PURCHASE REQUISITIONS Requisitions are used to initiate and document an order and to accurately describe the item(s) or service requested.  The Purchase Requisition form is used to notify Purchasing of the needs of a department, document emergency purchases over Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00). A Requisition should not be used merely for pricing or product research during budget preparation.  The Purchasing Division will conduct research, if so requested, upon receipt of a memorandum from a City department. The City Manager must authorize all requisitions exceeding $10,000.  A department head must authorize any requisition exceeding Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00).  A department head is required to submit a list to the Purchasing Manager and the Finance Director of any and all individuals authorized to approve requisitions.  No Requisition will be processed under any other signature unless such written authorization has been received.  Rubber stamps, initials, or initials over another’s signature will not be acceptable.  In the extended absence of a department head, the acting department head or highest ranking individual will be regarded as the source of the department’s purchasing authority provided prior written authorization has been distributed to Purchasing and Central Accounting. The Purchasing Manager shall have authority to revise requisitions or estimates as to quantity, quality or estimated costs.  Any such revisions shall be made with the consent of the appropriate department head before placement of the order. Exactness in preparing the requisition is essential.  Incomplete or improperly completed requisitions will be returned to the department for correction. Prior to contacting any supplier, departments are required to contact the Central Stores Warehouse to determine if the item needed is available from warehouse stock.  Purchasing will place an order upon receipt of an acceptable offer from a vendor without reviewing it with the using department unless there is doubt that the requisition’s specifications have been met. EMERGENCY USE OF PURCHASE REQUISITION True emergencies cannot be anticipated.  Emergencies may occur due to accidents, equipment or infrastructure failures, inclement weather, sabotage, vandalism, and unforeseen or hidden worksite conditions. To initiate an emergency purchase, the Purchasing Manager or Assistant Purchasing Manager will be contacted at any hour and the nature of the emergency will be explained.  If neither of the Purchasing officials are available, and the value of the emergency purchase exceeds $10,000, an Assistant City Manager or the City Manager will be contacted for approval. In all other circumstances, if none of the authorizing officials specified above are available to make the decision, a department head or any City employee authorized by a department head to initiate emergency purchases may proceed without following normal purchasing procedures as described herein. The party assuming responsibility for the emergency purchase will first make a determination using the criteria described below as to whether a true emergency exists. The party assuming responsibility for the emergency purchase must also limit the amount purchased to only that which is necessary to meet the emergency circumstances and must consider whether there is sufficient time to seek verbal quotations from more than one vendor. To execute an emergency purchase, the following conditions apply: 1)        The goods or services must be secured immediately in order to meet an urgent and unexpected requirement where health, public safety or the conservation of public resources are at risk. 2)        The nature of the emergency must be so compelling that the goods or services must be mobilized or delivered within 1 business day.  The party that assumes responsibility for the emergency purchase must make clear to the vendor that the contract offer is contingent upon actual mobilization or delivery of the services or commodities within one business day. 3)        The individual authorizing the emergency purchase must give priority consideration to: a) qualified vendors currently working on-site, b) qualified vendors under “continuing contracts” with the City, c) qualified vendors in the local area, d) qualified State Contract vendors, and e) qualified vendors previously employed by the City.  If none of the above is available in the timeframe required or at a reasonable cost, the emergency work can be awarded to any other qualified vendor. 4)        Immediately upon awarding the emergency work to a vendor, a full written explanation of the emergency purchase must be forwarded by the person who initiated the emergency purchase to the Purchasing Manager along with any supporting documentation.  The Purchasing Manager will also provide copies of this documentation upon receipt to the City Manager and the Risk Manager. After receiving notice (and the reasons therefore) of any emergency purchase exceeding $10,000 or an emergency change order exceeding $10,000, Purchasing will verify the reasonability of the pricing and the work performed by contacting other vendors as necessary.  If applicable, the qualifications of the vendor that performed the work will also be confirmed.  