[Ord. No. 3641, 3-20-2023]
Items in this range may be purchased by City departments and the department head without prior approval from the Finance Department and City Administrator. Department heads must approve purchase and funds must be available in the budget. All City employees shall perform reasonable due diligence to ensure that all products and services required by the City are purchased at reasonable costs, but purchases made pursuant to this Section shall not require a specified number of bids or quotes.
[Ord. No. 3641, 3-20-2023]
The department head, Assistant City Administrator and City Administrator must approve the purchase prior to order and funds must be available in the budget. Competitive quotes, unless the City Administrator determines that they should not be required, shall be solicited in writing or by telephone from at least three (3) vendors. Failure of a vendor to respond to a solicitation shall not invalidate a legitimate solicitation by the City in calculating solicitations made. If the City Administrator determines that competitive quotes should not be required, the City Administrator shall document the reason giving rise to that determination. Acceptable reasons for not soliciting competitive bids, include, but are not limited to, replacement of like for like products or services when the approximate cost is within the reasonable range of industry standard, availability of products or services through a qualified current or previous vendor, and the cost-benefit analysis of expediency in procurement relative to the cost of the products or services to be procured. Quote information received and solicitation attempts made will be tabulated and made part of the invoice records, as well as record of prior required City approvals.
[Ord. No. 3641, 3-20-2023; Ord. No. 3749, 11-3-2025]
The department head, Assistant City Administrator, and City Administrator must approve the purchase prior to order and funds must be available in the budget. Competitive quotes are required and shall be obtained in writing or by telephone from at least three (3) vendors. If the City has not received three (3) competitive quotes for a given product or service after good faith solicitations for competitive quotes are made to at least ten (10) prospective vendors or good faith advertisement of a request for proposals or an invitation to bid, the City may proceed with the purchase despite receiving fewer than three (3) quotes. Quote information received and solicitation attempts made will be tabulated and made part of the invoice records, as well as record of prior required City approvals.
[Ord. No. 3641, 3-20-2023; Ord. No. 3749, 11-3-2025]
A. 
The award of contracts and purchases over fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) must be approved by the Board of Aldermen unless such contract or purchase is already approved in the adopted budget for the current fiscal year. The City Administrator shall notify the Board of Aldermen of all contracts or purchases that meet these criteria monthly. In all cases, funds must be available in the budget or necessary budget amendments must be presented in conjunction with approval of purchase.
B. 
The following procedures apply to Level 4 purchases:
1. 
Written notification to current supplier/vendor if services are being solicited.
2. 
Advertisement shall be placed:
a. 
In the City's newspaper of record.
b. 
On Cooperative Purchase websites if applicable.
c. 
On the City website.
3. 
Bid solicitations shall state whether the request is for sealed bids or competitive proposals or quotes.
4. 
A specific due date and time shall be provided. Any bids/proposals received after such date and time will not be accepted.
5. 
All bids must be received sealed and upon receipt shall be date and time stamped and initialed by City staff.
6. 
All bids will be publicly opened with at least two (2) City staff members present.
7. 
After the opening, the City Clerk shall tabulate and certify all bids received. Any bid from the lowest and best responsible bidder, that is for an amount equal to or under what the City's current budget allows for the item put out to bid can be approved solely by the City Administrator.
8. 
When deemed necessary by the City Administrator or when requested by a using agency or when directed by the City Attorney, bid deposits shall be prescribed in inviting bids. An unsuccessful bidder shall be entitled to return of any surety required. A successful bidder shall forfeit any surety required upon failure on the bidder's part to enter a contract within ten (10) days after the award and the invitation to bid shall so state.
C. 
As a requirement to be considered for selection, Level 4 bids, except material or supply only invitations to bids, shall include the following:
1. 
As applicable by State or Federal regulations, the current prevailing wage determination shall be included in the bid documents, whether prepared by City staff or a consultant and notation made of the wage determination's applicability to the project.
2. 
A bid bond for five percent (5%) of the base bid must be included with the bid.
3. 
A one hundred percent (100%) payment and performance bond shall be provided with the signed contract.
4. 
Proof of general liability insurance in the amount of two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) and workers' compensation as required shall be provided. The City shall be named as an "other insured" on the binder.