How To Do Business with the City of Mesa
This
handbook has been prepared as a brief
introduction to acquaint you with the business procedures of the City of Mesa, Arizona.
Familiarity with these procedures will aid you in presenting your product or service to
the City.
Should you have any questions that are not answered herein, please call
Purchasing at (480) 644-2301 or visit our office at 20 E. Main Street, Suite 150,
Mesa, Arizona 85201.
Edward Quedens
Procurement Services Director
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
PURCHASES
The City Manager has delegated responsibility and limited approval
authority for certain types of purchases as follows:
Purchasing is responsible for review of any
proposed purchase, rental, lease, lease/purchase, maintenance or repair of tangible
personal property to insure that the transactions comply with the City Charter and
Management Policy. For further information call 480-644-2301.
The Development Services Department is responsible for all
public works construction and maintenance projects including the design, construction,
remodeling, maintenance and repair of City buildings. They are also responsible for the
design, installation, improvement, repair and/or maintenance of streets, water and sewer
systems, parkways, storm drains, etc. The Development Services Manager may award contracts
for such goods or professional services without review by Purchasing.
For further information call 480-644-2251.
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GIFTS AND GRATUITIES
PROHIBITED
Under no circumstances will any City employee accept directly or
indirectly, gifts or other items of value from individuals or firms seeking to do business
with the City. Purchasing activities will be handled fairly, objectively, without
discrimination, and in the best interest of the City of Mesa.
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WHO PURCHASES FOR THE CITY
The City purchasing operations are decentralized. Although Purchasing reviews many purchases for compliance with established policies and
procedures, each department has authority to obtain quotations and award contracts within
the limits set forth in the City Charter and Management Policy. Generally speaking, this
delegated authority is for the purchases and contracts up to $25,000. A complete copy of
the City’s purchasing policies are available from Purchasing.
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BUSINESS HOURS
The Purchasing office is open for business from 7:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday with the exception of City-observed holidays. Potential
suppliers may visit without appointment Tuesday or Thursday between the hours of 9:00 a.m.
- 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; however, appointments are recommended with the
appropriate buyer to ensure availability. Appointments are made by calling (480) 644-2301.
The fax number is (480) 644-2655.
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INTRODUCING YOUR
PRODUCT OR SERVICES
The City engages in varied activities while providing municipal
services for its residents. A great variety of equipment, supplies and services must be
purchased in support of these operations. Examples of city operations include: police and
fire protection, water production and distribution, distribution of natural gas &
electricity, airport operations, traffic engineering, street maintenance, wastewater
treatment, operating libraries, museums, golf courses, parks facilities, recreation
activities, planning & zoning, economic development, and inspection services.
If you sell a commodity or provide a service that is needed by the
City, and if your prices and services are competitive, we are interested in you. Contact
Purchasing to determine the City’s need for your particular product or
service. They can direct you to a department who may be interested.
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COOPERATIVE
PURCHASING SUPPLY CONTRACTS
The State of Arizona institutes and administers cooperative purchasing
agreements among governmental agencies and political subdivisions such as Arizona
counties, cities and school districts. The City of Mesa actively participates in these
agreements for many of its commonly used items. Where State contracts are used, the City
does not conduct separate bidding. A list of State contracts used by the City of Mesa is
available from the Purchasing Office. If you are interested in obtaining more
information about the State’s contracts, contact the State of Arizona Procurement
Office at (602) 542-5511.
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BIDDER’S REGISTRATION
The City of Mesa uses an electronic registration system where individuals or firms
can select categories of interest and receive electronic notification of formal bids/proposals (value
exceeding $25,000). You may register with the City of Mesa by going to
http://www.cityofmesa.org/Home/ListServPurchasing.aspx
In addition, some City departments maintain a separate registration
list. For example, if you are interested in bidding on construction projects or providing
construction related services, contact the Engineering Division at 480-644-2251. If
you are interested in submitting quotations for procurements under $25,000, you
must make direct contact with the department looking for the products or services you
offer. If you are unsure which department might use your product or service, the
Purchasing buyers can advise you whom to contact.
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TYPES OF PROCUREMENTS
MADE BY THE CITY
Single Requirement, Firm Price:
City departments often require goods and services on an "as
needed" basis for a specific project or application. When this occurs, firm fixed
price quotes (for purchases under $25,000) or formal bids/proposals (for purchases over
$25,000) are obtained.
Term Contracts/Supply Contracts:
Term contracts are created by Purchasing for the
procurement of specific goods and services that are repetitively used by one or more City
departments. Depending on the estimated annual dollar amount of these contracts, written
Request For Quotations or formal sealed bidding may be used to obtain the needed items.
