This article governing purchasing procedures to be used by the City of Franklin is incorporated into the Administrative Code in accordance with §
C-29 of the City Charter.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-4]
A. The Purchasing Agent, as prescribed by §
C-29 of the City Charter, shall be, or shall be appointed by, the Manager.
B. The Purchasing Agent shall perform the following duties.
He or she shall:
(1) Receive all requests for supplies, materials and equipment
from the various departments.
(2) Receive and tabulate bids.
(3) Develop, distribute and expedite the use of whatever
forms may be required to centralize purchasing.
(4) Keep all department heads advised of matters relating
to purchasing and in particular coordinate the requisitioning of standard
items in order to take advantage of quantity prices.
(5) Keep all necessary records pertaining to purchasing.
(6) Perform all other related functions pertaining to purchasing.
[Amended 8-6-1990 by Ord. No. 90-6; 9-14-1998
by Ord. No. 98-4]
A. Requisitions.
(1) All equipment shall be requisitioned by department heads
by memo to the Purchasing Agent.
(2) Certain standard items used by more than one department
shall be determined by the Purchasing Agent and purchased at stated times
throughout the year in order to take advantage of quantity prices.
B. Competitive bidding.
(1) All purchases of new items in excess of $5,000, except
as otherwise herein provided, shall be by competitive bids wherever practical
unless a specific alternate method is approved by the City Manager.
(2) In purchases involving professional services where the
ethics of the profession prohibit bidding, the requirement of bidding shall
be waived.
(3) The City Manager must seek pre-award authorization from
the City Council when the procurement is expected to exceed $5,000 and is
to be awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in
response to a solicitation, except if there is public urgency or emergency.
(4) The Purchasing Agent may require whatever security he
or she deems necessary with any sealed bid.
(5) All bids, after they are received and tabulated, shall
be made a matter of record and shall be open for public inspection.
C. Preference for small and local area firms. The Purchasing
Agent will take all necessary steps to assure that small firms and local area
firms are used when possible.
D. Field purchases. Field purchases may be made by City
employees so authorized under the following conditions:
(1) Field purchases may be made only on field purchase order
forms provided and approved by the Purchasing Agent.
(2) The Purchasing Agent's copy of the field purchase
order shall always be turned in to the Finance Officer within 24 hours of
the time the purchase is made.
E. Exception to competitive bidding.
(1) In any case where it is clearly to the City's advantage
to contract without competitive bidding, the Manager may so authorize.
(2) All requests for bids shall specifically reserve the
right to reject any and all bids, and whenever purchases may be made on the
open market at lower cost than the bids submitted, the Purchasing Agent shall
reject all bids and purchase on the open market.