County attorney recommends wholesale procurement policy rewrite; staff to deliver revised policy by next meeting

Gadsden County’s attorney told commissioners he had begun a review of the county procurement policy and concluded the policy requires a wholesale rewrite rather than piecemeal amendments.

The attorney said he compared procurement procedures in similar counties and found multiple ‘‘flags’’ and outdated provisions about how bids are opened, how negotiation teams operate and how ranking criteria are applied. He told the board the rewrite aims to modernize procurement, encourage participation by new or small contractors and incorporate best practices.

"Our policy requires a wholesale change versus bringing asking this board to amend certain segments of it," the attorney said, adding he expected to present a complete draft at the next commission meeting to ensure the county approves revisions before responses to planned bids are due. He also recommended a stakeholder workshop to include contractors and small-business advocates to obtain practical input.

Commissioners asked for outreach to contracting groups and for the draft policy to be circulated in advance. The attorney and administrator said the new draft should be completed in time for the next meeting, and they also suggested holding a workshop on procurement and strategic planning to let vendors and community groups comment before final adoption.

Ending: County attorney will provide a revised procurement policy draft to the board before the next meeting and staff will schedule a workshop that includes contracting stakeholders and commissioners for additional input.