(a) When it is determined to be advantageous to the city, the City Manager is hereby authorized, to purchase services, supplies or materials by reverse auction on the internet, after soliciting proposals for those services, supplies or materials, including specifications about the services, supplies and materials needed, terms for delivery, other terms and conditions, and the relative importance of price and other evaluation factors. These proposals may require offerors to provide a performance bond, or another similar form of financial security, as the City Manager deems prudent. As used in this section,
INTERNET means the international computer network of both federal and nonfederal interoperable packet switched data networks, including the graphical subnetwork called the World Wide Web.
(b) The City Manager is hereby authorized to solicit proposals through a request for proposals (“RFP”), which request shall be published by advertisement of the request for proposals (“RFP”), on the same day of each week for not less than two nor more than four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the city, and continuously posted in a conspicuous place in the atrium of the Mason Municipal Center, and on the city’s website, from the time of the first advertisement of the request for proposals through the time that the proposals must have been submitted.
(c) To ensure full understanding of and responsiveness to solicitation requirements, the City Manager, or his or her designee may conduct discussions with responsible offerors who submit proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. The city shall give offerors fair and equal treatment in any opportunity for discussion regarding any clarification, correction or revision of their proposals.
(d) If the expenditure of funds for the purchase of supplies or materials or to provide labor for any work to be performed under the proposal is less than, or equal to, the amount specified by ordinance of Council for which the purchases or work may be accomplished without advertisement and competitive bidding, the City Manager may award a contract to the offeror whose proposal the city determines to be the most advantageous to the city, taking into consideration factors such as price and the evaluation criteria stated in the request for proposals. If the expenditure of funds for the purchase of supplies or materials or to provide labor for any work to be performed under the proposal exceeds the amount specified by ordinance of Council for which the purchases or work may be accomplished without advertisement and competitive bidding, the expenditure shall first be authorized and directed by ordinance passed by the Council. The city shall maintain a contract file which shall contain the basis on which the award is made.
(Ord. 2004-60, passed 5-10-2004)