Purchasing’s findings will be forwarded to the City Manager or designee along with the requisition or change order for payment of the emergency work. Instructions for Preparing a Purchase Requisition *Reference Oracle Applications Manual. DEPARTMENTAL PURCHASE ORDER Departmental Purchase Orders (DPO) are used by departments to purchase materials or service that cost less than Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00) and for which no competitive bidding is required. The DPO is a pre-numbered purchase order and a controlled form.  If an error is made, and the form is voided, all copies of the voided form except the yellow department copy must be sent to Purchasing for record keeping. The DPO has no geographic limit or commodity restrictions.  It can be used to purchase anywhere, but under no circumstance can the value of the material or services exceed the Seven Hundred Fifty Dollar ($750.00) limit.  The use of local vendors and W/MBE’s is highly encouraged. A department head is required to submit a list to the Purchasing Manager and the Finance Director of any and all individuals authorized to approve DPO’s.  No DPO will be processed under any other signature unless such written authorization has been received.  Rubber stamps, initials, or initials over another’s signature will not be acceptable.  In the extended absence of a department head, the acting department head or highest ranking individual will be regarded as the source of the department’s purchasing authority provided prior written authorization has been received. The Purchasing Manager shall have authority to revise DPO’s and/or cancel the DPO, if in his opinion, the purchase was improper. Prior to contacting any supplier, departments are required to contact the Central Stores Warehouse to determine if the item needed is available from warehouse stock. Exactness in preparing the DPO is essential.  If an error is made when filling out the DPO, the error should be circled and the correction noted above the error.  The individual making the correction should then initial the change. When a department has a requirement for a commodity or service and the value of that commodity or service does not exceed Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00) in value, the department contacts the vendor and orders the commodity using the DPO number as an identity for the transaction. When the DPO is used to purchase a commodity from a local vendor, the delegated individual should fill out as much information as possible on the form and sign the “authorized by” block provided.  An assigned City employee then takes the signed form to a local vendor and the form is completed following the purchase.  The original (white) copy is given to the vendor as evidence of the transaction.  The receiving copy is immediately executed upon receipt of the merchandise and forwarded to Finance for processing.  The (blue) copy is immediately forwarded to Purchasing for review.  The (yellow) department copy is retained for department files. When the DPO is used to purchase a commodity that cannot be immediately delivered or picked up by a City employee, the vendor is contacted and the order is placed giving the DPO number as evidence of the order.  The DPO form is completed at the same time the order is placed and all copies are immediately sent to the Department Head or his authorized designee for signature.  After execution, the vendor’s copy is sent directly to the vendor, the Purchasing copy to Purchasing and the Department keeps the receiving and department copies.  The Purchasing copy must reach Purchasing by the next business day after the initial order is placed.  Following receipt of the order, the receiving report is signed by the person actually receiving the goods and is then forwarded to Finance to be processed for payment.   INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING A DEPARTMENTAL PURCHASE ORDER (DPO): A. VENDOR - The complete address of the vendor where the commodity was purchased.  Include zip codes. B. CONFIRMED TO - The name of the vendor’s salesperson with whom the order was placed.  Leave blank if the order was not confirmed. C. SHIP TO - The department and division where the goods or services are to be delivered.  This is the only area on the DPO form which identifies the department and must be filled out. D. DPO NUMBER - The DPO’s are pre-numbered for use as an order number and to identify the transaction.  The vendor must be given the DPO number and it must appear on all documents, including packing lists, invoices, and correspondence. E. ORDER PLACED BY - The name of the City employee placing the DPO. F. CONFIRMED ______Y  ______N - Must be checked “yes” when the order was confirmed to the vendor and “no” when the DPO is being mailed without prior notice to the vendor. G. ORDER DATE - The date the order is placed and the DPO is prepared. H. DELIVERY - The date the vendor has promised delivery of the commodity. I. SHIPPING POINT - The location from which this commodity is to be shipped.  Routinely this will be the vendor’s address.  (City and State). J. F.O.B. - This determines who will pay the freight charges.  It is in the best interest of the city to ask the vendors for F.O.B. delivered, meaning the vendor will pay the freight.  Other examples of F.O.B. are, “prepaid and add” (the vendor pays the freight and adds the cost to the invoice) or F.O.B. shipping point” (The City pays the freight directly to the delivery service, UPS, trucking company, etc.) K. TERMS - This is an additional discount if offered by vendors for prompt payment of an invoice.  This is not a discount on the commodity purchased. When a City employee places an order with a vendor, the employee should ask what the terms of the order are.  