Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact.
Title
SUBSTITUTE Amending Section 4.25 to create a process to exempt uniform rental and laundry services and purchases of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the sweatfree procurement requirements when there are no qualified bidders who can comply, creating a definition for personal protective equipment, and making one editorial correction.
Body
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: Section 4.25, Procurement of Items of Apparel, establishes “sweatfree” purchasing standards when the City purchases or rents apparel. Apparel is defined to include clothing and other items that include textiles, and all footware. The ordinance requires bidders to disclose factory locations, wages, and other information about their suppliers and follow sweatfree practices. This ordinance would create exceptions for two types of purchases: First, it creates an exception when there are no qualified bidders who can provide uniform rental, laundry or dry cleaning services and the services are deemed essential. Several City departments provide uniforms for City employees and the uniform service includes garment rental and regular laundry and repair services. If no bidders can or will comply, staff can request an exception from the Committee on Sweatfree Purchases who must meet within 2 weeks to decide whether to allow an exception. The second exception is for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used primarily by police and fire. Equipment like ballistic vests, harnesses, firefighter gear, and other safety gear, if made from textiles, meet the definition of apparel, and must be sourced from vendors who comply with the sweatfree purchasing requirements. This amendment would allow the Finance Director to grant an exception if the Police or Fire Department are unable to find a compliant supplier for the gear in question, and the PPE is deemed essential. This amendment also makes a housekeeping correction by adding employee handbooks and city ordinances along with coll...
Click here for full text