Commissioners approve amendment for long-term engineering services while debating re-solicitation

Commissioners pulled a resolution amending the city's continuing-services agreement with Kimberly Horner & Associates to allow discussion before a vote. One commissioner said the firm had been a steady partner for stormwater and bridge work but suggested the city consider re-bidding long-running contracts to ensure competitive pricing and to test the market for other qualified firms.

"I just feel like with these continuing contracts, it might not be a bad idea to put them out and bid again to see what else might be out there to make sure," a commissioner said during the discussion, acknowledging the firm's institutional knowledge but urging fiscal stewardship. City staff noted that continuing services procurements are qualification-based: the city ranks firms on qualifications and then negotiates price with the top-ranked firm, and that termination clauses and no-guarantee-of-work language typically exist in such agreements. After discussion, the commission moved and approved the resolution amending the agreement.