Generally, vendors will offer a 1 or 2 percent discount for prompt invoice payment. Normally TERMS will be 1% 10 days net 30 or 2% 10 days net 30 meaning an additional discount can be taken if the invoice is paid within 10 days of receipt.  If no discount is offered by the vendor, payment will be processed as net 30 days. L. ITEM NO. - This is a reference number to identify each item on the DPO.  This is not to be used for vendor part numbers or department identification. M.        QUANTITY - The quantity of material desired along with unit of measure.  The unit of measure should be the same as the unit of pricing.  Quantities and units of measure should be written as; 100 ft., 500 lbs., 4 each, 2 pair, 1 set, etc. N. DESCRIPTION - List complete description, size, type, color, weight, model and as much information as possible to describe the material ordered. O. UNIT PRICE - List the unit cost per foot, per pound, per gallon, per each, per pair, per set, etc. P. AMOUNT - The total extended dollar value of each item ordered. Q. ACCOUNT CODE - The account code or codes to which this expenditure is to be charged. R. REVIEWED BY - This is for the signature or initials of any employee within a department that has reviewed the DPO.  The “Reviewed By” area is for the department’s use, to document who has handled the DPO. S. AUTHORIZED BY - The signature of the individual delegated by the department head to process DPO’s.  This authority may be delegated to Division Heads, Superintendents or other Supervisors at the discretion of the Department Head. T. DEPARTMENT HEAD - Signature of authorized party. ROUTING Upon completion of the Department Purchase Order form, the preparing department will forward the original (white) copy to the vendor.  The Purchasing (blue) copy is forwarded immediately to Purchasing.  The green receiving report is retained by the preparing department until the material is received.  Immediately upon receipt the City employee receiving the material shall sign and date the receiving report (green) and forward to Finance.  The yellow copy should be retained by the department for their file. SOLE SOURCE PURCHASES Occasionally it may be necessary to replace an item with an exact duplicate available from one vendor.  Also, there may be certain products or services which are so unique that they can only be supplied from one known source.  These are known as “sole source” purchases and the requirement for competition may be waived if the following conditions have been met: 1. Attempts to identify alternate suppliers have been made and documented.   2. An explanation of the uniqueness of the product or service must be included with the requisition.   *   It is the responsibility of the requisitioner to justify and explain the need for any “sole source” purchase. PURCHASE ORDERS 1.  DEFINITION AND USE OF THE PURCHASE ORDER A purchase order is an offer to purchase goods or services from the buyer (City of Lakeland ) to the seller at a predetermined dollar value.  Only the Purchasing Department issues purchase orders and emergency purchases as outlined in the Manual. 2.  TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PURCHASE ORDER Immediately upon receipt of a purchase order the vendor accepts the following instructions, terms and conditions as part of the purchase contract: A. PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER:  Vendor must show P.O. number on all packages, shipping papers, invoices and correspondence. The City of Lakeland will not be responsible for goods delivered without a purchase order number. B. INVOICING:  Send two copies showing P.O. number to:      CITY OF LAKELAND             CITY HALL FINANCE             228 S. MASSACHUSETTS AVE.             LAKELAND , FL   33801   OR IF REQUESTED:        CITY OF LAKELAND             E & W FINANCE DIVISION             501 E. LEMON STREET             LAKELAND , FL   33801   INVOICES IN PENCIL ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. C. TAXES:  No federal excise or state sales tax shall be included in the price unless authorized by the Purchasing Manager. (Most city purchases are exempt) State sales tax certificate no. 63-21-061508-54C Federal exemption no. 59-6000354. D. ADVISE BEFORE SHIPPING:  If unable to fill out prices shown or if price is left open.                   E. No deviations from the terms or provisions of the order may be made without written authority from the purchaser.  The order is not assignable without the purchaser’s consent. F.  All items are subject to purchaser’s inspection and approval within reasonable time after receipt at destination.  Seller must warrant that all items delivered hereunder are in accordance with the specifications set forth, samples submitted and drawings attached or referred to and are free from all defects in materials and workmanship and must agree that the warranty shall survive acceptance. G. Seller must warrant that the articles ordered, or any part and/or combination thereof, do not infringe upon any existing patents, and seller agrees to defend the City of Lakeland against any suit for actual or alleged infringement of any such patents. H. Seller must agree to indemnify and hold the City of Lakeland harmless against all laborer’s materials and or mechanic’s liens arising from Seller’s work and shall keep the premises of the City of Lakeland free from all such claims, liens and encumbrances. I.   Seller warrants that all materials and equipment purchased hereunder will conform to all applicable City, State and Federal laws, ordinances and regulation.  