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Council pauses adoption of new purchasing manual pending ordinance amendment and public review
Summary
Councilors reviewed a draft city purchasing manual and agreed to defer final adoption until a related ordinance (sec. 2-1-3) is amended and additional posting-language changes are inserted; they asked staff to present the ordinance amendment at the next meeting.
The Pryor Creek City Council took up a proposed city purchasing manual on Feb. 10 after an extended review by staff and volunteer contributors.
Council members praised the revised manuals clarity and thanked a former procurement professional, Phyllis Llewellyn, who helped with drafting and suggestions. Councilors noted the manual would improve consistency in bidding and purchasing and make the procurement process clearer for department heads.
Several councilors and the city clerk recommended a brief delay so the council could amend municipal code section 2-1-3 to ensure the ordinance and manual will not conflict. Councilmember Lamar and others said they wanted language added that would require bid documents (RFPs, bid instructions, scope, terms and conditions) to be posted on the city's website at the same time they are published in the newspaper; another suggested that requests for quotes be posted at least seven calendar days before the closing date.
The council voted to take no action that night (defer) to allow staff and legal counsel to draft the ordinance amendment and to give councilors time to review the revised manual. Mayor Doyle said staff will prepare the ordinance amendment for the next meeting and that the manual's future revisions would be administered by the city clerk's office.
Why it matters: A city purchasing manual sets procurement practices for departments and affects contract transparency, vendor access and public trust. Councilors sought to align the manual with municipal code and to ensure consistent posting practices for bids.
What happens next: Staff and legal counsel will draft the recommended ordinance amendment to section 2-1-3 and include the suggested posting language; the council will consider the ordinance amendment and the purchasing manual together at a future meeting.
