The process of procurement is initiated by a request from departments of the Town for specific commodities and/or service. This ‘Quick Reference Guide’ sets forth the general guidelines and requirements which govern the procurement process. Dollar value requirements, Purchasing method and approval requirements are as follows:

Application and Exclusions

The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply to every purchase/procurement of goods, supplies, equipment, or materials or the letting of any contract for the working of any road or street or construction of any building by the Town and the departments and advisory boards, which are under the control of the TOWN COMMISSION, irrespective of their fund source, including state and federal assistance monies, except as otherwise specified by law. They shall not apply to:

1. Agreements between the TOWN and non-profit organizations or governmental entities including the procurement, transfer sale or exchange of goods and/or services.

2. Procurement of dues and memberships in trade or professional organizations; subscriptions for periodicals; advertisements; postage; expert witnesses; abstracts of titles for real property; title insurance for real property; court reporter services; water, sewer, and electrical utility services; copyrighted materials; patented materials; and fees and costs of job-related seminars and training.

3. Goods and/or services given or accepted by the TOWN via grant, gift or bequest.

4. Any State Contract; any contract which has been let to the lowest qualified and responsible bidder pursuant to competitive sealed Bids or Request for Proposal by any county, municipality, school board, other units of local government, the Florida Sheriff's Association, or the Florida Association of Counties and any governmental cooperative or alliance (where an alliance is a group of local governments banded together to achieve economies in contracting prices for the acquisition of certain goods, services, supplies, equipment or materials).

5. Professional consulting services where the selection process conforms to State Law.

6. Items purchased for resale to the general public.

7. Purchases from private cooperative groups or organizations or a Federal General Services Contract when the best interests of the TOWN would be served thereby, provided the Purchasing Division has attempted to obtain three (3) written or verbal quotations and those quotations confirm that the contract price is lower than the price available from vendors who are not a party to said contract.

8. Wrecked Town Vehicles, Which Have Been Appraised Or Designated By The Town’s Appraiser For Repair.

9. Emergency Vehicle Repairs.

10. Any purchase from a local vendor whose principal place of business is in Manatee or Sarasota County and whose price terms, and conditions for the item to be purchased is the same as or lower than a competitively bid state of Florida, county, municipality, school board, other unit of local government, Florida Sheriff's Association, Florida Association of Counties, governmental cooperative, or governmental alliance contract.

11. Sole Source Purchases: The Town Manager, may make or authorize the purchase, under the Purchasing Manual, of goods, services, supplies, equipment and material without competitive Bidding when the Purchasing Manager recommends and the department director of the using department has documented in writing that such goods, supplies, equipment, material or services, are the only source that will meet the departmental needs and are available through only one source of supply. Such written determination shall be retained in the appropriate official contract file of the Purchasing Division.

12. Emergency Purchases: The Town Manager may make or authorize Emergency Purchases in accordance with the Purchasing Manual. Written records of emergency purchases shall be maintained by the Purchasing Division. For purposes of this ordinance, “Emergency Purchases” means a procurement made in response to a requirement when the delay incident, to comply with all governing rules, regulations, and procedures would be detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the TOWN and/or its citizen’s.