(a) Authority. Council may, by resolution, authorize the City to:
(1) Participate in any joint purchasing program operated by or through a national or state association of political subdivisions in which the City is eligible for membership;
(2) Participate in contract offerings from the federal government including, but not limited to, contract offerings from the General Services Administration;
(3) Participate in contracts with another political subdivision, as the same is defined in ORC 2744.01, for the acquisition of equipment, material, supplies, or services;
(4) Participate in any joint or cooperative purchasing programs operated by the State of Ohio or any of its agencies; and/or
(5) Participate in any other joint or cooperative purchasing programs or contracts authorized under ORC 9.48.
(b) Exempt from Competitive Bidding Requirements. Acquisition of any equipment, materials, supplies, or services through the participation in a contract of another political subdivision or participation in any of the programs listed in division (a) of this section is exempt from any competitive selection requirements otherwise required by law, so long as the contract in which the City is participating was awarded pursuant to a publicly solicited request for a proposal or a competitive selection procedure.
(c) Purchase of Supplies or Services from Another Party. The City may purchase supplies or services from another party instead of through participation in the contracts authorized under division (a) of this section if the City can purchase those supplies or services from the other party upon equivalent terms, conditions, and specifications but at a lower price than it can through participation in those contracts. Purchases made under this division are exempt from any competitive bidding procedures otherwise required by law. For any purchase made under this division, the City shall maintain sufficient information regarding the purchase to verify it satisfied the conditions for making a purchase under this division.
Statutory Reference: ORC 9.48
(d) Not a Limitation. The authorization granted under this section shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other powers or authority granted to the City by State law, the Ohio Constitution, City Charter, or the provisions of any ordinance or resolution.
(Ord. 2021-23. Adopted 12/29/21)