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Y(�, <br />CONSENT <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY <br />OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET <br />PURCHASING DIVISION <br />DATE: July 5, 2018 <br />TO: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />THROUGH: Jason E. Brown, County Administrator <br />THROUGH: Mike Smykowski, Director, Office of Management and Budget <br />FROM: Jennifer Hyde, Purchasing Manager <br />SUBJECT: I Adoption of Revised Purchasing Manual <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Indian River County Code Chapter 105 details Purchasing procedures and limits, and specifically <br />establishes the County Administrator's purchasing authority. Other local purchasing thresholds and <br />policies are established under the County Administrator's authority and detailed in the Purchasing <br />Manual, as required by County Code Section 105.06. The Purchasing Manual is reviewed at least <br />annually and updated as needed. Staff has identified several modifications to the Purchasing Manual to <br />enhance the efficiency and oversight of our procurement processes. <br />INFORMATIONAL CHANGES: <br />The current $1,000 threshold above which a minimum of three quotes are required has been in place <br />since at least 1990. With the increase in pricing for materials and labor over the last decade, as well as <br />normal inflation, the minimum requirement for quotes has become a hindrance to.efficient <br />procurement of goods and services. The Purchasing Division is asked frequently to waive the <br />requirement for quotes (but often after department staff time has been expended contacting vendors in <br />the diligent effort to obtain quotes). <br />As such, the County Administrator has approved a modification to the Purchasing Manual to increase <br />the quote threshold from $1,000 to $3,500. In addition to this threshold change, other modifications <br />made to the Purchasing Manual include: <br />✓ General clarification and restructuring of sections for ease of reference <br />✓ Addition of supplemental internal control procedures <br />✓ Clarified description of some Purchase Order Exempt items <br />✓ Added the requirement for department heads to authorize any requested increase to purchase <br />orders, prior to consideration by Budget <br />✓ Streamlined and clarified the emergency procurement process <br />✓ Updated the process for departments to obtain formal bid numbers <br />✓ Added reference to an additional online bidding platform that may be utilized by the County <br />✓ Clarified what source dictates official time of receipt for bids <br />✓ Eliminated redundant text regarding bid package preparation <br />✓ Included text to match bid documents regarding withdrawal of bids and authorization to <br />negotiate when less than two bids are received <br />✓ Defined instances where purchase orders may be used in place of work orders for contracts <br />0* <br />