Committee backs exempting Internet access purchases from county procurement rules, seeks administrative-procedure safeguard

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee recommended that County Council amend Bill 17-25 to exempt Internet access service from the county's procurement code and that the exemption be implemented through administrative procedures approved by the Chief Administrative Officer.

The change is intended to let the Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions buy Internet access under procedures rather than the county's regular competitive-solicitation regime because vendors have declined to accept the county's standard contracts, committee staff said.

Committee staff summarized background and impact: Chapter 11B of the County Code makes most county purchases subject to procurement rules; the county executive and Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) say major Internet providers have refused to sign the county's standard agreements, forcing the county to rely on a Chief Administrative Officer waiver for current contracts. That waiver expires on 2026-05-04, and of the two contractors operating under the waiver, one has exceeded the $100,000 waiver threshold and the other is expected to approach it in fall 2025, staff said.

Council staff said the bill as introduced would exempt "the obtaining of Internet access service"…