Borough of Chesilhurst, NJ Purchasing and Payment of Claims

Any department, agency, commission, committee, or board in the Borough government using supplies or procuring services as provided for in this chapter.

§ 80-3 Central Purchasing Center.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

There is hereby established in the Borough of Chesilhurst the Central Purchasing Center (CPC). The Chief Financial Officer is hereby designated as the Borough Purchasing Agent. The CPC Office will make sure that all departments obtain supplies, equipment, or other necessary goods or services needed in the various departments such as sanitation, buildings and grounds, and the police, in a timely and efficient manner.

§ 80-4 Powers and duties of Purchasing Agent.

The Purchasing Agent shall have general supervision of the purchasing of the Borough of Chesilhurst and shall coordinate all purchasing activities. The Purchasing Agent shall have the powers and duties prescribed by this chapter and comply with all state and federal laws regarding purchasing and public contracts.

The authority of the Purchasing Agent shall not include construction of buildings, street improvements, parks and other capital projects.

The Purchasing Agent shall act to procure for the Borough the highest quality in supplies and services at the least expense to the Borough.

§ 80-5 Requisitions.

The Borough Council shall, by resolution, designate the person(s) who shall prepare and sign requisition forms.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

Requisitions having an estimated value in excess of $500 shall be approved by the Mayor or President of Council.

Requisitions shall be completed and signed by the authorized person. Requisitions shall describe the items requested in sufficient detail to make them understandable to the Purchasing Agent and identifiable to the vendor and include a brief reason for the purchase. Requisitions shall include prices, if available; otherwise, estimated prices should be entered. Requisition forms will not be issued without prices. At least two quotations from vendor must be documented for any requisition that exceeds the limits stated in N.J.S.A. 40A:11-3 and be attached to the requisition. Requisitions shall be prepared in triplicate and submitted to the Purchasing Agent. The original will be attached to the first copy of the requisition form. The second copy will be filed alphabetically by the Purchasing Agent. The third copy will be retained by the using agency.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

All the departments should be given an ample supply of blank requisition forms.

[Added 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

The department head must sign off on these forms and forward them to the CPC Office by dropping them in the slot provided next to the sliding window located in front of the CPC Office. (The door of the CPC Office should always remain closed to minimize interruptions.)

[Added 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

At the end of the day, the day-to-day operations manager or his/her designee will review the completed requisition forms from all departments. Then, the approved requisition forms will be processed by the CPC Office, which should ensure that a processed requisition form is mailed by the second day, except where a quote or a bid is required, in which case it may take longer.

[Added 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

Where there is a contract between the Borough and a vendor, requisition forms will be provided to the vendor. At the end of any specified period, the vendor should submit the completed and signed requisition form(s) along with all the invoices for payment to the CPC Office.

[Added 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

No payment will be processed for any vendor without the prior approval of the day-to-day operations manager or his/her designee. All requests for payment shall be accompanied by all the necessary supporting documentation. Goods delivered to the Borough, such as oil, shall be properly accounted for and received by an appropriate official of the Borough.

[Added 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

To inquire about the status of any outstanding requisition or order, the department head or his/her designee should drop a short note in the slot. The CPC Office should provide an adequate response to all inquiries within a reasonable time.

[Added 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3[1]]

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed original Sec. 6, Purchase orders, and Sec. 7, Blanket purchase orders, which immediately followed this section.

§ 80-6 Purchases under $10.

A Borough employee may make purchases of $10 or less and be reimbursed by a direct payment voucher upon presentation of a sales receipt and in accordance with the Borough's process for payment of claims.

§ 80-7 Emergency purchases.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

In the case of an emergency, the department head should immediately contact the day-to-day operations manager or his/her designee for an approval to purchase a service, buy supplies or equipment, etc., in such case, the department head should write a report about the nature and details of the emergency and should forward this report to CPC Office. The CPC Office will make sure that the financial records reflect the business transactions which transpired at the time of the emergency.

§ 80-8 Purchases over amount stated in N.J.S.A. 40A:11-3. [1]

New Jersey law requires that individual purchases or annual cumulative purchases within a particular category of materials or services, which exceed a maximum amount stated in N.J.S.A. 40A:11-3 are to be advertised for public bidding under the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.).

