(a) The City Manager shall have authority to enter into contracts of less than or equal to fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for the purchase of equipment, supplies, materials, and nonprofessional services necessary or desirable for the operation of the City, to the extent that there are available funds within the applicable category of the annual appropriation ordinance, as amended. City Council shall approve, by motion, the purchase of equipment, supplies, materials, and nonprofessional services necessary for the operation of the City greater than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).
(b) Contracts for the purchase of equipment, supplies, materials, and nonprofessional services shall require competitive bidding or quotes. The City Manager, whenever practicable, shall obtain three or more quotations for contracts to reasonably assure that the City is paying a fair price for its purchases. The City Manager shall make a contracting recommendation to the City Council for purchases of over fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), based on the criteria in division (a) above, ordinarily culminating in the recommendation of the best responsible quote, which may also be, but does not have to be, the lowest quote. The above procedure shall operate in lieu of any statutory procedures for the selection of these providers. Competitive bidding requirements may be waived in the case of a sole source provider, or in the case of utilization of the state bidding process.
(c) The City Manager shall have authority to enter into contracts of less than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for the purchase of professional services necessary or desirable for the operation of the City, to the extent that there are available funds within the applicable category of the annual appropriation ordinance, as amended.
(d) Contracts for professional services may be exempt from formal bidding requirements, but shall require City Council approval by motion, if over thirty thousand dollars ($30,000). The City Manager, whenever practicable, shall obtain three or more formal quotations, based upon a request for qualifications (RFQ) for professional services contracts, to reasonably assure that the City is paying a fair price for the most qualified expert professional services. The City Manager shall make a contracting recommendation to the City Council based upon a thorough review of formal or informal RFQs, ordinarily culminating in the recommendation of the best responsible quote, which may also be, but does not have to be, the lowest quote. The above procedure shall operate in lieu of any statutory procedures for the selection of professional service providers. Competitive bidding requirements may be waived in the case of a sole source provider.
(e) City Council's review of proposed contracts shall include consideration of a recommendation by the City Manager. The City reserves the right to waive defects in bids or proposals where such waiver is in the City's interest, and to reject any and all bids or proposals. Further, the City Council may require formal bidding requirements be followed prior to, concurrent with, or upon consideration of any contract described in division (a) or (b) above, upon the affirmative vote of a Council motion by a majority of the members present.
(f) Full compliance with Charter Section 7.04 is mandatory for any contract to be formed pursuant to the above divisions (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e).
(g) Surplus tangible personal property that is no longer needed for municipal purposes, the estimated value of which is less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), may be disposed of pursuant to either of the following:
(1) Sold by the City Manager by private sale;
(2) Donated to an eligible nonprofit organization after City Council, by resolution, determines: (i) the organization to receive the donation is located in Butler County, Ohio and is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 501(a) and (c)(3), and (ii) the organization's intended use of the personal property to be donated wil further the organizations charitable mission or purpose.
(h) Surplus tangible personal property that is no longer needed for municipal purposes, the estimated value of which is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more, may be sold at public auction or via an internet auction service without approval of the City Council, provided that the City Council is provided 30 days' advance written notice of the items to be sold.
(i) Surplus City vehicles, equipment, or machinery that is no longer needed for municipal purposes may be offered for sale where the selling price of such vehicles, equipment, or machinery will be credited against the purchase price of other vehicles, equipment, or machinery and to consummate the sale and purchase by a single contract with the lowest and best bidder to be determined by subtracting the purchase price offered for the municipally-owned vehicles, equipment, or machinery from selling price of the vehicles, equipment, or machinery to be purchased.
(j) Surplus tangible personal property that is no longer needed for municipal purposes, and that has no value, may be discarded or salvaged.
(k) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section and regardless of the property's value, City Council, by resolution, may sell or donate surplus tangible personal property to the federal government, the state, any political subdivision of the state, or a county land reutilization corporation without advertisement or public notification.
(l) Nothing in this section shall be construed to circumvent or override the provisions of Section 606.24 of these Codified Ordinances.
(Ord. 8-2003. Passed 2-20-03; Ord. 11-2005. Passed 4-21-05; Ord. 08-2010. Passed 5-6-10; Ord. 09-2024. Passed 6-6-24.)