Commissioners direct procurement to vet rental vendors, set safeguards for county equipment rentals

Commissioners directed the county procurement office to begin vetting rental equipment vendors for an annual approved list and agreed on procedural safeguards before vendors are added.

Chief procurement officer Shanda Crystal presented a proposed process that would allow departments to use preapproved vendors without seeking commission approval for each individual rental. The change is intended to speed purchases for routine or emergency rentals and to avoid repeated legal and auditing review for the same companies.

Commissioners and county staff raised several limitations and controls to be added before any vendor list is finalized: risk management and the comptroller must review and approve vendors and standard contract language; rentals longer than six months must return to the commission for approval; departments must notify auditing and update the board if unanticipated or unbudgeted costs arise; and documentation confirming appropriate insurance or training for operators must be provided.

"If it is an emergency, we'd like to get the equipment," a commissioner said, but added the board must balance speed with liability. County risk-management and legal staff will review releases and liability forms and will be copied on rental approvals; procurement said it will revise the proposal and circulate it for review prior to bringing a final recommended process back to the board.

The board agreed to start the vetting process under those conditions; staff will return with an updated draft incorporating risk-management and auditing feedback.