Further, Seller will defend and save the City of Lakeland harmless from loss, cost or damage by reason of any actual or alleged violation thereof. J.  Unless otherwise specified or agreed by Purchaser, any transportation charges assessed against Purchases must be at the lowest common carrier rate for the quantity ordered and invoice charges must be supported by a paid freight bill or equivalent. K. Purchaser shall have the right to make changes in the order by issuance of a written Change Order, but no additional charge will be allowed unless authorized in writing by Purchaser.  If such changes affect delivery or the amount to be paid by Purchaser, Seller shall notify Purchaser promptly and negotiate an adjustment in writing. L.  Purchaser shall have the right to cancel the order without obligation to Seller if delivery is not made within the time specified herein, or if no time is specified, within a reasonable time. M.   If Seller ceases to conduct its operation in the normal course of business, including inability to meet its obligations as they mature, or if any proceeding under the bankruptcy or insolvency laws is brought by or against Seller, or a receiver for Seller is appointed or applied for, or assignment for the benefit of creditors is made by Seller, Purchaser may terminate the order without liability except for deliveries previously made or for goods covered by the order then completed and subsequently delivered in accordance with the terms of the order. CHANGE ORDERS Any authorized change to the original order is accomplished by means of a “change to purchase order” form.  A regular change order is prepared as an electronic document and then forwarded to Purchasing by an employee previously authorized to execute change orders to that dollar level by a department head. Great care must be exercised in properly planning the original purchase such that quantity, quality and performance considerations are properly represented in a manner such that all bidders have an equitable opportunity to secure the bid.  A change order which significantly modifies the original purchase will require extraordinary justification, documentation and approval. A change order request will be regarded as a significant modification to the original order and will not be approved by the Purchasing Manager if the change order increases the original purchase order amount by 25% or more.  Change order which cumulatively increase the original purchase order amount by 25% or more will also be regarded as significant modifications.  Likewise, change orders which amount to $10,000 or more, or any change order which increases the original P.O. amount to $10,000 or more will also be regarded as significant modifications. For any such significant change order, the Purchasing Manager will make a determination as to whether the additional supplies or services should be rebid or submitted to the City Manager’s Office for special approval.  If special approval is requested the Purchasing Manager will submit the requesting department’s full explanation to the City Manager’s Office.  Any significant change order as defined above will include, at maximum, the following information: A)    An explanation as to how the change revises the original order B)     An explanation as to why the additional goods and services are needed C)    The calculation basis used for determining the amount of the change order D)    A description of any documentation available that supports the requested change(s) E)     Notification of any existing contract terms and conditions which apply to the change   Emergency Change Orders exceeding $10,000 in value will be subject to the same compliance reviews for reasonability as Emergency Purchases exceeding $10,000.  (See “Emergency Purchases”).  Emergency change orders less than $10,000 may be subject to the same level of compliance review at the discretion of the Purchasing Manager. An alternate change order procedure may be used only when specifically defined as a provision of a formal contract approved by the City Manager or City Commission.  Such provision must specify the City representative accountable for those change orders and the authorization level given that party.  It is the obligation of the department responsible for the work to notify Purchasing of any such alternate change order procedure provided by contract.   DISTRIBUTION OF PURCHASE ORDERS Reference Oracle Applications Manual.   ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER The Florida Prompt Payment Act (“ACT”) establishes a policy of the State of Florida that local governments shall pay vendors for purchases in a timely manner and that local governments establish a procedure to decide promptness of payment disputes between vendors and local governments. The ACT mandates that “to pay in a timely manner” means payments to vendors by local governments shall be due not later than 45 calendar days from the due date specified in the ACT. To abide by the ACT’S timely manner standard of 45 calendar days, the City has adopted the following administrative policy.  This policy shall incorporate the “Florida Prompt Payment Act” (Ch. 89-297, s 4, Laws of FL.) and it may in the future be amended. 1. PROPER INVOICE REQUIREMENTS To process payment for goods and/or services received it is essential that the Finance Department receive a proper invoice which is acceptable to the City.  