Paso Robles Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

All expenditures by the city for supplies, services, equipment and public works projects shall be made only in accordance with and pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

A purchasing control system for the city is hereby adopted in order:

a. To secure those items set out in Section 6.04.100 at the lowest possible cost commensurate with quality requirements;

b. To ensure effective financial control over expenditures;

c. To clearly define authority and accountability for the purchasing function;

d. To minimize the written documentation, administrative actions and expense of processing purchase transactions;

e. To assure the quality of purchases made on behalf of the city;

f. To facilitate accurate forecasting and planning of department needs and expenditures; and

g. To implement the city's fiscal policy.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

The city manager, or his designated representative(s), shall be the purchasing authority whose functions shall include the following powers and duties:

a. To develop and prescribe, for the departments, such administrative policies, forms and files as may be reasonably necessary for the internal management and operation of these purchasing procedures;

b. To purchase or contract for those items listed in Section 6.04.100 and required by departments in accordance with these purchasing procedures;

c. To negotiate, recommend and execute contracts for purchase of those items listed in Section 6.04.100;

d. To procure the needed quality in supplies, services, equipment and public works projects at minimum expense;

e. To ensure as full and open competition as possible on all purchases;

f. To set as a goal the consolidation of department orders for like items, ensuring quantity discount pricing whenever possible;

g. To develop and maintain department awareness of purchasing and pricing principles, marketing conditions and new products;

h. To inspect supplies and equipment delivered, as well as contractual services performed, to determine their conformance with the specifications set forth in the orders and contracts; and, in this connection, to have the authority to require chemical, physical or other tests of samples submitted with quotations or bids, or of delivery samplings, which may be necessary to determine quality and conformance with specifications;

i. To establish procedures for, and assign duties to, personnel engaged in receiving, storing and issuing purchased supplies, thereby ensuring that supply levels are consistent with usage requirements;

j. To facilitate the transfer of supplies and equipment among departments as needed;

k. Subject to relevant requirements of state law, to sell or exchange surplus supplies and equipment, provided that the same cannot reasonably be used by any department and;

l. To purchase thought the use of other government entities bids for goods and services.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

Pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the city manager shall approve and implement a manual of purchasing policies and procedures and shall make such manual available to the council for inspection.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

All departments shall expend money for those items set forth in Section 6.04.010 only in such manner, at such times, and by submission of such purchase documents, as the purchasing authority shall prescribe.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

Purchase of those items listed in Section 6.04.100 shall be by bid procedures as set forth in this chapter. Such procedures may be dispensed with, at the discretion and judgment of the purchasing authority as to the best interests of the city, as follows:

a. When the amount to be expended is less than the bid requirement amount which shall be specified by resolution of the council;

b. When an emergency requires that an order be placed with the nearest available source of supply;

c. When the item(s) to be purchased can be obtained from only one vendor or supplier;

d. When supplies or equipment have been uniformly adopted in the city or otherwise standardized;

e. When the purchase will be made cooperatively with one or more other units of government, or by use of another agency's bid procurement, provided it meets the standards established by this chapter;

f. When reasonably necessary for the preservation or protection of public peace, health, safety or welfare of persons or property; or

g. When, given the indeterminate nature of the city's need, a request for proposal will result in a more favorable and efficient comparison of supplies, equipment and/or services.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

A. A public works construction project, as defined in the Public Contract Code, meeting specific criteria for cost (currently one hundred thousand dollars on an ongoing basis, with case-by-case exceptions up to one hundred ten thousand dollars) may be performed by contract acquired by informal procedures as set forth in Section 22032, et seq., of the Public Contract Code.

B. A list of contractors shall be developed and maintained in accordance with the provisions of Section 22034 of the Public Contract Code and criteria promulgated from time to time by the California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission (Commission). Such list will be maintained by the public works director or designee.

C. When a public works construction project is to be performed which is subject to the provisions of this section, a notice inviting informal bids shall be mailed to all contractors for the category of work to be bid, as shown on the list developed in accordance with this section and to all construction trade journals as specified by the California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Commission in accordance with Section 22036 of the Public Contract Code. Additional contractors and/or construction trade journals may be notified at the discretion of the public works director, provided however;

1. If there is no list of qualified contractors maintained by the public works director for the public works director for the particular category of work to be performed, the notice inviting bids shall be sent only to the construction trade journals specified by the commission.

2. If the product or service is proprietary in nature such that it can be obtained only from a certain contractor or contractors, the notice inviting informal bids may be sent exclusively to such contractor or contractors.

D. Award of contract to the successful bidder (responsive, responsible low-bidder) will be executed in accordance with the purchasing manual, as described in Section 6.04.130.

(Ord. 831 N.S. § 1, 2002)

The restrictions and provisions of this chapter shall not apply to contracts involving the acquisition of professional or specialized services such as, but not limited to, those rendered by architects, attorneys, engineers, programmers, economists and other specialized consultants. Selection for such services will be made on the basis of qualifications and approved by the city council whenever the cost of the work to be performed is greater than the amount established by the city council by resolution in the city's purchasing procedures.

(Ord. 645 N.S. § 2 (part), 1992)

(Ord. No. 09-963 N.S. § 1, 11-17-2009; Ord. No. 1046 N.S., § 2, 12-19-2017)