How To Do Business with the City of Mesa
This informative
handbook has been prepared as a brief introduction to
acquaint you with the business procedures of the City of Mesa,
Arizona. Familiarity with these procedures will aid you in
presenting your product or service to the City.
Should you have any questions that are not answered herein,
please call Purchasing at (480) 644-2301 or visit our office at
20 E. Main Street, Suite 400, Mesa, Arizona 85201.
BUSINESS PROCEDURES
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PURCHASES
The City Manager has delegated responsibility and limited
approval authority for certain types of purchases as follows:
Purchasing is responsible for review of any proposed purchase,
rental, lease, lease/purchase, maintenance or repair of tangible
personal property to insure that the transactions comply with
the City Charter and Management Policy. For further information
call 480-644-2301.
The Engineering Department is responsible for all public works
construction and maintenance projects including the design,
construction, remodeling, maintenance and repair of City
buildings. Engineering is also responsible for the design,
installation, improvement, repair and/or maintenance of streets,
water and sewer systems, parkways, storm drains, etc. Awarding
of contracts for such goods or professional services may be done
without review by Purchasing. For further
information call 480-644-2251.
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GIFTS AND GRATUITIES PROHIBITED
Under no circumstances will any City employee accept directly or
indirectly, gifts or other items of value from individuals or
firms seeking to do business with the City. Purchasing
activities will be handled fairly, objectively, without
discrimination, and in the best interest of the City of Mesa.
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WHO PURCHASES FOR THE CITY
The City purchasing operations are decentralized. Although
Purchasing reviews many purchases for compliance with
established policies and procedures, each department has
authority to obtain quotations and award contracts within the
limits set forth in the City Charter and Management Policy.
Generally speaking, this delegated authority is for
purchases and contracts up to $25,000. A complete copy of the
City's purchasing policies are available from Purchasing.
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BUSINESS HOURS
The Purchasing office is open for business from 7:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday with the exception of
City-observed holidays. Potential vendors may visit during
working hours. However, appointments are strongly
recommended to ensure availability of the appropriate buyer.
Appointments are made by calling (480) 644-2301. The fax number
is (480) 644-2655.
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INTRODUCING YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICES
The City engages in varied activities while providing municipal
services for its residents. A great variety of equipment,
supplies and services must be purchased in support of these
operations. Examples of city operations include: police and fire
protection, water production and distribution, distribution of
natural gas & electricity, airport operations, traffic
engineering, street maintenance, wastewater treatment, operating
libraries, museums, golf courses, parks facilities, recreation
activities, planning & zoning, economic development and
inspection services.
If you sell a commodity or provide a service that is needed by
the City, and if your prices and services are competitive, we
are interested in you. Contact Purchasing to determine the
City's need for your particular product or service. They can
direct you to a department who may be interested.
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COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SUPPLY CONTRACTS
The State of Arizona institutes and administers cooperative
purchasing agreements among governmental agencies and political
subdivisions such as Arizona counties, cities and school
districts. The City of Mesa actively participates in these
agreements, as well as agreements through US Communities
Government Purchasing Alliance, Western States Contracting
Alliance and the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance
for many of its commonly used items. Where State or other
cooperative contracts are used, the City does not conduct
separate bidding. A list of State and cooperative contracts used
by the City of Mesa is available from the Purchasing Office. If
you are interested in obtaining more information about the
State's contracts, contact the State of Arizona Procurement
Office at (602) 542-5511.
The City is also a member of the Strategic Alliance for Volume
Expenditures (SAVE), which includes local counties, cities and
school districts, and may utilize SAVE contracts when
appropriate.
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BIDDER'S REGISTRATION
The City of Mesa uses an electronic registration system where
individuals or firms can select commodity codes and
receive electronic notification of formal bids/proposals (value
exceeding $25,000).
Register
with the City of Mesa.
In addition, some City departments maintain a separate
registration list. For example, if you are interested in bidding
on construction projects or providing construction related
services, contact the Engineering Department at 480-644-2251. If
you are interested in submitting quotations for procurements
under $25,000, you must make direct contact with the department
looking for the products or services you offer. If you are
unsure which department might use your product or service, the
Purchasing buyers can advise you whom to contact.
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TYPES OF PROCUREMENTS MADE BY THE CITY
Single Requirement, Firm Price:
City departments often require goods and services on an "as
needed" basis for a specific project or application. When this
occurs, firm fixed price quotes (for purchases under $25,000) or
formal bids/proposals (for purchases over $25,000) are obtained.
