Agenda 1/26-1/27/17 Planning Retreat

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Purchase Orders Purpose: To provide a legal document that places an obligation on both the County and the vendor. When properly endorsed by the Finance Officer, the purchase order obligates the County to purchase the items listed at the prices stated. The vendor is obligated according to the terms and prices stated on the purchase order to deliver the goods or services. The purchase order provides specifications for goods and services ordered and shipping and billing information. Appropriate Use of the Purchase Order: A purchase order must be used for purchasing any item or service that requires a written order or any purchase or obligation of $100 or more. Open Purchase Orders Open purchase orders will be used for repetitive purchases from certain vendors. Rather than issuing a purchase order for each purchase, one purchase order with a dollar limit is issued for a period of three months. Departments should follow standard purchase order procedures. Special Procurement Electronic Equipment The IT (Information Technology) Department will purchase or authorize the purchase of all computers, peripherals, printers, and all other electronics governed by the technology policy. The IT Department will then be responsible for entering the Purchase Requisition or instructing the department to enter the information. The IT Department will setup and install equipment in the appropriate departments. Emergency Purchases Occasionally purchases need to be made on an emergency basis. An emergency is defined as a situation that occurs and if not immediately corrected would jeopardize the health, safety, and/or property of citizens, the health and safety of County employees, and/or the property of the County. If emergency purchases are needed during business hours, begin Purchase Order procedures immediately and contact the Purchasing Agent for PO approval. When emergency purchases occur during non business hours, contact the Purchasing Agent immediately the next business day. Emergency purchases, although sometimes necessary, are costly both in time and money. The use of emergency procedures should be limited and will be monitored for abuse. Sole Source of Supply In the event there is only one vendor capable of providing a particular good and/or service, the competitive pricing procedures outlined in this manual may be waived by the Purchasing Agent. Whenever a department head or his/her designee determines to purchase goods and/or services from a "sole source", he/she should designate such on the purchase requisition. Professional Services Normal competitive procedures cannot be utilized in securing professional services such as architects, attorneys, engineers, planners and other professional people who, in keeping with the standards of their discipline, will not enter into a competitive bidding process. Where appropriate, the County staff will use a request for qualifications process that assesses companies' abilities to perform services being sought. The County will award these contracts to the most qualified bidder taking into consideration experience and knowledge of the project. Where all criteria are equal, the County will review fees in the evaluation process. When an agreement between a Lee County Purchasing and Contracting Policy Page 6 Amended October 19, 2009