(A) Condition for use. All purchases for goods and services, in an amount of $30,000 or an amount set by state statute, except as otherwise provided herein, must utilize competitive bidding as required by 55 ILCS 5/5-1022.
(B) Invitation for bids. An invitation for bids shall be issued and shall include specifications, bid evaluation requirements, and all applicable contractual terms and conditions in a form as reviewed and approved by the State’s Attorney’s Office and the County Auditor. Bid specifications shall be recommended to the parent committee by the requesting department head and shall describe clearly the goods and services to be contracted, but shall not be drawn so narrowly as to preclude or diminish competition. A copy of invitations shall be sent to the Auditor.
(C) Public notice. Public notice of the invitation for bids shall be made. Such notice shall include publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the county not less than ten calendar days prior to the date set forth therein for the opening of bids.
(D) Bid opening. Sealed bids must be written and shall be opened publicly in the presence of at least three of the following county officials: requesting department head; assistant department head; County Administrator; Assistant State’s Attorney; Auditor; and chairperson or member of parent committee, when applicable. Sealed bids shall be opened and read at the time and place designated in the invitation for bids. At a minimum, the amount of each bid, and the extent to which each bid conforms to the evaluation criteria, together with the name of each bidder shall be recorded in the form of a bid summary. The summary and each bid shall be open to the public inspection.
(E) Late bids. No bids received after the specified time in the bid information will be considered. It is the bidder’s responsibility to see that the bid is delivered at the time and place specified.
(F) Bid evaluation. Bids shall be evaluated based on the requirements set forth in the invitation for bids, which may include criteria to determine bid acceptability such as prior related work experience, workmanship, suitability of the item bid for the purpose intended, discounts, transportation costs, and the total or life cycle costs. No criteria may be used in bid evaluation that are set forth in the invitation for bids.
(G) Correction or withdrawal of bids. Correction or withdrawal of inadvertently erroneous bids before or after bid opening may be permitted where appropriate. Mistakes discovered before bid opening may be modified or withdrawn by written or electronically transmitted notice received in the office designated in the invitation for bids prior to the time set for bid opening. After bid opening, corrections in bids shall be permitted only to the extent that the bidder can show by clear and convincing evidence that a mistake was made, the nature of the mistake, and the bid price actually intended. After bid opening, no changes in bid prices or other provisions of bids prejudicial to the interest of the county or fair competition shall be permitted. In lieu of bid correction, a low bidder alleging a material mistake of fact may be permitted to withdraw its bid if:
(1) The mistake is clearly evident on the face of the bid document but the intended correct bid is not similarly evident; or
(2) The bidder submits evidence which clearly demonstrates that a mistake was made.
(H) Bid award. The bid evaluation summary will be submitted to the requesting department’s parent committee, who will review the analysis and forward its recommendation for award to the full County Board for consideration. The County Board and/or the Internal Control Officer who initiated the bidding process reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, or waive any informalities in bidding. After receipt of bids and completion of the review process, the county and/or the Internal Control Officer who initiated the bidding process may award a contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that in its judgment will provide a combination of the best services and the lowest cost for the privileges and rights to be granted pursuant to the terms of the contract to be entered into between the county and/or the Internal Control Officer who initiated the bidding process and the successful bidder.
(Prior Code, 1 TCC 2-2)