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 process approved by Somerville,” including certification issued by another state or an outside agency.

Why it matters: the change would alter which procurements require multiple written quotes and which suppliers are eligible to compete for certain city purchases, and clarify that only businesses certified and “customarily providing the supplier service that we’re looking for for a particular procurement process shall be eligible,” a restriction the administration added to limit eligibility to vendors operating in the appropriate service area.

Director Allen, speaking for city staff and noting drafting work with the city solicitor and the intergovernmental-affairs liaison, described the changes and the rationale for clearer threshold language. Allen said the draft was revised to be explicit on thresholds and on how Somerville would treat third-party certifications. “By virtue of a certification process approved by Somerville, only such certified businesses shall be eligible,” Allen said, adding the further restriction that eligible firms must be “customarily providing the supplier service that we’re looking for for a particular procurement process.”

Liaison Yasmin Radassi flagged a typographical issue in her submitted redline and asked that “by virtue of a certificate” be corrected to “by virtue of a certification,” which the chair said would be treated as a scrivener’s correction. Analyst Salisbury offered a procedural note: “Mr. Chair, just a procedural note. I do want to note that you will need to accept the amended version before you before recommending its approval.” Chair JT Scott then moved to adopt the redline edits.

On the motion to accept the amendments, the committee recorded affirmative votes from Councilor Ewing Kempen, Councilor Davis, and Chair JT Scott; the chair stated, “With that, those amendments are accepted.” After accepting the edits, the committee voted to recommend approval of the Home Rule petition as amended; the same three members recorded “yes” votes on that motion, and the committee also approved the meeting minutes and adjourned.

Actions recorded at the meeting included the substitution/acceptance of the redline draft, the committee’s recommendation of approval for the Home Rule petition as amended, approval of minutes from the Sept. 30 meeting, and formal adjournment. No additional conditions, seconds, or dissenting votes were recorded on the audio.

No timeline for further municipal or legislative steps was stated on the record during the meeting.