Fiscal Note
The resolution does not make an appropriation. The authority to enter into cooperative purchasing consortia may help reduce overall costs.
Title
Amending Sections 4.26, 39.02(9)(a)2.a. and 39.07(3)(c)2. of the Madison General Ordinances regarding emergency service contracts and to authorize purchasing consortium agreements.
Body
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: This ordinance amends Sec. 4.26 to allow the Finance Director (or designee) to sign emergency service contracts over $25,000 and cooperative purchasing agreements. Sec. 4.26 requires Common Council approval before the City can enter into service contracts for more than $25,000, if the contractor was not selected with a competitive selection process (RFP). Emergency service contracts are exempt from competitive selection, but under current ordinance Council approval is required because the contractor was not competitively selected, and only the Mayor and City Clerk can sign it.
Obtaining Council approval before signature is impractical or impossible in an emergency requiring immediate services. Negotiating and signing a written instrument can be impractical, especially after-hours. This amendment would authorize the Finance Director/designee and department heads/designees to make an immediate purchase in an emergency. The resulting contract would be signed by the designee of the Finance Director (in a form approved by the City Attorney.) All such emergency contracts would be reported to the Council as soon as possible. This new procedure is only needed for emergency services over $25,000, as the current ordinance allows service contracts under $25,000 without pre-authorization. This amendment also would add a reference to the new emergency procedure to the section of 39.02(9) that already exempts
emergency contracts from the Affirmative Action contract requirements, and the section of 39.07(3) that exempts emergency contracts from the Equal Benefits requirements.
This amendment also authorizes th...
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