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Council tables $115,000 marketing-plan contract after questions about bid notice
Summary
Council paused approval of a $115,000 economic-development marketing plan after members raised that the RFP was not posted in the local newspaper and a local firm may have been unaware; staff said legal requirements were met but agreed to reissue the RFP if the council directs it.
Councilmembers on the Pekin City Council voted to table a staff recommendation to authorize a $115,000 professional-services agreement with McDaniel's Marketing for a citywide economic-development marketing plan.
Economic development staff member Josh Ray told the council the marketing plan would recommend projects, campaigns and future budgets to promote housing, businesses and downtown activity. Ray said the city sent the request for proposals (RFP) to eight firms and received three proposals; the city’s Economic Development Advisory Committee scored the submissions and recommended McDaniel's.
Several councilmembers objected that the RFP was not published in the local newspaper and that a local firm had contacted staff to say it had been unaware of the solicitation. Councilmember Mr Nutter moved to table the item and direct staff to reject the current RFP and reissue it with broader procurement notice so local firms have an opportunity to compete. Staff said the procurement met legal requirements but acknowledged not placing a newspaper notice and recommended that, if the council wants broader local competition, it should reject and reissue the RFP.
The council called the vote after discussion; the motion to table was approved. The item will return to a future meeting if the council directs staff to reissue the RFP or revise procurement procedures.
Council action: motion to table and direct staff to reissue the RFP (motion passed).
