[CC 1985 § 2-366; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-132), 2-17-1981]
The City Clerk may prescribe and maintain such forms and procedures as necessary to expedite purchasing by the City.
[CC 1985 § 2-367; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-133), 2-17-1981; Ord. No. 6012 § 1, 8-6-1984; Ord. No. 6181 § 1, 7-21-1986; Ord. No. 6676 § 11, 2-1-1993]
A. 
The quantitative criteria for determining the degree of formality to be observed for each particular purchase by the City shall be as follows:
1. 
Purchases Under One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). Budgeted purchases under one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) may be made directly by the department heads without formality.
2. 
Purchases From One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) To Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00). For budgeted purchases from one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00), the City Administrator or department heads, without council approval, shall solicit at least three (3) bids, either in writing, by telephone, or both. The execution of the bid requirement should be documented on a prescribed form, which form shall include a statement from the Finance Director that the budgeted funds are available for immediate disbursement. The bids shall be submitted to the City Council for subsequent award of the contract of services to the lowest responsible bidder who submits a responsive bid which is most advantageous to the City (hereafter referred to as the "lowest responsible bidder").
3. 
Purchases Over Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00). Whenever any contemplated purchase or contract for services is for more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00), the City Council, by motion, or the City Administrator shall direct the City Clerk to solicit at least three (3) written sealed bids for the items or services. The City Council shall award the purchase or contract of services to the lowest responsible bidder.
4. 
Solicitation Of Bids. Whenever any contemplated purchase or contract for services requires solicitation for bids, the City Clerk, upon request of the City Administrator, a department head or by order of the City Council, shall cause to be published in no less than one (1) issue of a newspaper of general circulation in the City a notice inviting bids. The first such notice shall be published at least seven (7) days prior to the date set for the receipt of the bids. Such notice shall include a general description of the repairs or improvements and the time and place for opening bids. In addition, the City Clerk shall post a notice inviting bids in the City Administrator offices and may mail to all responsible prospective contractors for services performed a copy of the notice inserted in the newspaper as required in this subsection. This provision shall not apply to those cases in which bids are solicited by telephone as set forth in subsection (2) hereof.
5. 
Notwithstanding any provision of this Article V, bids may be opened and reviewed in public by a council committee, or by the City Administrator, City Clerk, and department head meeting together, and subsequently reported to the Council for its consideration and award.
6. 
Notwithstanding any provision of this article, the City Administrator may, with council approval, extend any contract for purchases or services awarded hereunder for the same or similar purchases or services by no more than fifty percent (50%) of the original contract amount.
[CC 1985 § 2-368; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-134), 2-17-1981]
A. 
A department head or the City Council shall not be precluded from applying more formal procedures in a particular situation than those called for under the prescribed requirements.
B. 
The following criteria for selection of the lowest responsible bidder shall be considered:
1. 
Responsibility of bidder:
a. 
The financial stability of the bidder;
b. 
The production capability of the bidder;
c. 
The ability of the bidder to deliver or perform on a timely basis;
d. 
The quality of past performance on contracts or services;
e. 
The principal place of business of the bidder.
2. 
Responsiveness of bidder:
a. 
The conformity of specifications, terms and conditions to those in the invitation of bids;
b. 
The absence of unilateral mistakes or obvious errors made in calculating or presenting figures;
c. 
The reasonableness of price.
[CC 1985 § 2-369; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-135), 2-17-1981]
A. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 140.020, purchases of items or services pursuant to this Chapter may be made which are not in conformity with Section 140.020 under the following circumstances:
1. 
Single Source Purchases. If there is only one acceptable vendor capable of furnishing a particular service or commodity, the City Council or department head may procure such service or commodity without bidding. The purchaser shall document the particular facts which make the item a single source purchase.
2. 
Emergency Purchases. Where an emergency situation requires immediate purchase of supplies or services and time is of the essence, the Mayor shall authorize the procurement of the supplies or services needed without bidding. The purchaser shall maintain a written record of the circumstances surrounding emergency purchases. All emergency purchases shall be documented and presented at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council.
3. 
Situations Calling For Competitive Negotiations. Where it can be demonstrated that the City receives the best value on a purchase through informal discussion and bargaining rather than through the conventional bidding process, the purchaser shall not be required to follow the conventional bidding process exclusively. Such purchases should be documented by the purchaser. Examples would include, but not be limited to, circumstances when time is a crucial factor, when the procurement involves high technology items or when there is obvious inherent economy in purchasing from a particular vendor.
4. 
Cooperative Purchasing. Established purchasing procedures should not apply to purchases made by, through or with the Division of Procurement of the State or any other governmental agency or unit with which the City is permitted to engage in cooperative purchasing.
5. 
Confidential Expenditures. Confidential expenditures, such as payments to informants, purchase of materials as evidence (such as narcotics) or other uses as may be required by law enforcement personnel working in an undercover capacity, cannot be subject to normal purchasing procedures. At such time as the circumstances require such expenditures to be made by the City, an imprest cash fund controlled by a bonded officer of the City should be established. All disbursements made from such fund should be approved by the Chief of Police and should be documented by written vouchers showing date, amount, nature of expenditure, signature of requesting officer or agent and approval of the Chief of Police.
6. 
Professional Services. Except by order of the City Council, this Chapter shall not apply to the acquisition of services of auditors, accountants, surveyors, registered professional engineers, land planners, consultants to the Mayor and City Council and attorneys-at-law providing legal services to the City and city employees and officers, both temporary and permanent.
[CC 1985 § 2-370; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-136), 2-17-1981; Ord. No. 6676 § 21, 2-1-1993]
Blanket authority not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) may be authorized by the Mayor to facilitate purchasing items on credit from local business.
[CC 1985 § 2-371; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-137), 2-17-1981]
The Mayor and a majority of the City Councilmen are hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this Chapter.
[CC 1985 § 2-372; Ord. No. 5670 § 1(13-138), 2-17-1981]
Nothing contained in this Chapter shall be construed to govern the purchase or acquisition of real estate, rights-of-way, easements, licenses or any other interest of land or negotiated tap-on agreements.
[CC 1985 § 2-373; Ord. No. 6678 § 4, 2-16-1993]
Notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter, the City may, without cause, reject any or all bids.