Agenda - Public Works Committee - 02/15/2011

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Section 2: Purchasing Practices 2.1 Ethics/Relations with Vendors The City of Ramsey holds its employees to the highest ethical standards. Purchases shall be conducted so they foster public confidence in the integrity of the city's procurement system, and open and free competition among prospective suppliers. In keeping with this value, employees should avoid the following practices when making purchases on behalf of the City: Circumventing competitive bidding requirements. Examples of this include: • Splitting purchases so that they can be made through several small purchases. • Using the emergency procedure process when no true emergency exists. • Using a 'sole source' exemption when competition is available. Denying one or more vendors the opportunity to bid on a contract when they have no history of default or failure in performance. Examples of this include: • Using unreasonably restrictive specifications. • Pre -qualifying bidders on a discriminatory basis. • Removing companies from a bidders list without just cause. • Requiring unnecessary high bonding. Giving favored vendors an unfair advantage. Examples of this include: • Providing vendors with non-public information regarding their competition's offer in advance of a bid opening. • Making information available to favored vendors and not to others. • Giving un-favored vendors inaccurate or misleading information. Accepting gifts from vendors. • Minnesota Statutes 471.895 prohibits government employees from receiving gifts except where they are included as part of the cost of a product, good or service provided (such as a meal provided as part of a conference). Section 3: Decentralized Purchasing The City of Ramsey has a decentralized purchasing program, meaning that each department is responsible for making its own purchases of materials and services for their operation. Such items as office supplies, paper products and other general supplies that are used throughout the City will be centrally assigned to one department for purchase. The responsibility lies within each department to obtain bid or quotes, maintain records of bids or quotes, prepare purchase orders, receive deliveries and approve invoices for payment. Section 4: Purchasing Alternatives 4.1 Uniform Municipal Contracting Law, Chapter 471.345 It shall be the policy of the City of Ramsey that the Uniform Municipal Contracting Law, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 471.345 shall be the policy of the city. Changes in this law will automatically become the policy of the city. City policy may be more restrictive then State Law, but may not be less restrictive. Records of quotes and 2