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Boca Raton adopts city-specific 'cone of silence' for procurements
Summary
The City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 5,700 on Sept. 10 to create a city-level procurement 'cone of silence' governing post-submission communications with decisionmakers and replacing the county-level policy.
The Boca Raton City Council on Sept. 10 adopted Ordinance 5,700 to establish a city-specific "cone of silence" that restricts certain communications between proposers and decisionmakers after submission deadlines for city-initiated procurements.
Deputy City Attorney Joshua Koehler briefed the council on the ordinance, saying it applies to city procurements (RFPs, RFQs and bid processes) and is not intended to restrict members of the public or written communications. "The cone of silence does not apply to members of the public," Koehler said, and it also excludes public meetings and written submissions, he added. The measure replaces the county ordinance under which the city has operated since 2011.
Council members praised the legal team for updating the local code and voted 5-0 to adopt the ordinance. Supporters said the city-specific rule clarifies responsibilities for local procurements and aligns the code more closely with state law and local practice.
Provenance: Overview and adoption of Ordinance 5,700 are recorded in the council minutes (reading and discussion SEG 2076–2158).
