Summary
To: Town Commission
From: Micah Maxwell, Town Manager
Date: 3/3/2017
______________________________________________________________________
Subject:
Title
First Reading of Ordinance 509 - Amending Town of Belleair Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2 - Administration
Summary:
Ordinance 509 Amends chapter 2 of the town’s code of ordinances. Specifically, the ordinance changes the town’s designated Local Planning Agency (LPA) from the Town Commission to the Planning and Zoning Board, defines town officers, adds purchasing language to the chapter, and makes an administrative change necessitated by the addition of the purchasing language.End
Body
Previous Commission Action: The town commission ratified a change to the Charter in December of 2016, which removed specific purchasing language from the town charter and replaced it with language identifying that the purchasing rules would be defined by ordinance.
Background/Problem Discussion:
LPA Change - This change was made to allow for a more efficient meeting process. The current language requires the Town Commission to convene and hear certain items as the LPA and then make a recommendation to the Town Commission. The Commission would then adjourn the LPA meeting and convene and hear the same item as the Town Commission, receiving the recommendation that it has made to itself. The would make the Planning and Zoning Board the LPA and eliminate that duplication.
Officer Definition - This change was made in part because of the need to define the Finance Officer for the purchasing changes discussed below. Previously the Officers and Employees section refered only to the Town Attorney and Division 1 of Article III was blank. The change defines the Finance Officer, Town Clerk, and Town Manager roles.
Purchasing rules - This addition to Chapter 2 codifies the purchasing rules for the town
Administrative Change - There is also language which reserves section numbers 2-123 through 2-174. This is an administrative change cause by the addition of Article V, which ensures an appropriate number of sections remain available in Article IV.
Expenditure Challenges N/A
Financial Implications: The main focus of the purchasing rules is the purchasing thresholds. The previous charter language required a competitive bid procedure for expenditures in excess of $10,000. This is coupled with the requirements of Resolution 2010-38, which created a four tier system. The new language is changes to a five tier approach, which would allow for increased flexibility for regular purchase. Below is a matrix of the solicitation requirements and a matrix of the approval levels for the two versions of the purchasing rules.
|
Solicitation Requirements |
|
Dollar Threshold |
Old |
New |
|
$0 - $299.99 |
Informal Quote |
Open Market Purchase |
|
$300 - $999.99 |
|
Two Quotes |
|
$1,000 - $2,999.99 |
Three Quotes |
|
|
$3,000 - $9,999.99 |
|
Three Quotes |
|
$10,000 - $19,999.99 |
Bid |
Bid |
|
$20,000 - $34,999.99 |
Formal Bid |
|
|
Over $35,000 |
|
Sealed Competitive Bid |
|
|
|
|
|
Approval Levels |
|
Dollar Threshold |
Old |
New |
|
$0 - $299.99 |
Town Manager or Finance Director |
Purchaser |
|
$300 - $999.99 |
|
Department Head |
|
$1,000 - $2,999.99 |
Town Manager or Finance Director |
|
|
$3,000 - $9,999.99 |
|
Town Manager or Finance Director |
|
$10,000 - $19,999.99 |
Town Manager or Finance Director |
Town Manager and Finance Director |
|
$20,000 - $34,999.99 |
Commission |
|
|
Over $35,000 |
|
Commission |
The rules also define exemptions from the rules for some purchases, bid requirements, emergency procurement rules, and a process for change orders, as well.
Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of Ordinance 509
Proposed Motion Move approval of Ordinance 509 on first reading