The following represent requirements for an invoice to be considered a proper invoice for payment: A. Name of Vendor B. Address of vendor where payment is to be mailed C. Delivery date, delivery location, and delivery terms as set forth on the City purchase order for goods and services D. City of Lakeland purchase order number as required under the City’s Purchasing Policy Manual E. Emergency purchases (those which may not involve the use of a purchase order) should indicate the name of an employee or City representative who requested the purchase F. The taxpayer identification number for vendors who are not incorporated.  For invoices involving the purchase of goods the invoice should contain the following information which is accurate, complete and consistent with the authorizing purchase document or verbal order: i.      Item description ii.     Quantity purchased iii.    Unit price iv.    Extended total price for each item v.     Total amount of invoice with applicable discounts G. For invoices which involve the purchase of services, the invoice should contain the following information applicable to the purchase that is accurate, complete and consistent with the authorizing purchase document or verbal order: i.      Itemized description of service performed ii.     Date services were rendered iii.    Billing method for services performed (approved hourly rates, percentage of completion, cost plus fixed fee, direct (actual) costs, etc.) iv.    Itemization of other direct reimbursable costs (description, amount) H. Any other information required by written agreement or contract with the City of Lakeland .   2. DELIVERY AND ACCEPTANCE All invoices and correspondence concerning invoices relating the City’s Electric & Water Utility must be delivered to Lakeland Electric & Water, E & W Finance Division, 501 E. Lemon Street , Lakeland , FL   33802 .  All other invoices and correspondence concerning invoices must be delivered to City Hall, Finance Department, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. , Lakeland , FL   33802 . Goods and services WILL NOT be deemed received by the City even though physical delivery has occurred if the vendor has not complied with all terms of the purchase order and/or other contractual agreement.  The City may refuse acceptance of any portion or all services or goods delivered.  In this event, the City may make payment based upon the actual portion of goods or services received and accepted by the City. 3. CALCULATION OF PAYMENT DUE DATE Each invoice received by the Finance Department shall be marked as having been received (date stamped) on the date on which it is first delivered to the Finance Department.  The date marked shall be the date on which the invoice is received.  The Finance Department shall make payment to the vendor no later than 45 days from the date on which a proper invoice is received by the Finance Department. 4. NOTIFICATION OF IMPROPER INVOICE Generally, when the City receives an improper invoice which may result in payment being delayed in excess of 45 calendar days, the City will attempt to notify the vendor within 10 days after the improper invoice is received and indicate what corrective action is needed to make the invoice a proper invoice.  The City shall not be obligated to return the invoice.  Upon notification that the invoice is improper, the vendor will immediately take corrective action by issuing a replacement invoice which is a proper invoice. 5. APPOINTMENT OF HEARING OFFICER The City Manager or his designee is hereby appointed as the Prompt Payment Hearing Officer.  The responsibility of the Hearing Officer is to render decisions either in favor of the City or in favor of vendors.  Hearing Officer decisions shall be rendered exclusively for and limited to disputes that directly relate to the promptness of payment by the City to vendors.  The rendering of the Hearing Officer’s decision shall be final.  The Prompt payment Hearing Officer may adopt such written rules and procedures as the Hearing Officer deems appropriate for the exercise of responsibility to render decisions, so long as such written rules and procedures are approved by the City Manager and are not inconsistent with the Florida Prompt Payment Act or this resolution.  The Finance Department shall provide administrative support to the Hearing Officer.  This support shall extend to secretarial assistance, document control, records management and other support necessary for the Hearing Officer to render decisions. 6. DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEDURES A dispute may arise between the City of Lakeland and a vendor because of the vendor’s assertion that the City has failed to pay the vendor’s invoice within 45 calendar days after receipt. The dispute will typically center on what is the correctly calculated date that payment was due from the City to the vendor and whether the City effected payment to the vendor.  The Hearing Officer shall decide the issues and the rule either in favor of the City or in favor of the vendor.  The Hearing Officer is expressly prohibited from deciding issues as to whether performance of a contract has taken place or whether the City is obligated to make payment for a purchase.  The scope of the Hearing Officer’s authority is exclusively limited to issues of when the City was required to pay and whether the City has paid.  The Hearing Officer’s decision is with out prejudice to any remedy either party may have at law or equity. Proceedings shall take place within the timeliness guidelines set forth in the Florida Prompt Payment Act. The Hearing Officer shall render a final written decision.  The written decision shall iterate the facts specifically and state separately a conclusion.  