(A) The City Manager shall have the authority to make all purchases of five thousand ($5,000.00) dollars or less. For such purchases, the City Manager shall obtain two (2) or more quotes from vendors, whenever practicable, and select that quote most advantageous to the city. All purchases made under this section shall be documented in writing, be specific as to the item purchased, dated, signed by the employee who made the purchase, and approved by the department head in writing. The City Manager shall then designate the department to which the purchase shall be charged. However, in exercising this authority, the City Manager shall not make any purchase for any expenditure for any department of the city where the expenditure, together with the sum total of other expenditures for the department, exceeds the appropriation made for the department for any fiscal year by the budget approved by the Board of Commissioners, unless prior consent is given by the Board of Commissioners.
(B) The City Manager shall have the authority to make all purchases whose total cost exceeds five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) but is less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00), provided that:
(1) The City Manager follows the requirements of subsection (A) above and;
(2) Obtains the consent of the two (2) members of the Board of Commissioners who comprise the Audit Committee.
(C) For any purchase whose total cost exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) but is less than forty thousand ($40,000.00) dollars, the City Manager or their designee shall obtain two (2) or more quotes from vendors, whenever practicable, and the Board of Commissioners shall select the quote most advantageous to the city. The city shall then follow the requirements of subsection (A).
(D) For any item to be purchased whose cost exceeds forty thousand ($40,000.00) dollars, the city shall follow the requirements of KRS 424.260, as it may be amended.
(1) The city may make purchases exempt from the requirements as allowed by KRS Chapter 82, as amended from time to time, including, but not limited to:
(a) Professional services;
(b) Products and services when there is a single source of the product or service within a reasonable geographic area;
(c) Replacement parts needed for personal property or equipment where the need cannot be reasonably anticipated, and it is not feasible to maintain an inventory of the replacement parts;
(d) Products and services provided by entities recognized by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation under KRS Chapter 163 that operate programs for the rehabilitation of the blind and visually impaired;
(e) Products and services provided by agencies serving individuals with severe disabilities under KRS 45A.465;
(f) For products and services provided under a qualified veterans’ workshop operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;
(g) For products or services provided by a nonprofit organization, employee services organizations, and other private businesses that have operations in the city with the main purpose of serving individuals with disabilities by offering transitional or supported employee services and rehabilitative programs, including serving those with severe mental or physical disabilities, or those recovering from substance abuse disorder; and
(h) For products or services provided by a nonprofit community service organization that operates within the city, if there is an official determination on the record that the purchase of the product or service would mutually benefit the city and the organization. If two (2) or more organizations meet these qualifications in the city and offer the same product and service, a contract would be subject to normal bidding process.
(2) Any purchases under subsection (D)(1) will need to be documented and have two (2) parties concur they meet one of the exemptions stated above. The City Manager will still be required to obtain approvals based on the thresholds identified above.
(3) Cooperative purchasing may be used under KRS 45A.300, as deemed appropriate by the City Manager. The City Manager will still be required to obtain approvals based on the thresholds identified above.
(E) A copy of all documentation identifying and supporting any item purchased under subsection (D) shall be made available to the City Commission for review before issuing any approval.
(Ord. 2016-7, passed 8-9-16; Am. Ord. 2020-3, passed 3-10-20; Am. Ord. 2023-9, passed 8-22-23)