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Board pauses proposed procurement changes after hours of debate over contract caps
Summary
After a day-long workshop on the county's 2026 Contract Policy Manual and use of job-order contracting (JOC), supervisors asked staff to return with revised threshold language and safeguards; staff noted potential delays and higher costs if per-contract caps are lowered from current Public Contract Code-aligned levels.
County procurement officials and department leaders told the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 9 that job-order contracting and A&E task-order programs are central to maintaining county infrastructure — but they also acknowledged the board's interest in tighter oversight.
Michelle Geary, the county CEO, and Maria Grama, county procurement officer, summarized background and policy options. Deputy County Counsel William Ninn reviewed the legal framework for A&E contracts (Minnie Brooks Act) and JOC authority under the Public Contract Code. Maria Grama noted the county's historical adoption timeline for JOC programs and that task orders have delivered work across parks, libraries, roads and critical facilities.
Department leaders warned about unintended consequences if caps or terms were reduced. Brian Wade of the Sheriff's Department said JOC provides rapid response capability for jail and other time-sensitive repairs and that rebidding projects could add months of delay. Public Works director Tim Corbett warned that lowering the contract cap would increase administrative burden and could raise prices because the county would need to rely on a longer list of contractors with higher bid factors.
Board offices sought greater transparency and additional oversight tools. Some board members urged lowering the county's current contract thresholds (staff noted the county aligns to public-contract-code maximums near $6 million), while others proposed a standard lower cap with an explicit process for staff to request higher amounts with written justification and board notification.
After extended discussion the board did not adopt immediate policy changes. Instead, supervisors moved to continue the contract-policy item and asked staff and legal counsel to return with clarified language that would preserve timely project delivery while increasing reporting and anti-splitting safeguards.
Key procedural quote from staff: "If that's the board policy that provides more transparency and makes the board feel more comfortable, we are okay with adhering with that," Maria Grama said of a suggested $1,000,000 task-order notification policy.
Next steps: staff will prepare revised policy language addressing the top-line cap, task-order reporting/notification, sole-source term limits, and travel-expense caps for invited experts, and will return this matter to the board for formal consideration.
