[Adopted 4-21-1976 as Ord. No. 1763]
The President of the Board of Commissioners is hereby authorized to execute, on behalf of the Township of Lower Merion, a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with other Pennsylvania municipalities.
[Amended 12-21-1977 by Ord. No. 1809]
The purpose of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement is to enable the Township of Lower Merion, as it may choose to do from time to time, to jointly solicit and receive bids and enter into joint contracts with other Pennsylvania municipalities for the purchase and use of equipment, materials, supplies and services.
The objectives of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement are to enable the Township of Lower Merion to receive a larger number of bids for various contracts and, by means of high volume purchasing with other Pennsylvania municipalities, purchase and use equipment, materials, supplies and services at a lower cost.
The term of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement shall be perpetual, but any participating municipality can withdraw from the agreement at any time by giving all other participating municipalities at least 60 days' prior written notice of its intention to withdraw.
[Amended 12-21-1977 by Ord. No. 1809]
Each of the municipalities entering into the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement shall appoint one representative to serve on a committee, which shall be known as the "Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council," which shall advertise for bids and receive sealed bids for the purchase and use of equipment, materials, supplies and services for which any two or more participating municipalities may wish to jointly advertise. Thereafter, the Council shall determine and certify to each participating municipality the lowest responsible bidder. The Chairman of the Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council is hereby authorized to execute any particular joint contract on behalf of any participating municipality, so long as the Municipal Secretary of any such municipality first notifies, in writing, said Chairman that the governing body of any such municipality has formally resolved to enter into any particular joint contract. The participating municipalities may designate, by resolution, the Solicitor of any one of them to review for all of them all joint purchase agreements for legality of form and execution. The Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council shall make such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to conduct its business in accordance with the purposes of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement.
The cost of advertising and receipt of any particular bid shall be shared equally by those municipalities participating in any particular bid. All other costs properly incurred by the Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council shall be shared equally by all municipalities which have entered into the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement.
The Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council is hereby empowered to purchase, lease or accept donations of such real or personal property as is necessary to conduct its business, and it shall manage such property. The Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council is hereby empowered to dispose of any such property in conformance with law as it deems necessary, by written resolution.
The initial members of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement may be the Township of Lower Merion, the Township of Haverford and the Township of Radnor, all of which are political subdivisions within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These three municipalities shall each become members by adopting an ordinance pursuant to the requirements of Pennsylvania Act No. 180 of July 12, 1972,[1] and by thereafter executing the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement. Any other Pennsylvania municipality may become a member of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement upon the occurrence of the following acts in the following sequence:
A. 
Any municipality desiring membership shall submit a written request for membership to the Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council.
B. 
The Main Line Cooperative Purchasing Council shall accept or reject any application for membership by written resolution of the appointed representatives sitting thereon, all within 45 days after receipt of such application. Failure to act within the forty-five-day period shall be deemed to be a denial of the application.
C. 
The municipality seeking admission must adopt an ordinance pursuant to the requirements of Pennsylvania Act No. 180 of July 12, 1972.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. §§ 481 through 490.
D. 
The duly authorized official of the municipality seeking admission must execute the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. §§ 481 through 490.