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Board questions procurement tiebreakers, hears parks mowing zone and public-notice explanations
Summary
Directors pressed staff on the city's use of coin flips to break tied bids after two recent instances; staff said coin flips were witnessed by procurement and parks personnel and that state procurement language previously allowed such a practice but was recently changed. The board also heard details about parks mowing zones and confirmation that planning and zoning public hearings use the board's standard notice procedures.
Board members questioned the city's use of a coin flip to resolve tied bids after a recent parks contract award. Staff said that when two bids are identical the city historically broke ties with a coin flip (and used a draw or straw method when more than two bidders tied), that procurement and parks personnel witness the event to ensure transparency, and that the state previously included similar language in procurement guidance but the state removed the coin-flip provision in a recent legislative session.
A board member said a tied bid decided by a coin flip could make the public uncomfortable; staff responded that the city has followed the state's prior practice and that staff are documenting procedures going forward. "Our practice has been to follow what the state had done," staff said; they said the procurement team and parks team witnessed the coin flip.
Director Miller outlined the parks in "zone three" to clarify which contract areas are affected, listing high-use parks by name. When directors asked about health-services contracts those were described by the chief as annual, and staff confirmed that planning and zoning public hearings occur at the board level and use the city's standard public-notice processes, with staff offering to provide additional outreach details in response to concerns about transparency.
Board members asked staff to document procedures and reconcile changes in state procurement rules.
