§ 2-221. Routine expenditures.

The city administrator shall have authority and responsibility for making expenditures required for public purposes, wherein the total is equal to or less than the current competitive bid requirement. The competitive bid requirement from the effective date of this ordinance through 2014 shall be $50,000.00, and thereafter shall be adjusted annually in accordance with the All Items Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), South Region, for the preceding 12 months, rounded to the nearest $1,000.00. The administrator shall issue written instructions outlining procedures for compliance with this chapter in accordance with the following minimum requirements:

(1)

Small expenditure limitation. Expenditures for day-to-day supplies and operational needs, will be effected through utilization of prudent and practical selectivity of best price sources, according to procedures provided by written administrative policy. The limitation for such expenditures from the effective date of this ordinance through 2014 shall be $10,000.00, and thereafter shall be adjusted annually in accordance with the All Items Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), South Region, for the preceding 12 months, rounded to the nearest $1,000.00.

Exemptions from the small expenditure limitation are listed below:

a.

For goods and services in an amount less than or equal to ten percent of the small expenditure limitation may be purchased in the manner determined to be in the best interest of the city, at the discretion of the department director. It is recommended and expected that a price comparison will be made in most circumstances. If, however, the department director determines that such comparison is not feasible, or that the public interest would be served by selection based on factors other than price, multiple quotes shall not be required. All such purchases are subject to review by the city administrator. Upon request, it shall be the responsibility of the department director to provide justification for invoking this section.

b.

For goods and services less than or equal to the small expenditure limitation, the following purchases are exempt from comparative price requirements, subject to review by the city administrator:

1.

Advertising in newspapers, periodicals, and related publications;

2.

Commodities procured for resale in cafeterias, commissaries, bookstores, gift shops, canteens, and other similar establishments;

3.

Contracts with students;

4.

Licenses (does not include software licenses);

5.

Maintenance on office machines or technical equipment;

6.

Membership in professional, trade, and other similar associations;

7.

Postage;

8.

Published books, manuals, maps, periodicals, films, technical pamphlets, and copyrighted educational aids for use in libraries and for other informational or instructional purposes in instances in which other applicable law does not provide a restrictive means for the acquisition of same;

9.

Services of visiting speakers, lecturers, and performing artists;

10.

Taxes;

11.

Travel expense items, such as room, board and transportation charges;

12.

Works of art for museum and public display;

13.

Repair services for hidden or unknown damages to machinery already purchased;

14.

Services related to workforce development, incumbent workforce training, or specialized business or industry training;

15.

The following commodities and services relating to proprietary software after the initial procurement: (i) technical support; (ii) renewals; (iii) additional copies; and (iv) license upgrades; and

16.

Professional services listed in A.C.A. §§ 19-11-801 and 19-11-802, and services declared as professional services by the Siloam Springs Board of Directors.

(2)

Intermediate expenditure limitation. All expenditures by the city for public purposes, wherein the expenditure therefor is between the small expenditure limitation and the competitive bid requirement shall be made only after solicitation of comparable written price quotations from at least three separate suppliers. Expenditures of less than the competitive bid requirement from state bid sources shall be exempt from this provision.

(3)

Expenditures in excess of $30.000.00. Each expenditure exceeding $30,000.00, shall be specifically listed in the city administrator's written report presented at the next regular meeting of the board of directors.

(4)

Lowest price quote. For all expenditures not specifically exempted or requiring board of director's approval, the city administrator shall select the lowest price quotation except for reasons specifically listed in the administrator's written report presented at the next regular meeting of the board of directors.

(Ord. No. 12-12, § I, 10-2-2012; Ord. No. 14-19, § I, 8-19-2014; Ord. No. 19-13, §§ 1, 2, 5-21-2019)