The Hearing Officer shall have a duty to review the evidence and shall not announce a decision before a finding of fact and making a conclusion. The Hearing Officer will, within 5 days of rendering a decision, mail or deliver a written copy of the final order to both the Finance Director and the vendor.  There shall be no appeal of the Hearing Officers finding to either the City Manager or the City Commission. INSPECTION AND TESTING   1.  RESPONSIBILITY The Purchasing Manager, or his designee, shall inspect all materials, supplies and equipment received for Central Stores to determine compliance with the specifications set forth in the purchase order or contract. 2.  AUTHORIZATION TO OTHERS In those cases where an order must be received by the department, the Purchasing Manager authorizes the departments to inspect materials received and to verify quantity and specifications for conformance with the order.  Departments are not authorized to receive materials intended for warehouse stock. 3.  OUTSIDE TESTING 0When it becomes necessary to use an outside testing laboratory, Purchasing, in cooperation with the department, will make the necessary arrangements. 4.  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS An acknowledgment of a City purchase order by the supplier usually indicates intent to furnish the items specified in accordance with the City’s terms and conditions.  Acknowledgments will be retained by Purchasing pending full compliance with the purchase order.  Any acknowledgment received by a department should be promptly forwarded to the Purchasing Department. Acknowledgments of an order are not to be signed or modified in any way.   ACKNOWLEDGMENT DISTRIBUTION All acknowledgments are to be filed in the Purchasing Division’s numerical file.  Departments that receive an acknowledgment are to forward it to Purchasing.  Acknowledgments received by Purchasing will be duplicated, and copies will be forwarded to the department for information use.   RECEIVING REPORT Reference Oracle Applications Manual F-9   1.  PROCEDURE Immediately upon receipt of material or services a receiving report must be processed and forwarded to Finance.  If there is any variation in quantity or if the materials do not conform to specifications or are not acceptable, Purchasing must be notified immediately so corrective action can be taken.  Finance will check the invoice for accuracy and make payment. Partial Receiving Reports are used to verify receipt and allow payment to be made when only a portion of an entire order has been delivered.  The Partial Receiving report references the Purchase Order number and documents the quantity and quality of the merchandise received as well as the delivery date.  The Partial Receiving Report also permits the ordering department to keep a running balance of the outstanding order.   FOLLOW-UP AND EXPEDITING The process of purchasing is not completed with the issuance of a Purchase Order.  Purchasing must initiate some form of follow-up to assure delivery as specified.  A successful follow-up depends upon the accuracy of the purchase order.  The purchase order should state when delivery is required and sufficient time should be given the vendor to make shipments by the most economical means under the circumstances.  The date and method of follow-up will depend on the nature of the order, its urgency and the promised delivery date. Vendors who habitually exceed delivery schedules may be eliminated from consideration. Departments can reduce the number of follow-ups required by carefully planning work to allow sufficient time for routine purchasing and delivery.  Constant requests to suppliers for rush service destroys the effectiveness of the request and adds to the buyer’s and sellers costs. QUOTATIONS, BIDS AND BONDS Upon receipt of a general requisition, the Purchasing Division will seek a source of supply and enter into a purchase agreement for the material or services in accordance with all provisions of law and the City of Lakeland Purchasing Manual .  Only the Purchasing Manager is authorized to perform regular purchasing transactions except as authorized herein under DPO Purchase and Emergency Purchase Procedures. SECURING QUOTATIONS AND BIDS Competitive quotations will be obtained on all materials or services with an estimated value exceeding One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1500.00) except as authorized under Emergency Purchase Procedures.  Quotations may be received by telephone, in writing or through sealed bids.  Quotations should be solicited from as many known sources as practical, but usually not less than three (3) bidders.  Bidder’s names, addresses and phone numbers are maintained on bidder’s list in the Purchasing Division. In addition to the bidder’s list, sources listed in publications, catalogs and suggested bidders will be utilized. GUIDELINES 1.     Telephone Bids - No telephone bids should be taken unless circumstances will not permit adequate time for sealed bids.  It is imperative that all bidders solicited receive the same verbal request to avoid conflict at a later date.  In addition, verbal quotes must be confirmed in writing. 2.     Request For Quotation - RFQ’s will be mailed by the Purchasing Division for routine replenishment material or minor expenditures.  Quotations will not be used for construction or services of any kind. 3.     Sealed Bids - Invitations for sealed bids will be published by the Purchasing Division for major capital expenditures, construction or services exceeding Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00) unless determined by the Purchasing Manager to be an emergency or sole source purchase.  