The City Manager has delegated responsibility and limited approval authority for certain types of purchases as follows:
Procurement Services 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.
Engineering 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.
Under no circumstances will any employee accept directly or indirectly, gifts or other items of value from individuals or firms seeking to do business with the Mesa. Purchasing activities will be handled fairly, objectively, without discrimination, and in the best interest of the City.
Purchasing operations are decentralized. Although Procurement reviews many purchases for compliance with established policies and procedures, each department has authority to obtain quotations and award contracts within the limits outlined in the City Charter and Management Policy. Generally speaking, this delegated authority is for purchases and contracts up to $50,000. A complete copy of the our purchasing policies are available from Procurement Services.
We engage in varied activities while providing municipal services for residents. A great variety of equipment, supplies and services must be purchased in support of these operations. Examples of operations include: police and fire protection, water production and distribution, distribution of natural gas and electricity, airport operations, traffic engineering, street maintenance, wastewater treatment, operating libraries, museums, parks facilities, recreation activities, planning and zoning, economic development and inspection services.
If you sell a commodity or provide a service that we need, and if your prices and services are competitive, we are interested in you. Contact us to determine the need for your particular product or service. They can direct you to a department who may be interested.
The State of Arizona institutes and administers cooperative purchasing agreements among governmental agencies and political subdivisions such as Arizona counties, cities and school districts. We actively participate in these agreements, as well as agreements through Omnia Partners, and Sourcewell for many of its commonly used items. Where State or other cooperative contracts are used, we do not conduct separate bidding. A list of State and cooperative contracts we use is available from Procurement. If you are interested in obtaining more information about the State's contracts, contact the State of Arizona Procurement Office at 602-542-7600 or https://spo.az.gov/.
We are a member of the Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures (SAVE), which includes local counties, cities and school districts, and we utilize SAVE contracts when appropriate.
We use an electronic registration system where individuals or firms can select commodity codes and receive electronic notification of formal bids/proposals (value exceeding $50,000). Register
In addition, some departments maintain a separate vendor registration list. For example, if you are interested in bidding on construction projects or providing construction related services, contact the Engineering.
If you are interested in submitting quotations for procurements under $50,000, you can 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, please contact Procurement.
Single Requirement, Firm Price:
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 $50,000) are obtained.
Term Contracts/Supply Contracts:
Term contracts are created for the procurement of specific goods and services that are repetitively used by one or more 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 Master Agreements (MA) 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.
Departments may purchase directly from the supplier or service provider by referencing the assigned Master Agreement or contract number. 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 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 our identified service needs.
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 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 $10,000. The limit must include all labor, taxes, shipping, and miscellaneous costs. Purchases under $10,000 are made using a Limited Purchase Order or by a procurement (credit) card.
Request For Quotation (RFQ):
Informal competitive solicitations are obtained for the purchase of goods and services or repairs/maintenance between $10,000 and $50,000 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):
One option used for the purchase of goods and services or repair/maintenance exceeding $50,000. Notice of the RFB is sent electronically to all registered vendors for that commodity or service. The RFB contains specifications, contractual terms and conditions, and the evaluation criteria for the award. Bids are opened publicly and read aloud 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):
Another option used for the purchase of goods and services or repair/maintenance when they exceed $50,000. This method may be used if the Chief Procurement Officer determines that the use of competitive sealed bidding is either not practical or not advantageous to us. Notice of the RFP is sent electronically to all registered vendors for that commodity or service. The RFP contains specifications, contractual terms and conditions, and the evaluation criteria for award. Proposals are opened publicly and read aloud at the time and place designated in the RFP and only the names of all companies offering proposals are recorded. Proposals are usually scored, or ranked, and the results are documented in an evaluation summary report. Award is made to the company whose proposal is most advantageous to us. Information contained in the proposals is not generally disclosed until after the evaluation is completed.
We reserve the right to reject any or all bids, proposals or quotes, and to waive any informality in these documents. We reserve 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 Mesa 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.
We are always looking for ways to continuously improve our operations and customer service. If you have an idea or suggestion, please email Kristy Garcia, Procurement Administrator at kristy.garcia@mesaaz.gov or call 480-644-5052.
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.