HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/09/91CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
December 9, 1991
4:45 p.m.
Large Conference Room
Members present: Mayor Bernie McKinley, Brown, Dell, Buck,
Wright, Budak.
The Agenda, as proposed, was approved.
Mayor McKinley stated that the purpose of the meeting was to
discuss local preference on purchases made by the City of
Waterloo.
Councilperson Buck stated that this issue came to light
approximately one year ago when the Park Board sought bids for a
tractor and recommended the acceptance of a Waterloo bidder who
was not the apparent low bidder. The Finance Committee overruled
this recommendation and awarded the bid to the low bidder, an
out-of-town business. The Park Department is now ready to seek
bids and is requesting guidance on the local preference issue.
Larry P. Burger, City Clerk/Auditor, outlined the proposed
purchasing policy highlighting the following specific points.
1. Local Bidder shall be defined as any business or bidder with
either ownership or operations and offices being located
within Black Hawk County.
2. Bid proposals shall be sought from local bidders only
when three or more qualified bidders can be identified
within Black Hawk County.
3. The City of Waterloo shall extend its restricted bidding
area to within the State of Iowa only for those purchases in
which fewer than three (3) qualified bidders can be
identified locally.
4. The City of Waterloo shall extend its restricted bidding
area outside of the State of Iowa only for those purchases
in which fewer than three qualified bidders can be
identified within the State of Iowa.
5. The City of Waterloo shall consider an official State of
Iowa bid when available and when it is determined to be in
the best interest of the City of Waterloo.
6. The City of Waterloo shall take into consideration local
preference in purchasing goods and services from private
enterprise located within Black Hawk County in which the
cost and other considerations of the goods or services to be
purchased are relatively equal. Nothing in this section
shall be construed to prevent or prohibit the giving of
preference to businesses owned and operated by minorities or
females as may be provided in other resolutions, ordinances
of the City of Waterloo or the state law.
Reference was made to the State Code of Iowa, Section 23A.3,
which states in part that a city shall adopt a policy for
purchasing goods or services from private enterprise which
requires consideration of purchasing these goods and services
from a locally owned business located within the city which
offers these goods or services if the cost and other
considerations are relatively equal. There was considerable
discussion as to the meaning of the words "relatively equal."
Councilperson Wright stated that the city should definitely
consider only Waterloo bidders since these local businesses
provide employment opportunities and the city should be
reciprocating.
City Council Work Session
December 9, 1991
Page 2
Discussion was heard on giving preference to local bidders on a
percentage basis. It was noted that only one or two other Iowa
cities give local preference advantage. Councilperson Dell
suggested that the Clerk/Auditor's staff begin keeping data when
the city does not take low bids in the future so that the local
preference policy could be reviewed in approximately one year.
Jim Stewart, President of Local 838, asked that the Council
consider buying locally.
An informal poll of the Council was taken which indicated that
most preferred some type of percentage of preference to be given
to local bidders. City staff will further research possible
percentages which will be referred to a City Council Work Session
scheduled for December 23, 1991.
With no further business before the Council, the meeting as
adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
Larry P. Burger
City Clerk/Auditor