Construction or services will specify insurance coverage and/or performance bonds if determined necessary by the Purchasing Manager. BIDDERS’ LIST Bidders’ list is a list of companies categorized by type of products or service(s) they provide that have indicated an interest in selling to the city and a willingness to respond to requests for bids and proposals. A.  SOURCES FOR BIDDERS’ LISTS 1.     Telephone directory   2.     Trade association membership list, special registers and directories such as The Thomas Register.   3.     Records of previous bidders on similar products   4.     Bidders’ list used by other communities or the State.   5.     Requests by potential vendors to be added to appropriate lists.   6.     Internet   B.  AVAILABILITY 1.    The list shall be maintained in Purchasing and updated as required. 2.    This list shall be made available to the using departments on an “as requested basis.” C.  MAINTAINING BIDDERS LIST Every list intended for reuse will be annotated with the latest bid information.  New names may be added. 1.     When a vendor has been solicited three times with no reply, that vendor may be deleted from the list.  A “No Bid” reply will be considered the same as a bid and that vendor may be retained. 2.     If a vendor has asked to be put on a bidder’s list, every attempt will be made to notify that vendor of all pending purchases regardless of vendor’s geographical location.  The City shall not refuse an otherwise qualified vendor solely because of geographical location. 3.     The Purchasing Manager may remove any vendor from the bidder’s list for just cause.   SEALED INVITATION TO BID These procedures are established to create fair and responsible dealings with all bidders. It is every City Employee’s responsibility to insure that these procedures are followed. A.    When writing specifications, as much information as possible should be gathered about the material or services required.  Every attempt should be made to avoid brand names and models.  Excessively restrictive or biased specifications must also be avoided. B.    Bid lists are public information, but sealed bids are not to be made public until after the bid opening.  Purchasing as matter of policy, will not disclose bidders’ names or the number of bids on file prior to the designated bid opening date and time.  Any requests to review sealed bid envelopes prior to the bid opening will be referred to the City Attorney. ROUTING Documents for goods and services such as construction projects shall be circulated in accordance with Topic 18 of the Risk Management Manual.  The package shall have a cover sheet showing all the proper approvals including the City Attorney and Risk Management prior to being sent to Purchasing for Bid Purposes.  Failure to provide this information may delay the Invitation to Bid.  Large projects with extensive specifications and contracts should be sent to Purchasing for comment prior to printing. A. If a sealed bid is opened by accident, the employee who opened the bid shall immediately replace it in its original envelope if possible (otherwise put the bid and its original envelope into another envelope and write the bid title and opening date on the outside) and reseal it.  The responsible employee shall then write on the envelope, “opened in error” at (time) on (date) and resealed by (signature).  This shall immediately be reported to the Purchasing Manager. B. Any employee that has acquired information about a bid must not disclose that information to any other party.  The incident shall be reported to the Purchasing Manager. C. An appropriate City official or employee should initiate all communications between a bidder and the City after a bid opening to obtain information or clarification needed to develop a proper and accurate evaluation.  To insure a proper and fair evaluation of any bid proposal, exparte communication initiated by a bidder prior to the time a bid decision has been made are prohibited.  The evaluation stage of the competitive purchasing process must be in an environment free of coercion or pressure, be it real, implied, or perceived, so all bids can be evaluated under the same conditions, with all being treated alike. All exparte communication from a bidder are to be noted by the recipient and reported to the Purchasing office in writing for file in the City’s bid file.  Exparte communication may be grounds for disqualification. D. Bids received after the designated bid opening time will not be accepted. E. All required bid documents must be included for a bid to be considered. F. No bids can be revised or changed during the bid opening. G. After the City has selected the most responsive bid; the Purchasing Manager may discuss with the bidder additional terms for delivery or the goods or performance of services.  All discussion must be well documented. H. On the bid opening date each bid will be opened and read aloud.  If a bid has any special certification attached to it that will also be read.  The bidder’s name, the amount of the bid, quantities and other relevant data will be entered on a bid abstract. I. All bid forms will be open for inspection by the public. J. No contract award will be announced at the bid opening.  The City reserves the right to extend evaluation of bids if deemed necessary. BONDS Requiring bonds as part of the bidding process is intended to protect the City against the bad faith or failure on