Springfield staff propose major updates to municipal procurement code, council asks for guardrails and more reporting

Jessica Mummy, the city’s budget and procurement manager, told the Springfield City Council at a Sept. 15 work session that staff is proposing a series of updates to the Springfield Municipal Code governing public contracts to reflect recent state law and to streamline city purchasing.

Mummy said procurement in Springfield is “subject to the state of Oregon laws and regulations” and that the city’s public contracting code—enacted in 2005 and last updated in 2015—has become “outdated” and is creating “an inefficient process for council, staff and our vendor community.” She identified Senate Bill 1047 (2023) and the League of Oregon Cities model policy as two influences on the proposed revisions.

The proposed thresholds in the draft code would set small procurements for goods and services at $25,000 or less (direct appointment or informal quotes), intermediate procurements from $25,000 to $250,000 (formal quotes), and large procurements at $250,000 and above (formal RFP/RFQ and sealed process). Under the draft, small public-improvement procurements (construction, reconstruction or major renovation) would also move from a current $5,000 small-work threshold to $25,000.

Mummy said these revised thresholds are “consistent with state…