Somerville committee accepts edits, recommends Home Rule petition to raise procurement thresholds

Ward 2 City Councilor JT Scott, chairing the Somerville City Legislative Matters Committee, moved and the committee accepted redline edits and then recommended approval of a Home Rule petition to raise “sound business practices” and written-quote procurement thresholds under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30B.

The petition, returned to the committee for further drafting after a Sept. 30 discussion, would raise the lower procurement band to include amounts “up to and include $20,000,” and create a subsequent band for procurements “greater than $20,000” up to the Operational Services Division’s current micro-purchase/small procurement threshold (identified in the meeting as $250,000). The redline also adds a local-certification clause giving Somerville flexibility to accept certifications “by virtue of a certification…