SAMPO Members,
We would like to request your assistance pertaining to Legislation. Paul Brennan, SAMPO Legislative Chairperson, has forwarded the details pertaining to a some Procurement Reform Initiatives included in the Governor's Budget. Please take a moment to read the information below.
We can also provide a draft letter for your convenience. If you could contact your state legislators requesting their support it would be appreciated.
Peter McMillan (peterm@townofcortlandt.com)
SAMPO President
ARTICLE VII LEGISLATION – SECTION FF
Providing Local Procurement Flexibility
1. Repeal Procurement Fee: Repeal the procurement fee charged to local governments for their use of Office of General Services (OGS) centralized contracts.
2. Increase Competitive Bidding Thresholds: Provide local governments with more contracting flexibility by increasing local competitive bidding thresholds - the competitive bidding contracts for public works contracts from $35K to $50K and purchase contracts from $10K to $20K.
3. Require Electronic Bidding: Provide local governments with the option of requiring that vendors submit bids electronically
4. Allow Reverse Auctions: Enable local government to hold reverse auctions, in which vendors bid against one another for lower prices.
5. Permit Piggybacking on Other State and Local Government Contracts: Allow for local governments to piggyback on other state and local government contracts.
6. Permit Piggybacking on Other Certain Federal General Services Administration (GSA) Contracts: Allow for piggybacking on Federal GSA Schedule 70 IT, Federal e-government, and national defense authorization act contracts.
7. Award on Best Value: Allow for service and technology contracts to be awarded by "best value" - a power the State already has.
8. Provide Alternative Publication Options: Provide local governments with the option of publishing procurement notices in the Contract Reporter instead of publishing in newspapers.
9. Improve OGS Statewide Contract Options: Provide more contracts desired by local governments on OGS centralized contracts.
