[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Coxsackie 4-3-2000. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Every purchase to be made must be initially reviewed
to determine whether it is a purchase contract or a public works contract.
Once that determination is made, a good faith effort will be made
to determine whether it is known or can reasonably be expected that
the aggregate amount to be spent on the item of supply or service
is not subject to competitive bidding, taking into account past purchases
and the aggregate amount to be spent in a year. The following items
are not subject to competitive bidding pursuant to § 103
of the General Municipal Law: purchase contracts under $10,000 and
public works contracts under $20,000; emergency purchases; certain
municipal hospital purchases; goods purchased from correctional institutions;
purchases under state and County contracts; and surplus and secondhand
purchases from another governmental entity.
B.
The decision that a purchase is not subject to competitive
bidding will be documented, in writing, by the individual making the
purchase. This documentation may include written or verbal quotes
from vendors, a memo from the purchaser indicating how the decision
was arrived at, a copy of the contract indicating the source which
makes the item or service exempt, a memo from the purchaser detailing
the circumstances which led to an emergency purchase or any other
written documentation that is appropriate.
All goods and services will be secured by use of written requests for proposals, three written quotations, three verbal quotations or any other method that assures that goods will be purchased at the lowest price and that favoritism will be avoided, except in the following circumstances: purchase contracts over $10,000 and public works contracts over $20,000; goods purchased from agencies for the blind or severely handicapped pursuant to § 175-b of the State Finance Law; goods purchased from correctional institutions pursuant to § 186 of the Correction Law; purchases under state contracts pursuant to § 104 of the General Municipal Law; purchases under County contracts pursuant to § 103, Subdivision 3, of the General Municipal Law; or purchases pursuant to § 18-5 of this chapter.
A.
The following method of purchase will be used when
required by this policy in order to achieve the highest savings:
Estimated Amount of purchase contract>Method
| |
---|---|
$1 to $249>3 verbal quotations
| |
$250 to $2,999>3 written/fax quotations
| |
$3,000 to $9,999>3 written/fax
quotations or 3 written request for proposals
|
Estimated Amount of Public Works Contract>Method
| |
---|---|
$1 to $249>3 verbal quotations
| |
$250 to 4,999>3 written/fax quotations
| |
$5,000 to $19,999>3 written/fax quotations or
written request for proposals
|
B.
A good faith effort shall be made to obtain the required
number of proposals or quotations. If the purchaser is unable to obtain
the required number of proposals or quotations, the purchaser will
document the attempt made at obtaining the proposals. In no event
shall the failure to obtain the proposals be a bar to the procurement.
The individual or company must be chosen based on accountability,
reliability, responsibility, skill, education and training, judgment,
integrity and moral worth. Whenever possible, consideration shall
be given to local vendors subject to the Procurement Policy.
Documentation is required of each action taken
in connection with each procurement.
Documentation and an explanation is required
whenever a contract is awarded to other than the lowest responsible
offeror. This documentation will include an explanation of how the
award will achieve savings or how the offeror was not responsible.
A determination that the offeror is not responsible shall be made
by the purchaser and may not be challenged under any circumstances.
A.
Pursuant to General Municipal Law § 104-b,
Subdivision 2f, the procurement policy may contain circumstances when,
or types of procurement for which, in the sole discretion of the governing
body, the solicitation of alternative proposals or quotations will
not be in the best interest of the municipality. In the following
circumstances, it may not be in the best interests of the Village
of Coxsackie to solicit quotations or document the basis for not accepting
the lowest bid:
(1)
Professional services or services requiring special
technical skill, training or expertise.
(a)
The individual or company must be chosen based
on accountability, reliability, responsibility and moral worth. These
qualifications are not necessarily found in the individual or company
that offers the lowest price, and the nature of these services are
such that they do not readily lend themselves to competitive procurement
procedures.
(b)
In determining whether a service fits into this
category, the Board of Trustees shall take into consideration the
following guidelines: whether the services are subject to state licensing
or testing requirements; whether substantial formal education or training
is a prerequisite to the performances of the services; and whether
the services require a personal relationship between the individual
and the municipal officials. Professional or technical services shall
include but not be limited to the following; services of an attorney;
services of a physician; technical services or an engineer engaged
to prepare plans, maps and estimates; securing insurance coverage
and/or services of an insurance broker; services of a certified public
accountant; investment management services; printing services involving
extensive writing, editing or artwork; management of municipally owned
property; and computer software or programming services for customized
programs or services involved in substantial modification and customizing
of prepackaged software.
(2)
Emergency purchases pursuant to § 103, Subdivision
4, of the General Municipal Law. Due to the nature to this exception,
these goods or services must be purchased immediately and a delay
ignored to seek alternate proposals may threaten the life, health,
safety or welfare of the residents. This section does not preclude
alternate proposals if time permits.
(3)
Purchases of surplus and secondhand goods from any
source, alternate proposals are required. The Village of Coxsackie
is precluded from purchasing surplus and secondhand goods at auctions
or through specific advertised sources where the best prices are usually
obtained. It is also difficult to try to compare prices of used goods,
and a lower price may indicate an older product.
(4)
Goods or services under $250. The time and documentation
required to purchase through this policy may be, therefore, not in
the best interests of the taxpayer. In addition, it is not likely
that such de minimus contracts would be awarded based on favoritism.
(5)
Sole source situations.
(6)
Goods purchased from another governmental agency.
B.
Whenever possible, consideration shall be given to
local vendors subject to Procurement Policy.
This policy shall be reviewed by the Village
Board at its Organizational Meeting.