AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2022-270R, adopting the City’s procedures for safe and secure receipt of electronic bids and proposals; authorizing the City Manager or her designee to execute the appropriate documents to implement the procedures on behalf of the City; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: December 6, 2022
Department: Finance, Jon Locke, Director (by Lynda Williams, Purchasing & Contracting Manager)
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Funds Required: N/A
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Funds Available: N/A
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Prior Council Action: None
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Background Information:
The City’s Purchasing & Contracting Division, Finance, oversees and supports Department-wide procurements of goods and services following state and local laws for public notification and receipt of competitive sealed bids and proposals. This longstanding process requires bids to be delivered by postal or special mail carrier or hand-delivered to the office of the Purchasing Manager by a time certain. Bids or proposals are opened and read aloud publicly.
Purchasing & Contracting has identified electronic bid and proposal submission as a way to streamline operations, supporting and encouraging vendor relations, and possibly reducing the cost of the solicitation process. Electronic bids and proposals will be received through the City’s selected Vendor for electronic sourcing, “Bonfire”. To ensure the identification, security, and confidentiality of electronic bids or proposals, electronic bids and proposals received before the due date/time will be held in secure storage through the Bonfire electronic platform until the official due date and time.
For hard copy bids or proposals, to ensure the identification, security, and confidentiality of bids or proposal, the current practice of receiving hard copy bids/proposals prior to the due date and time will be held in a secure storage in the office of the Purchasing Manager.
To provide an electronic means of receiving and securing bids/proposals the City must adopt the required rules by resolution pursuant to Local Government Code Chapter 252.0415 which states, “A municipality may receive bids or proposals under this chapter through electronic transmission if the governing body adopt rules to ensure the identification, security and confidentiality of electronic bids or proposals and to ensure that the electronic bids or proposals remain effectively unopened until the proper time.”
Such policy and procedures are attached hereto as Exhibit A.
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
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Alternatives:
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Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of an amendment to the Purchasing Policy allowing for the receipt of bids and proposal through electronic transmission, and the City Council to adopt rules to ensure the identification, security, and confidentiality of such bids and proposals and to ensure that such bids and proposals remain effectively unopened until the proper time, as required by Section 252.0415 of the Texas Local Government Code.