MORRISON AND MARYU WILEY LIBRARY PURCHASING POLICY (BIDS/QUOTATIONS)

3/5/07

 

            Purchases of the library are governed by the State of Illinois statutes.  It is the policy of the Library

Board of Trustees to, in addition to any statutory requirements; use the most responsible business practices in its purchases. It is the policy that all purchases, contracts and expenditure of funds shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder considering conformity with specifications, terms of delivery, quality and serviceability.  However, bidding is not required in the following cases:

 

            A.        Where the goods or services to be procured are economi­cally procurable from only one

source;

 

            B.         Where the services required are for professional skills;

 

            C.         In emergencies involving public health, public safety or where immediate expenditure is

necessary;

 

            D.        Contracts for the maintenance or servicing of equipment which are made with the

manufacturers or authorized service agents of that equipment;

 

            E.         Where the goods or services are procured from another governmental agency;

 

            F.         Purchases and contracts for the use, purchase or instal­lation of data processing equipment or

software;

 

            G.         Contracts which by their nature are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, such as

contracts for printing, tax anticipation warrants and other evidences of indebt­edness and contracts for utility

services such as water, light, heat or telephone;

 

            H.        Purchases as identified by this policy of less than $1500.

 

            The staff, as required by Library Board of Trustees directive, shall seek bids (or quotations if bids are

not specifically required) from the widest possible array of contractors, suppliers and material men that time permits.  This practice will produce the most competitive offers and terms available from the widest number of interested firms or individuals.

 

            The library will utilize a system of solicitation lists of the names, addresses and phone numbers

of the firms or individuals who have expressed an interest in being notified as to particular types of contracts, equipment, supplies or materials which the library seeks to purchase.   The staff will add to each list of those expressing an interest, any firm or individual doing business which the staff determines should be added to such list.  The staff may remove a firm or individual from a list for cause, with Library Board of Trustees approval or the firm or individual may request its removal.

 

            The firms or individuals on any such lists will be solicited directly by the staff to bid or quote on

appropriate pur­chases, in addition to the requirements of advertising or other public notification mandated.

the library shall, when advisable, publicize its system of lists so that any inter­ested person or firm can ask to

be added to the appropriate listing.

 

            The inclusion of a firm or individual on a solicitation list shall not constitute any prequalification for

MORRISON AND MARYU WILEY LIBRARY PURCHASING POLICY (BIDS/QUOTATIONS) (CONT.)

 

bidding  or release in any fashion the firm or individual from meeting any and all requirements set out in a

particular contract, bid, quotation or proposal. This system of solicitation lists is solely for purposes of

supplementing the advertisement or notification requirements otherwise used, in order to avoid even the

appearance of favoritism or lack of fair competition in the libraries purchases.

 

            No commitment for expenditures of library monies, except from the petty cash fund, shall be made

without authorization issued according to the following conditions:

 

            A.        $l0,000 or More

 

            All expenditures of $10,000 or more shall be made only with prior Library Board of Trustees

approval in the manner prescribed by State law and Board rules and regulations.  Advertise­ments for sealed bids or requests for proposals will be properly handled through the public media.  Sealed bids, based on authorized specifications or requests for proposals shall be received at a public bid opening and include all costs for labor and materials, Bid Bond, Performance Bond and Certificate of Insurance.  Bids will then be tabulated and submitted to the Board along with staff's recommendation for action.  Formal contracts with appropriate signatures for both Library Board of Trustees and Contractor are required.

 

            B.         Less than $l0, 000 - More Than $5,000

 

            All expenditures of less than $10,000, but more than $5,000, shall be made only with prior

Library Board of Trustees approval   Staff shall obtain at least three (3) formal written quotations with the

Contractor's signature applied and Performance Bond to be submitted to the Library Director.  Staff will also submit a recommendation for Library Board of Trustees action.

 

            C.         Less than $5,000 - More Than $1,000

 

            All expenditures of less than $5,000, but more than $1,000, for approved budget line items, can be

made only at the discretion of the Library Director upon review of at least three (3) documented quotations

received either in written form by the Contractor or by telephone, as submitted to the Head Librarian.

