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San Carlos council introduces ordinance to align bidding thresholds with state law
Summary
The council introduced Ordinance No. 1625 to amend the municipal code so local bidding thresholds match recent state increases (raising the small‑project threshold from $60,000 to about $75,000 and adjusting informal/formal bidding ranges). The motion passed unanimously and will return for a second reading.
City Attorney Greg Rubins presented Ordinance No. 1625 on Aug. 11, a municipal code amendment to adjust San Carlos' public project bidding thresholds to reflect recent state law changes. "For public projects of $75,000 or less, we can perform the project by our employees, by force account, or by simply negotiating a contract or by a purchase order," Rubins said, noting the prior threshold was $60,000. He described corresponding increases in other thresholds for informal and formal bidding.
Rubins said the law aims to create efficiencies so agencies need not go to formal bidding for relatively small projects. Public Works Director Steven Machida told council the change likely will not alter how most city projects are handled because typical city projects exceed the thresholds; it may help finish small, one‑off projects more quickly.
Council member Layton moved to introduce the ordinance; the motion was seconded and passed on a unanimous roll call. Rubins said the ordinance will return for a second reading at the next meeting.
Next steps: second reading of Ordinance No. 1625 at the next council meeting; staff will apply the adjusted thresholds to qualifying small projects if and when the ordinance is adopted.