Term Contracts/Supply Contracts:
Term contracts are created by Purchasing for the procurement of
specific goods and services that are repetitively used by one or
more City departments. Depending on the estimated annual dollar
amount of these contracts, written Requests For Quotation or
formal sealed bidding may be used to obtain the needed items.
Blanket Purchase Orders (PO's) are generally issued to the
selected supplier(s) for annual supply contracts for goods. A
written contract is generally issued for annual supply contracts
for services. City departments may purchase directly from the
supplier or service provider by referencing the assigned Blanket
PO or contract. For these agreements, suppliers are often
required to have a local distributor who stocks the frequently
used items for issuance on an "as needed" basis during the life
of the contract. In most cases, the selected supplier will offer
delivery to City departments as well as handling over the
counter sales. Similarly, selected service providers usually
maintain sufficient local staff and if applicable, service
supplies to handle the City's identified service needs.
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PROCUREMENT METHODS
Petty Cash:
Purchases that do not exceed $100.00 may be made from petty cash
which is reimbursed according to an established written policy.
The City employee making such a purchase will pay in cash and
obtain an original receipt.
Small Dollar Purchases:
Competitive quotations are not required for purchases of goods &
services or repairs/maintenance under $5,000. The limit must
include all labor, taxes, shipping, and miscellaneous costs.
Except for services, purchases under $5,000 are made using a
Limited Purchase Order or by a City procurement (credit) card.
Each department is issued a numbered sequence for their Limited
Purchase Orders by Purchasing. The purchase of services is made
using a contract and payment is processed on an Invoice for
Payment form.
Invoice For Payment:
Invoice for Payment forms are used to request payment for
expenditures which are not related to the purchase, maintenance
or repair of tangible personal property. Examples include
payments for rentals, services, membership, travel related
expenses & utilities.
Request For Quotation (RFQ):
Informal competitive solicitations are obtained for the purchase
of goods and services or repairs/maintenance between $5,000 and
$25,000 in value. Informal quotations do not require public
advertising. Quotations will be solicited from at lease three
sources, when available. Responses to a Request For Quotation
must be in writing. It is important to respond to an RFQ by the
deadline stated in the request.
A Request For Bid (RFB) is one option used for the purchase of
goods and services or repair/maintenance exceeding $25,000.
Notice of the RFB is generally mailed or faxed to all suppliers
who have a current Bidder application on file for the specified
commodity or service. The Notice is also published once in the
Mesa Tribune on a pre-selected Saturday. The RFB contains
specifications, contractual terms and conditions and the
evaluation criteria for award. Bids are opened publicly at the
time and place designated in the RFB; the amount of each bid and
the name of each bidder is recorded on a bid tabulation. Award
is generally made to the lowest responsive and responsible
bidder. All bids and the bid tabulation are available for public
inspection after the bid opening.
A Request For Proposal (RFP) is another option used for the
purchase of goods and services or repair/maintenance when they
exceed $25,000. This method may be used if the Procurement
Services Director determines that the use of competitive sealed
bidding is either not practical or not advantageous to the City.
Notice of the RFP is generally mailed or faxed to all suppliers
who have a current Bidders application on file for the specified
commodity or service. The RFP contains
specifications, contractual terms and conditions and the
evaluation criteria for award. Proposals are opened publicly at
the time and place designated in the RFP and the names of all
companies offering proposals is recorded. Proposals are usually
scored, or ranked, and the results are documented in an
evaluation report. Award is made to the company whose proposal
is most advantageous to the City. Information contained in the
proposals is not generally disclosed until after the evaluation
is completed.
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SUPPLIER SELECTION
The City of Mesa reserves the right to reject any or all bids,
proposals or quotes, and to waive any informality in these
documents. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any
specific item or group of items within a bid, proposal or quote
unless the supplier states it's an "All or Nothing" offer. The
evaluation of bids and/or quotations and the determination of
the supplies, materials or services offered, shall be the
responsibility of the City and will be based on the needs and
intended use, the quality/quantity of information furnished by
the bidder, as well as other relevant factors.
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FUTURE DIRECTION
The City is always looking for ways to continuously improve our
operations and customer service. If you have an idea or
suggestion, please send it to:
Alyce Benge
Purchasing Administrator
City of Mesa
P O Box 1466
Mesa AZ 85211-1466
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DISCLAIMER
The guidelines presented here have been prepared and provided
for information purposes only. They do not supplant the laws,
regulations, and procedures governing procurement by the City of
Mesa. In the event of changes in the applicable laws,
regulations or procedures, those laws, regulations and
procedures take precedence.
For comments or questions:
alyce.benge@Mesaaz.gov
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