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Purchasing Policy

PURCHASING POLICY
Purpose
Purchasing and contracting for the Addison Twp. Public Library (ATPL) shall be handled in a manner which promotes the best interests of ATPL while providing a fair opportunity for businesses to participate in the purchasing and contracting process.

State Statute “There are no longer any state statutes requiring public bids on municipal contracts. 1993 PAs 167 & 168 which required municipalities to seek competitive bids for purchases over $20,000 in order to receive state shared revenue money, were repealed in 1996. The state has relegated the task of developing public purchasing guidelines to local governments.” Handbook for Municipal Officials Published by the Michigan Municipal League,
July 2015.

All purchases will be made within the legal requirements of the laws of Michigan and of the United States. Authority to let contracts without competitive bidding

Competitive bidding may not be required in respect to contracts for professional services or in any other case w here competitive bidding is not practical or where no advantage would result in the Library to require competitive bidding. The Library Board shall make such a determination
not to solicit competitive bids at a public meeting before the contract is solicited or let. The Library Board may then authorize the execution of a contract without competitive bidding.

Where a contract is let without competitive bidding, the proposed contract shall be approved by the library attorney as to form and content.
Purchasing agent

The Library Board shall act as purchasing agent for the Library and, if it so desires, by approved resolution, may designate the Library Director to act as agent. This resolution shall be filed with the minutes of the Library Board meetings. In the event of such designation, all purchase orders in excess of $3000.00 shall be approved by the Library Board before being issued or paid. The Library Board shall adopt any necessary rules respecting requisitions and purchase orders. The Library Director may purchase supplies, materials, replacement or repair equipment, or maintenance for the Library up to $3,000.00 in accordance with the provisions of this division in
order to maintain the basic operation of the Library. Any such purchases shall be reported to the Library Board at the following regular meeting.

Purchases over $3,000.00 and less than $20,000.00
The Library Board is authorized to award a contract but also has the option to require competitive bidding procedure, if deemed necessary as further outlined. Purchases of supplies, materials or equipment, the cost of which is less than $20,000.00 may be made on the open market, but such purchases, where practical, shall be based on at least three competitive bids.
The Library Board or its agent may solicit bids by fax, telephone or written communication.

Where bids are solicited, the bid request shall be posted on the official notice board at the Library. The board or agent must maintain a written record of all solicitations.

All bids under this section and the following section shall be retained for the duration of the bid plus seven years. Bids rejected are to be retained at least two years.

Purchases in excess of $20,000.00; Competitive bidding procedure

Any expenditure for supplies, material, equipment, construction projects or contracting obligating the Library where the amount of the Library’s obligation would be in excess of $20,000.00 shall be governed by the provisions of this section.

1. Such expenditures shall be made the subject of a written contract. A purchase order shall be a sufficient written contract in such cases where the expenditure is in the usual and ordinary course of the Library’s affairs. Competitive bidding shall be required for the construction of public works when the cost is greater than $20,000.

2. A brief notice inviting sealed competitive bids shall be published in the Oxford Leader newspaper of Addison Township and may also be placed in any of the newspapers of general circulation in the township at least five business days (exclusive) before the final date for submitting bids thereon.

3. The Library Board shall also solicit bids from a reasonable number of qualified prospective bidders as are known by it by sending each a copy of the notice requesting bids and notice thereof shall be posted on the notice board at the Library.

4. Bids shall be opened in public at the time and place designated in the notices requesting bids, in the presence of two members of the Library Board. The bids shall thereupon be carefully examined and tabulated and reported to the Library Board. After tabulation, the competing bidders and the public may inspect all bids.


5. When such bids are submitted to the Library Board, the contract to be executed, in form approved by the Library’s attorney, shall also be submitted, and if the board shall find any of the bids to be satisfactory, it may award the contract to the most qualified bidder, and shall authorize execution of the contract. Awarding of such bids may be by resolution or motion. The Library Board shall have the right to reject any and all bids and to waive irregularities in bidding and to accept bids that do not conform in every respect to the bidding requirements.


6. Successful bidders are required to enter into the contract within ten business days after the contract is awarded. Should the initially selected winning bidder choose not to enter into the contract, the Library Board may, in its discretion, award the contract to the next qualified bidder, or the contract may be re-advertised.


7. The notice of bids shall include the disclaimer that the Library Board shall reserve the right to reject any or all bids for purchase or sale.

Emergency Purchases
In the case of an emergency, the Library Director may purchase directly any supplies, materials, or equipment the immediate procurement of which is necessary to the continuation of the work of the Library. Such purchases and the emergency causing them shall be reported in detail to the Library Board at the next regular Library Board meeting.

Proposed 2/15/2011
Approved 2/15/2011
Revised 4/11/18, 5/9/2018
Revised: 6/14/18, 6/15/18

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