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Purchasing By-Law 2021-077
Table of Contents
Part 1 – Interpretation ................................................................................................... 3
Definitions .................................................................................................................... 3
Word Usage ................................................................................................................. 5
Severability .................................................................................................................. 6
References ................................................................................................................... 6
Application ................................................................................................................... 6
Part 2 – Authority .......................................................................................................... 6
Purchasing Manager Authority ..................................................................................... 6
Approval Authority ........................................................................................................ 6
Signing Authority ........................................................................................................... 7
Part 3 – Bid Types and Limits ...................................................................................... 7
Purchases up to $5,000 ............................................................................................... 7
Informal Request for Quotation ($5,001 - $50,000) ...................................................... 7
Formal Request for Quotation ($50,001 - $100,000) ................................................... 7
Acquisitions Over $100,000 ......................................................................................... 7
Routine Purchases ....................................................................................................... 8
Negotiations/Single/Sole Source Purchases ................................................................ 8
Requests for Proposal ................................................................................................. 8
Product Demonstrations and Information ..................................................................... 9
Bid Pre-Qualification .................................................................................................... 9
Bonds and Deposits ..................................................................................................... 9
Initial Bid Procedures ................................................................................................. 10
Changes to Bids Under Call ....................................................................................... 11
Withdrawal of Bids ..................................................................................................... 12
Bid Opening ............................................................................................................... 12
Verification of Bids ..................................................................................................... 12
Rejection of Bids ........................................................................................................ 13
Bid Cancellation ......................................................................................................... 14
Absolute Right ............................................................................................................ 14
Local Preference ........................................................................................................ 14
Purchasing By-Law No. 2021-077 Page 2
Approval Limits and Reporting (Excluding Consulting and Professional Services) ....... 15
Council Recess Procedures ....................................................................................... 15
Consulting and Professional Services (Excluding Schedule “A” Exemptions)............ 15
Co-operative Purchasing............................................................................................ 16
Emergency Purchases ............................................................................................... 16
Part 4 – General Purchasing Policies ........................................................................ 16
Default by Successful Bidder ..................................................................................... 16
Conflict of Interest ...................................................................................................... 17
Access and Disclosure ............................................................................................... 17
Records Retention and Destruction ........................................................................... 18
Complaints and Inquiries ........................................................................................... 18
Insurance ................................................................................................................... 18
Purchasing Cards ...................................................................................................... 18
Disposal of Goods ...................................................................................................... 18
Over Expenditures ..................................................................................................... 19
Sustainability .............................................................................................................. 19
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 ................................................ 19
Part 5 – General Provisions ........................................................................................ 19
By-Law Review .......................................................................................................... 19
Repeal ....................................................................................................................... 19
Effective Date ............................................................................................................. 20
Schedule “A” ............................................................................................................... 21
Purchasing By-Law No. 2021-077 Page 3
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The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington
By-law 2021-077
Being a by-law to provide policies and procedures
for the procurement of goods and services.
WHEREAS pursuant to section 270 of the Municipal Act, 2001, the Corporation is
required to establish and maintain policies with respect to its procurement of goods and
services;
WHEREAS the Corporation wishes to procure goods and services in the most efficient
and cost effective manner possible; and
WHEREAS the Corporation is committed to ensuring that its procurement policies and
procedures are fair, open and transparent.
