Okaloosa County BOCC — May 4, 2013 — Purchasing Manual-6 (post 3-19-13 meeting) — reading text

mandatory. i.h. All travel must be settled with the Finance Department within 10 business days of travel completion. j.i. If the County has a contract on travel service(s), it shall be the Department Director’s responsibility to ensure the contracted agency be used for all travel requirements covered under the contract, except for use of County vehicles and/or private vehicles. Department Directors must ensure that the most advantageous method of travel is used; either the contract agency, the County vehicle or private transportation. Department Directors shall compare total travel expenses of all three methods to include time away from job. k.j. Taxi fare, incurred by county employees, is listed in Section 112.061(8), Florida Statutes, as an incidental travel expense to the traveler that may be reimbursed. Additionally, the State Department of Financial Services allows for “Actual Tips Paid to Taxi Drivers which shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the fare.” Rule 691-42.010, Florida Administrative Code. l.k. Travel requests submitted for approval and reimbursement must be accompanied by the following items. Confirmations and itineraries are sufficient for advances. However, actual receipts, tickets, and invoices notating dates and times are required for settlement. a. Summary of Travel Expense form b. Registration forms c. Conference/class agenda (In cases where agendas are not provided, a memo, email correspondence or letter from the meeting sponsor of business showing the meeting purpose, dates, times, and locations must be provided.) d. Itemized hotel receipt e. Flight itinerary and boarding passes f. Car rental receipt with departure and return dates g. Invoices or itemized receipts for any other incidental travel costs (taxi fare, parking fees, tolls, fuel, etc.) 12. Federal Transit Administration Procurements - Independent Cost Estimate 18  An independent cost estimate (ICE) for all procurements shall occur for purchases $2,500.00 or more. The ICE is a tool to assist in the determination of the reasonableness or unreasonableness of a bid or proposal being evaluated. ICEs can range from a simple budgetary estimate to a complex estimate based on inspection of the product itself and review of items like drawings, specifications and prior data. The ICE is especially critical whenever there is no price competition (e.g., for architect-engineer procurements where only one price proposal is received), or where offerors are submitting price proposals for goods or services that are not exactly comparable (e.g., for procurements of high- technology items or professional services). It is also useful in competitive procurements to alert the agency when all competitors are submitting unreasonably high cost proposals. The County will conduct a cost or price analysis in connection with every Federal procurement action, including contract modifications. For small and micro purchases, refer to “G. Purchasing Procedures” above. H. EMERGENCY PURCHASES 1. Definition: An emergency purchase is defined as one brought about by a sudden unexpected turn of events (i.e., acts of God, riot, fires, floods, accidents or any circumstance or cause beyond the control of the department in the normal conduct of its business) involving health, welfare, injury or loss to the County and which can be rectified only by immediate purchase of equipment, printing, supplies, materials or services. 2. Procedures: In the event of an emergency, the following procedures shall be utilized: a. If during regular work hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) (1) Contact the Purchasing Department and inform them of (a) The emergency and (b) The item(s) needed to rectify the emergency (2) The Purchasing Department will procure the item(s) needed. (a) The Purchasing Department will give top priority to emergency purchases. (b) The Purchasing Department shall have the authority to deviate from normal purchasing practices to satisfy an emergency requirement, which includes the use of Purchasing Cards. The above deviations must be fully documented as to why they were necessary. b. If after regular work hours, during the weekend or on a holiday, (1) Contact the Purchasing Director or Staff and (a) Inform them of the emergency (b) Request a verbal approval to purchase 19  (c) Give the Purchasing Department as much information as possible concerning the purchase. (1) Item(s) required (2) Estimated cost (3) Any other information about the purchase that is available. NOTE: A representative from the Purchasing Department shall be on call at all timesshould be contacted in the event of an emergency. However, iIf contact cannot be made, and the Department has established that a true emergency exists, the purchase should be obtained and administrative action taken on the following business day. (2) The affected department shall procure the item(s) required to rectify the emergency. The affected department shall use good judgment in procuring the required item(s) at the best possible price considering the circumstances of the emergency. (3) On the first business day following the emergency, the affected department shall electronically submit a completed requisition, if required, to the Purchasing Department. The requisition shall indicate: (a) An emergency purchase (b) The price (unit and total cost) (c) Name of the vendor (d) A description of the item(s) (e) Quantities purchased (f) Any other information deemed necessary. (4) Upon receiving the completed Purchase Requisition from the affected department, the Purchasing Department shall complete the Purchase Order and process it through the Finance Department for certification of funds and legality of the purchase. c. Any emergency purchase. (1) The affected Department Director shall file with the Purchasing Department a statement certifying the conditions and circumstances requiring an emergency purchase. This shall be submitted within five (5) business days of the emergency purchase and shall include the purchase order number used in the emergency and complete details surrounding the event(s) that created the emergency. (2) The Purchasing Department will not formally approve any purchase order number under this provision as the burden of proof rests with the certifying Department Director; however, all statements will be reviewed by the Purchasing Department and should there be any reasonable doubt that an emergency existed; an opinion will be filed with the Internal Auditor. 20 I. FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES 1. The function of the Purchasing Department is to supply materials and/or supplies to fulfill requisitioning department requirements. This function is not complete until satisfactory delivery of such items has been confirmed. With assistance from the Purchasing Department, aggressive follow-up shall be made by the initiating department utilizing the following procedures: a. The Purchasing Department’s copy of the Purchase Order shall be placed in chronological order according to the purchase order number. All correspondence shall be documented on the Purchase Order. b. On specified date of delivery, the receiving department shall ascertain if complete delivery has been made. If not, the Supply Coordinator shall write or call the vendor and request specific reasons why delivery was not made as promised. Such communication shall be “logged” on the Department’s copy of the Purchase Order. A new, realistic delivery date shall then be determined if the vendor has a bona fide reason for delay of delivery. If not, the order is subject to cancellation. c. If the initiating Department cannot resolve the problem, the Supply Coordinator shall notify the Purchasing Department (Buyer). The Purchasing Department shall make every effort to assist the initiating Department to fulfill the order. d. Continued broken promises, partial deliveries and/or poor service may result in the Purchasing Director evaluating such performance to determine if action to remove the vendor from the bid and quotation list is warranted. e. All follow-up action shall be documented in detail. J. PURCHASING SPECIFICATIONS 1. Specifications: An accurate description of materials or services to be purchased. a. As quality and service are as important as price, the Purchasing Department must be furnished with specifications that will fulfill, but not exceed, the requirements for which the materials and/or services are intended. b. In considering and developing specifications, be mindful that expenditures derived from public source and administered by public bodies cannot be expected to provide for “deluxe” or luxurious levels of quality. It is, therefore, necessary to follow a general policy toward the purchasing of good, standard grades of merchandise that represents an optimum relationship between quality and price, at all times consistent with providing a satisfactory level of service. c. Bids and quotations must be based upon adequate specifications. A lengthy specification composed or designed solely for the purpose of eliminating competition other than those able to supply a particular brand name commodity shall be prohibited. Actual brand name or common description should be used only when no other of its kind would be equally satisfactory. Specifications should be detailed so as to afford a basis for full and fair competitive bidding upon a 21  common standard, and shall be free from restrictions that would stifle competition. d. Detailed lengthy specifications should be faxed or e-mailed directly to the Buyer handling the order. e. If contract is funded by a grant, the bid documents and contract may be subject to prior approval by the granting agency. 2. Responsibilities: The