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Village clarifies bidding rules: vehicles and equipment exempt from formal advertising but must have three bids
Summary
The Northrop Bill's board amended village code Chapter 3.4 and the village purchasing policy to state that vehicles and equipment are not subject to formal advertising for bids but must follow the purchasing policy requiring three bids. Both measures passed unanimously July 7, 2025.
The Northrop Bill's board on July 7, 2025 approved an ordinance amending village code Chapter 3.4 and a companion resolution changing the village purchasing policy to clarify that vehicles and equipment are not subject to formal advertising for bids but must follow the village purchasing policy, which requires three bids.
Jason, a staff member, told the board that Chapter 3.4 previously treated public works contracts, public improvement projects and purchases of supplies over $25,000 as requiring advertising for bids and award to the lowest bidder. "What's not clear is whether or not vehicles and equipment are considered supplies or not," he said. "Going back and looking at the state statute, we determined that they were not considered supplies." He said the ordinance adds language to the code to reflect that interpretation and the purchasing-policy change adds matching language to require three bids for vehicle and equipment purchases.
The ordinance amends village code Chapter 3.4 to exclude vehicles and equipment from the formal advertising-and-lowest-bid requirement. The resolution amends Section 2(d) of the village purchasing policy to state that, although vehicles and equipment are not subject to formal advertising for bids, staff should obtain three bids under the purchasing policy before making a purchase. The transcript and board action show the measures were moved and seconded and passed on recorded roll calls: Trustees Christiansen, Curtis, Gaitley, Lowery, Nejvej and Salazar voted yes.
Board members did not record further public comment on the items. The changes apply to purchases that previously fell under the code's $25,000 threshold for advertising; Jason explicitly cited that $25,000 figure. The ordinance and resolution do not include a dollar-value change to the threshold and do not provide exceptions beyond the stated lift of the advertising requirement for vehicles and equipment. The purchasing policy requirement of three bids remains the village's procedural safeguard for such purchases.
