(A) All purchase orders for any and all city departments, including the Police Department and the Fire Department, shall be submitted to the City Administrator for approval. This approval shall be obtained prior to the ordering of any goods, products, supplies, other merchandise or services and prior to the payment of any money, in whatever form, to the seller of such goods, supplies or other merchandise, or to the provider of such services.
(B) Any items or services required by any and all city departments, including the Police Department and the Fire Department, which were not included in approved department budgets for the current fiscal year, shall not be purchased without first obtaining the approval of the City Council. This approval shall be obtained prior to the ordering of said items or services and prior to the payment of any money, in whatever form, to the seller of such items or to the provider of such services.
(C) All city departments, including the Police Department and the Fire Department, shall obtain three written price quotations for any purchase that has a total cost exceeding $500. These written price quotations shall be obtained from no fewer than three different suppliers of the items or providers of the services sought by the city department. Before incurring any expense that has a total cost exceeding $1,500, competitive bids shall be obtained by the city department, desiring to make the expenditure. These competitive bids shall be obtained from no fewer than three different suppliers of the type of goods, supplies or other merchandise, or providers of such services sought to be purchased by the city department.
(D) In the event of any emergency, when the City Administrator or the Mayor of the city are not available, then any department head may make expenditures as are prudent and necessary with out prior approval so long as said expenditure does not exceed any budgeted amount. Emergency provisions of the section shall only be used when the lack of an immediate expenditure would risk loss of life, serious injury or loss of public or private property.
(Ord. passed 8-12-1996)