A department with a category of purchases which is expected to exceed the maximum amount stated in N.J.S.A. 40A:11-3 shall so promptly inform the Purchasing Agent and assist in the preparation of specifications for public bidding, as necessary, under N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4 et seq.

[1]

Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

§ 80-9 Cooperative purchasing.

The Purchasing Agent shall have the authority to join with other units of government in cooperative purchase plans as stated in the Revised Statutes of New Jersey when the best interests of the Borough could be served thereby.

§ 80-10 Procedure for submission of claim.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

Any person claiming payment from the Borough of Chesilhurst shall first submit to the responsible executive agency a detailed statement of the items or demand necessitating such claim, specifying particularly how the bill or demand is made up, and a certification by the party claiming payment that it is correct. No bill, claim or demand shall be considered for payment unless the requisition form has attached to it or includes a certification from a designated Borough employee, having personal knowledge of the facts that the goods have been received by or the services rendered to the Borough of Chesilhurst, and that those services or goods are consistent with an existing contract or requisition form. The Purchasing Agent shall have the duty to audit, warrant and make recommendations on all claims and bills.

§ 80-11 Consideration by Council.

The bill or claim duly certified shall be presented to the Borough Clerk for inclusion in the proceedings of the next immediate formal meeting of the governing body, and it shall be the duty of the Clerk to examine all bills or claims submitted for payment in order to ascertain if proper administrative procedures have been followed. All claims or bills to be considered by the governing body shall be listed systematically and without preference, and said list shall be made available to every member of said governing body at least three days prior to formal action of that body.

§ 80-12 Approval or disapproval.

Claims shall be considered by the Council, which shall approve the same, except that said governing body may reject any claim presented to it, stating the reason for such rejection. Any disapproved claim shall be referred back to the Borough Clerk with such instructions as the governing body may give at the time of disapproval.

§ 80-13 Record of action.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

It shall be the duty of the Borough Clerk to record all claims in the official minutes indicating that the governing body has by formal action approved the same, with appropriate records as to any claims disapproved or rejected. All records pertaining to approved or disapproved bills or claims shall be available for public inspection.

§ 80-14 Disbursement by Purchasing Agent.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3; 11-10-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-7]

The Purchasing Agent shall make disbursement upon receipt of an order by the Borough Council, attested by the Borough Clerk. Where applicable, the Borough will provide all payments in accordance with the New Jersey Prompt Payment Law, N.J.S.A. 2A:30A-l et seq.

§ 80-15 Disbursement by Purchasing Agent for contracts involving improvements to real property.

[Added 11-10-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-7[1]]

If a contractor has performed in accordance with the provisions of a contract with the Borough and the billing for the work has been approved and certified by the Borough or the Borough's authorized approving agent, the Borough shall pay the amount due to the contractor for each periodic payment, final payment or retainage monies. If the billing is approved, said bill shall be paid to the contractor in the payment cycle following approval by the Borough's governing body.

If a subcontractor has performed in accordance with the provisions of its contract with the contractor and the work has been accepted by the Borough, the Borough's authorized approving agent, or the contractor, as applicable, and the parties have not otherwise agreed, in writing, the contractor shall pay to its Subcontractor within 10 calendar days of the receipt of each periodic payment, final payment or receipt of retainage monies, the full amount received for the work of the subcontractor based on the work completed or the services rendered under the applicable contract.

All contractors who submit proposals to the Borough for goods or services involving the improvement of real property shall provide a list of subcontractors with said proposal. Said contractors shall provide the Borough with written assurance, through a proposal and/or any subsequent agreement entered into with the Borough, that all identified subcontractors will be paid in accordance with the New Jersey Prompt Payment Law, N.J.S.A. 2A:30A-l et seq.

[1]

Editor’s Note: This ordinance also renumbered former § 80-15 as § 80-16.

§ 80-16 Preparation of checks; payment to claimant.

[Amended 3-9-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]

After the Clerk has certified that the claims have been approved, then he/she shall turn the same over to the Purchasing Agent who shall forthwith prepare the necessary checks for the payment thereof, which said checks shall be signed by the persons designated by resolution adopted by Borough Council. After preparing checks for the payment of claims, he/she shall record them in proper books of account and thereafter mail the checks to the claimants.