Chapter 3.76
PURCHASING POLICIES

Sections:

3.76.010    Purchase of materials, supplies or equipment not connected to a public works project in an amount of seven thousand five hundred dollars or less.

3.76.020    Purchase of materials, supplies or equipment not connected to a public works project in an amount between seven thousand five hundred dollars and fifteen thousand dollars.

3.76.030    Purchase of materials, supplies or equipment not connected to a public works project in an amount of fifteen thousand dollars or more.

3.76.010 Purchase of materials, supplies or equipment not connected to a public works project in an amount of seven thousand five hundred dollars or less.

The city is not required to use informal or formal sealed bidding procedures or the procedures set forth in this chapter to purchase materials, supplies, or equipment not connected to a public works project where the cost of the same will not exceed seven thousand five hundred dollars. The city will attempt to obtain the lowest practical price for such goods and services. (Ord. 1650-09 § 1 (part), 2009)

3.76.020 Purchase of materials, supplies or equipment not connected to a public works project in an amount between seven thousand five hundred dollars and fifteen thousand dollars.

A.    Publication of Notice. At least twice a year, the city shall publish, in the city’s official newspaper, notice of the existence of a roster(s) of vendors for materials, supplies, and equipment, and shall solicit names of vendors for the roster.

B.    Electronic Rosters. In addition to paper and/or electronic vendor lists kept on file in the appropriate department, the city may also use that statewide electronic database developed and maintained jointly by the Daily Journal of Commerce and the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington.

C.    Telephone Quotations. The city shall use the following process to obtain telephone quotations from vendors for the purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment:

1.    A written description shall be drafted of the specific materials, supplies, or equipment to be purchased, including the number, quantity, quality, and type desired, the proposed delivery date, and any other significant terms of purchase;

2.    A city representative shall make a good faith effort to contact at least three of the vendors on the roster to obtain telephone solicitation quotations from the vendors for the required materials, supplies, or equipment;

3.    The city representative shall not share telephone quotation from one vendor with other vendors solicited for the bid on the materials, supplies, or equipment;

4.    A written record shall be made by the city representative of each vendor’s bid on the material, supplies, or equipment, and of any conditions imposed on the bid by such vendor;

5.    The city representative shall present to the city council (unless purchase may be approved under Chapter 2.104) all telephone quotations and a recommendation for award of the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

D.    Determining the Lowest Responsible Bidder. The city shall purchase the materials, supplies or equipment from the lowest responsible bidder (RCW 43.19.1911(9)); provided, that whenever there is reason to believe that the lowest acceptable bid is not the best price obtainable, all bids may be rejected and the city may call for new bids. The city, in determining the lowest responsible bidder, may take into consideration the following factors. RCW 43.19.1911(9) states:

In determining “lowest responsible bidder”, in addition to price, the following elements shall be given consideration:

(a) The ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to perform the contract or provide the service required;

(b) The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the bidder;

(c) Whether the bidder can perform the contract within the time specified;

(d) The quality of performance of previous contracts or services;

(e) The previous and existing compliance by the bidder with laws relating to the contract or services;

(f) Such other information as may be secured having a bearing on the decision to award the contract:

PROVIDED, That in considering bids for purchase, manufacture, or lease, and in determining the “lowest responsible bidder,” whenever there is reason to believe that applying the “life cycle costing” technique to bid evaluation would result in lowest total cost to the state, first consideration shall be given by state purchasing activities to the bid with the lowest life cycle cost which complies with specifications. “Life cycle cost” means the total cost of an item to the state over its estimated useful life, including costs of selection, acquisition, operation, maintenance, and where applicable, disposal, as far as these costs can reasonably be determined, minus the salvage value at the end of its estimated useful life. The “estimated useful life” of an item means the estimated time from the date of acquisition to the date of replacement or disposal, determined in any reasonable manner. Nothing in this section shall prohibit any state agency, department, board, commission, committee, or other state-level entity from allowing for preferential purchase of products made from recycled materials or products that may be recycled or reused.

E.    Award. The city council shall review quotations and recommendation by city staff and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder; provided, that for contracts under ten thousand dollars, the provisions of Chapter 2.104 shall apply. A written record of each vendor’s quotations shall be made open to public inspection or telephone inquiry after the award of the contract. Any contract awarded under this subsection need not be advertised.

F.    Posting. A list of all contracts awarded under these procedures shall be posted at city main administrative offices once every two months. The list shall contain the name of the vendor awarded the contract, the amount of the contract, a brief description of the items purchased, and the date it was awarded. Posting on the city’s website satisfies this requirement. (Ord. 1650-09 § 1 (part), 2009)

3.76.030 Purchase of materials, supplies or equipment not connected to a public works project in an amount of fifteen thousand dollars or more.

The city is required to use formal sealed bidding procedures to purchase materials, supplies, or equipment not related to a public works project where the cost of the same will exceed fifteen thousand dollars.

A.    Call for Bids. City shall publish notice that the city is inviting bids at least once in the city’s official newspaper. The notice shall be published at least seven days before the bid opening.

B.    Bid Opening. Sealed bids shall be opened and read aloud at the time and place identified in the call for bids; the bid opening shall be open to the public.

C.    Determination of lowest responsible bidder shall follow the process in Section 3.76.020(D).

D.    Award. The city council shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. A written record of each vendor’s bid shall be made open to public inspection or telephone inquiry after the award of the contract.

E.    Posting shall follow the process in Section 3.76.020(F). (Ord. 1650-09 § 1 (part), 2009)