Bothell staff outline procurement overhaul aimed at wider vendor access

Bothell city staff presented a multi-part procurement update that leadership says will make contracting more efficient and accessible for local vendors. Quanta Merzewald, the procurement presenter, described a new purchasing matrix, updated sole-source procedures and plans for SharePoint-based centralized procurement pages that would guide staff through solicitations, RFPs and contract routing.

"We have created a purchasing matrix…a quick guide that has been really helpful for staff," the procurement presenter said, noting the city is standardizing processes for cooperative purchasing and improving record-keeping and insurance checks. Finance Director Quan Wong joined to note training on statewide rosters—including the Small Works roster—has been a focus and that vendor outreach aims to grow the pool of businesses that select Bothell on annual rosters.

Council members urged practical steps to boost local participation. Council member Kurt asked whether the roster could align with budgeting cycles and requested systematic debriefs after rebids; the presenter said rosters are annual and staff will pursue closer department engagement and lessons‑learned debriefs. Deputy Mayor Aldrichs encouraged targeted outreach to recruit women-, minority- and veteran-owned firms. "We can inform them and help them to sign up," the presenter said, describing outreach with communications staff.

The briefing also reviewed contracting trends: a modest increase in contracts over the past three years, improvements to contract templates, and plans to incorporate state and federal regulation changes. Staff said no council action was required this evening; the procurement function will return with tools and training through the year.