Council directs revisions to draft procurement ordinance to clarify contract modifications and bidding rules

On Dec. 9 the Garrett Park Town Council reviewed a draft ordinance intended to codify the Town's procurement procedures and agreed on a series of clarifications and language changes to improve transparency and consistency.

Assistant Town Manager Kayla Buker said the draft responds to preliminary 2023 conversations and fills gaps in the current uncodified guidelines. Council direction included: amending the definition of "change order" to explicitly mean a contract modification; expanding the definition of "responsible bidder" to exclude firms or individuals who previously performed poorly on Town contracts; adding language to address cumulative contract modifications that would exceed the Council‑authorized amount; and permitting signing limits for non‑Council contracts to be updated periodically by resolution.

The Council also asked staff to require only full, complete bids be accepted for evaluation and to clarify that items procured under an emergency declaration must be relevant to the declared emergency. Buker recommended removing excess language in the subsection on cooperative and wholesale procurement after the reference to other state or local governments or agencies and suggested professional services contracts be subject to periodic competitive bidding similar to other services.

Councilmember Gerilee Bennett suggested the Mayor and Town Manager review the draft to ensure clarity about their respective roles before the ordinance is advanced. Staff will revise the draft in consultation with the Town Attorney and return it for Council consideration and possible introduction.