(A) Any purchase of services, materials, equipment, supplies in excess of $30,000, other than professional services, shall be contracted for by a contract let to the lowest responsible bidder after adequate public notice of invitation for bids. Public notice shall be given within a reasonable time frame of no less than ten calendar days prior to public bid opening. Such notice will be given by advertisement published in a newspaper of general circulation within the county and internet posting on the County Purchasing Department website. The public notice shall state the place, date, and time of bid opening. After formal award of a bid, the resolution shall be posted on County Purchasing website.
(B) In determining the lowest responsible bidder, the County Board shall take into consideration the qualities of the articles supplied; their conformity with the specifications; their suitability to the requirements of the county; availability of support services; uniqueness of the service, materials, equipment or supplies as it applies to networked, integrated computer systems; compatibility to existing equipment; and the delivery terms. The County Board may also take into consideration whether a bidder is a private enterprise or a state-controlled enterprise and, notwithstanding any other provision of this section or a lower bid by a state-controlled enterprise, may let a contract to the lowest responsible bidder that is a private enterprise.
(C) Contracts in cooperation with the federal government, state government or purchases of used equipment, purchases at auction or similar transactions which by their very nature are not suitable to competitive bids, or purchases pursuant to the State Governmental Joint Purchasing Act, being 30 ILCS 525/0.1 et seq., may be made accordingly without formal bids by the county, but will otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.
(D) The county may award a contract without advertising for bids in the case of purchases and contracts, when individual orders do not exceed $35,000 for the use, purchase, delivery, movement or installation of data processing equipment, software or services and telecommunications and inter-connect equipment, software and services. Such contracts shall require the Purchasing Department to obtain reasonable competition by written quotation for the services, material, equipment or supplies being purchased. Award shall be made to business offering lowest responsible quotation having met bid specification. Adequate records to document the competition shall be maintained. No award shall be made without prior appropriation and current amounts available in such fund for payment and approval by the appropriate County Board Oversight Committee and the County Finance and Government Operations Committee.
(E) All purchases in excess of $30,000 or $35,000 for purchases and services outlined in division (D) above shall require approval of the County Board. Upon the receipt of bids or quotes in all such cases, the County Board shall have the final approval of the award of the contract. Such proposals shall be brought to the County Board after review by the appropriate County Board Oversight Committee and the Finance Government Operations Committee.
(Ord. 2006-013, passed 11-15-2006; Ord. 2011-02, passed 3-16-2011; Ord. 2016-04, passed - - ; Ord. 2020-06, passed - - )