Blanket Purchase Orders (PO’s) are generally issued to the
selected supplier(s) for annual supply contracts for goods. A written contract is
generally issued for annual supply contracts for services. City departments may purchase
directly from the supplier or service provider by referencing the assigned Blanket PO or
contract. For these agreements, suppliers are often required to have a local distributor
who stocks the frequently used items for issuance on an "as needed" basis during
the life of the contract. In most cases, the selected supplier will offer delivery to City
departments as well as handling over the counter sales. Similarly, selected service
providers usually maintain sufficient local staff and if applicable, service supplies to
handle the City’s identified service needs.
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PROCUREMENT METHODS
Petty Cash:
Purchases that do not exceed $100.00 may be made from petty cash which
is reimbursed according to an established written policy. The City employee making such a
purchase will pay in cash and obtain an original receipt.
Small Dollar Purchases:
Competitive quotations are not required for purchases of goods &
services or repairs/maintenance under $2,500. The limit must include all labor, taxes,
shipping, and miscellaneous costs. Except for services, purchases under $5,000 are made
using a Limited Purchase Order or by a City procurement (credit) card. Each department is
issued a numbered sequence for their Limited Purchase Orders by Purchasing.
The purchase of services is made using a contract and payment is processed on an Invoice
for Payment form.
Invoice For Payment:
Invoice for Payment forms are used to request payment for expenditures
which are not related to the purchase, maintenance or repair of tangible personal
property. Examples include payments for rentals, services, membership, travel related
expenses & utilities.
Request For Quotation (RFQ):
Informal competitive solicitations are obtained for the purchase of
goods and services or repairs/maintenance between $2,500 and $25,000 in value. Informal
quotations do not require public advertising. Quotations will be solicited from at lease
three sources, when available. Responses to a Request For Quotation must be in writing. It
is important to respond to an RFQ by the deadline stated in the request.
A Request For Bid (RFB) is one option used for the purchase of
goods and services or repair/maintenance exceeding $25,000. Notice of the RFB is generally
mailed or faxed to all suppliers who have a current Bidder application on file for the
specified commodity or service. The Notice is also published once in the Mesa Tribune
on a pre-selected Saturday. The RFB contains specifications, contractual terms and
conditions and the evaluation criteria for award. Bids are opened publicly at the time and
place designated in the RFB; the amount of each bid and the name of each bidder is
recorded on a bid tabulation. Award is generally made to the lowest responsive and
responsible bidder. All bids and the bid tabulation are available for public inspection
after the bid opening.
A Request For Proposal (RFP) is another option used for the
purchase of goods and services or repair/maintenance when they exceed $25,000. This method
may be used if the Procurement Services Director determines that the use of competitive sealed
bidding is either not practical or not advantageous to the City. Notice of the RFP is
generally mailed or faxed to all suppliers who have a current Bidders application on file
for the specified commodity or service. The Notice is also published once in the Mesa
Tribune on a pre-selected Saturday. The RFP contains specifications, contractual terms
and conditions and the evaluation criteria for award. Proposals are opened publicly at the
time and place designated in the RFP and the names of all companies offering proposals is
recorded. Proposals are usually scored, or ranked, and the results are documented in an
evaluation report. Award is made to the company whose proposal is most advantageous to the
City. Information contained in the proposals is not generally disclosed until after the
evaluation is completed.
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SUPPLIER SELECTION
The City of Mesa reserves the right to reject any or all bids,
proposals or quotes, and to waive any informality in these documents. The City reserves
the right to accept or reject any specific item or group of items within a bid, proposal
or quote unless the supplier states it’s an "All or Nothing" offer. The
evaluation of bids and/or quotations and the determination of the supplies, materials or
services offered, shall be the responsibility of the City and will be based on the needs
and intended use, the quality/quantity of information furnished by the bidder, as well as
other relevant factors.
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FUTURE DIRECTION
The City is always looking for ways to continuously improve our
operations and customer service. If you have an idea or suggestion, please send it
to:
Procurement Services Director
City of Mesa
P O Box 1466
Mesa AZ 85211-1466
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DISCLAIMER
The guidelines presented here have been prepared and provided for
information purposes only. They do not supplant the laws, regulations, and procedures
governing procurement by the City of Mesa. In the event of changes in the applicable laws,
regulations or procedures, those laws, regulations and procedures take precedence.
For comments or questions: jim.ruiz@cityofmesa.org
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