Immediately following the preliminary purchasing decision, the Head Librarian shall notify the Library

Board of Trustees of the intended purchase in writing and the Library Director shall, except in cases of bona

fide emergencies, wait seven days before completing the purchase or committing thereto.  During that period,

any Library Board of Trustees member who wishes to review the proposed purchase may call a special

Library Board of Trustees meeting by notifying the Library Board of Trustees President and Head Librarian. The Library Board of Trustees meeting is to review the proposed purchase with a view to completing it or rejecting it.  In the event a special meeting is set, the Head Librarian shall not complete the purchase until after the Library Board of Trustees meeting is conducted and then only in furtherance of the Library

Board of Trustees action on the purchase, if any.

 

            D.        Less than $1,000 - More Than $500

 

            Expenditures of less than $1,000, but more than $500, for approved budget line items, can be made at

the discretion of the Library Director or any staff who has been given authority by the Head Librarian. 

MORRISON AND MARYU WILEY LIBRARY PURCHASING POLICY (BIDS/QUOTATIONS) (CONT.)

 

The Head Librarian shall be responsible or monitoring and adhering to pertinent budget and obtaining proper quotations and shall notify the Library Board of Trustees at its next meeting of the purchase.

 

            E.         Less than $500 - More Than $1

 

            Expenditures of less than $500, but more than $1, for either approved budget line items or budget

contingency items can be made at the discretion of the Head Librarian or other staff who have been given

the authority by the Head Librarian without bids or quotations.

 

            F.         Emergency Expenditures

 

            Emergency expenditures over $1,000 can only be made with the written approval of the

Head Librarian and Library Board of Trustees President and approved by three-fourths majority of the

Library Board of Trustees members.  The initial Library Board of Trustees inquiry may be by phone, which is

then to be ratified at the next Library Board of Trustees meeting.

 

Emergency expenditures under $1,000 can only be made with the written approval of the

Head Librarian.  No Board poll is required, but the emergency purchase should be reported at the next Library Board of Trustees meeting.

 

Administrative Procedures

 

                                                      Subject Bid Opening Procedures

 

            The author or designer of the bid package shall provide appro­priate tabulation forms.

 

            At the appointed hour, the architect or the libraries representative shall declare the bidding

closed and determine the following:

 

            Were all addenda, if required by the bid specifications, received? (List addenda by number

and identify.)

 

            Does anyone present desire any clarification of plans, specifications, or bid documents?

 

            Was anyone denied the right to bid?

 

            Are there any objections to proceeding with opening of bids?

 

            Should there be cause, the bidder may at this point change or withdraw his/her bid. In the

event of objection to opening of bids, the libraries representative will note the name of the objector(s) and the

reason for objection. The matter will then be referred to the library legal counsel who will decide on

procedure as follows:

 

            A)        Attempt to satisfy the objection.

MORRISON AND MARYU WILEY LIBRARY PURCHASING POLICY (BIDS/QUOTATIONS) (CONT.)

 

            B)        Secure complete information as to objection and proceed with opening the bids under

protest, for later disposi­tion by proper authority.

 

            C)        Postpone the bid opening to a later date to allow sufficient time for the objection to be

justified.

 

            D)        Rule the objection as informal and proceed with opening of bids.

 

            E)         The bids shall be read aloud to the assembled group in the following order:

 

            1)         name of bidder;

            2)         license number of bidder, if required;

            3)         bid security and amount, if certified check;

            4)         Fair Employment Compliance, if required;

            5)         base bid;

            6)         alternate bid, if any;

            7)         unit price (only if they may influence determination of low bidder, or if requested);

            8)         completion (or delivery) date;

            9)         any other pertinent information.

           

            E)         Upon conclusion of opening and recording bids, thank all participants.

 

            F)         State apparent low bidder, subject to review and analysis by staff.

 

            G)        Give date staff recommendation will be made to the Board of Trustees.

 

H)            Remember, only the Board can reject, waive technicalities or award bid. Staff only

recommends!