYCLED PRODUCTS: Products manufactured with waste material that has been recovered or diverted from solid waste.

B. Policies:

1. All personnel will purchase recycled and environmentally preferable products whenever practicable.

2. All imprinted letterhead paper, envelopes and business cards used by all departments shall be recycled paper and shall bear an imprint identifying the paper as recycled.

3. All departments shall ensure that the title page of each report printed or copied on recycled paper bears an imprint identifying the recycled content of the paper whenever practicable.

4. Departments shall use both sides of paper sheets whenever practicable.

5. The city of Corcoran shall promote the use of recycled and other environmentally preferable products by publicizing its procurement program.

C. Selected Environmental Products: All departments shall evaluate the following preferable products and purchase them whenever the evaluation is favorable:

• 1. Recycled paper and paper products;
• 2. Remanufactured laser printer toner cartridges;
• 3. Rerefined antifreeze;
• 4. Rerefined lubricating and hydraulic oils;
• 5. Recycled plastic outdoor wood substitutes;
• 6. Recrushed cement concrete aggregate and asphalt;

7. Cement and asphalt concrete containing glass cullet, recycled fiber, plastic, tire rubber or fly ash;

• 8. Remanufactured tires and products made from recycled tire rubber;
• 9. Compost;
• 10. Remanufactured paint;
• 11. Cleaning products with lowered toxicity;
• 12. Energy-saving products;
• 13. Waste-reduced products;
• 14. Water-saving products; and
• 15. Other products designated by each department.

D. Responsibilities Of All Departments: Each department shall:

1. Purchase recycled paper products whenever practicable;

2. Evaluate each designated product to determine the extent to which it may be practicably used by the department;

3. Develop and maintain information about environmentally preferable products and recycled products in addition to products listed in subsection C of this section;

4. Meet periodically with other city departments to report the progress of policy implementation including:

a. The results of product evaluations;

b. Information about additional environmentally preferable and recycled products procurement opportunities;

c. The status of efforts to maximize environmental purchasing; and

d. Total purchases of environmentally preferable products.

5. Ensure that contracts issued by the department require environmental purchasing whenever practicable.

E. Exemption: Nothing in this policy shall be construed as requiring the purchase of products that do not perform adequately or are not available at a reasonable price. (Ord. 546, 2-1-2000)