NOW THEREFORE the Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington hereby enacts as
follows:
Part 1 – Interpretation
Definitions
1. In this by-law,
“Acquisition” means the purchase of a Good and/or Service for use on a permanent
or temporary basis;
“Bid” means a Proposal, Quotation or Tender;
“Bidder” is a Person who responds to a Bid Solicitation;
“Bid Solicitation” means a request by the Corporation for Bids for the provision of
Goods and/or Services through an RFP, RFQ or RFT;
“CAO” means the Chief Administrative Officer of the Corporation or a designate;
“Clerk” means the Municipal Clerk of the Corporation or a designate;
“Committee” means the General Government Committee of Council;
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“Consulting and Professional Services” means services provided by architects,
engineers, designers, environmental consultants, surveyors, management and
financial consultants, bankers, auditors, brokers, soil consultants, real estate
appraisers, Ontario land surveyors, web designers or any other consultant or
professional, but does not include any consulting and professional services referred
to in Schedule “A”;
“Corporation” means The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington;
“Cost” means the actual cost of an Acquisition excluding taxes;
“Contract” means an agreement between two or more Persons, one of whom is the
Corporation;
“Council” means the Council of the Corporation;
“Department” means a Department of the Corporation identified on the annual
organization charts and reflected in the prevailing budget;
“Department Head” means the Director of one of the Departments or a designate;
“Disqualified Bidder” means a Bidder that has provided unsatisfactory Goods
and/or Services to the Corporation and consequently had a Contract terminated or
been notified by the Purchasing Manager that they are not eligible to submit a Bid;
“Expression of Interest” or “EOI” means general market research used prior to a
Bid Solicitation to determine if there is an interest in a proposed Acquisition;
“Goods and/or Services” means any goods and/or services required by the
Corporation other than goods and/or services listed in Schedule “A”;
“Local Board” means a local board (as that term is defined in the Municipal Act,
2001) of the Corporation;
“Person” includes an individual, association, firm, partnership, corporation, union,
trust, organization, trustee or agent, and their heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns;
“Proposal” means an offer from a Bidder made in response to an RFP;
“Purchase Order” means a Contract or a written acceptance of a Proposal, issued
on forms prescribed by the Purchasing Manager;
“Purchasing Manager” means the Purchasing Manager of the Corporation or a
designate;
“Quotation” means an offer from a Bidder made in response to an RFQ;
Purchasing By-Law No. 2021-077 Page 5
“Request for Proposal” or “RFP” is a form of Bid Solicitation in which the
Corporation invites one or more potential suppliers to submit proposals with respect
to the supply of particular Goods and/or Services, which the Purchasing Manager in
consultation with the Department Head, determines may be dependent upon non-
price factors and may require negotiations between a Bidder and the Corporation
before a Contract is made between them;
“Request for Quotation” or “RFQ” is a form of Bid Solicitation in which the
Corporation requests either informal quotations or formal quotations;
“Request for Tender” or “RFT” is a form of Bid Solicitation in which the Corporation
publishes the specifications, terms, conditions and details concerning a proposed
Contract, and invites or advertises prospective Bidders to submit Tenders;
“Responsive and Responsible Bidder” is a Person responding to a Bid Solicitation
who complies with its provisions and who can reasonably be expected to provide
satisfactory performance of a proposed Contract based on reputation, references,
performance on previous contracts, and proof of sufficient financial and other
resources;
“Single Source Purchase” means a non-competitive purchase where there are
other suppliers of the product or service available, however, for reasons such as
emergency, proprietary, matching existing equipment, health and safety concerns,
time constraints, etc., the purchase is sourced to a specific vendor;
“Sole Source Purchase” means a non-competitive purchase where there is only
one supplier of the product or services and as a result a competitive quotation
process is not possible;
“Tender” means an offer received from a Bidder in response to an RFT;
“Treasurer” means the Director of Financial Services/Treasurer of the Corporation
or a designate; and
“Weighted Evaluation Criteria” means criteria that are taken into account when
evaluating Proposals including qualitative, technical and pricing considerations.
Word Usage
2. This by-law shall be read with all changes in gender or number as the context may
require.
3. A grammatical variation of a defined word or expression has a corresponding
meaning.
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Severability
4. Should any section or part of this by-law be held by a Court of competent
jurisdiction to be invalid, the remainder of this by-law shall not be affected.
References
5. In this by-law, reference to any Act, By-law or Policy is reference to that Act, By-
law or Policy as it is amended or re-enacted from time to time.
6. Schedule “A” (Exempt Goods and/or Services) is attached to and forms part of this
by-law.
7. All references to dollar figures are Canadian dollars.
8. Unless otherwise specified, reference in this by-law to a clause, section or
Schedule is to a clause, section or Schedule in this by-law.
Application
9. This by-law shall not apply to the acquisition of any interests in real property. Such
matters shall be governed by By-Law 2011-011 and subsequent by-law.
10. This by-law shall not apply to the Acquisition of any Goods and/or Services listed in
Schedule “A”.
Part 2 – Authority
Purchasing Manager Authority
11. The Purchasing Manager shall have the authority to act as agent of the
Corporation for the purpose of acquiring all Goods and/or Services required by
the Corporation.
12. The Purchasing Manager shall determine the method of Acquisition having
regard to the nature, importance or urgency associated with the purchase
requisition, subject to the general trade practice, market conditions and the
provisions of this by-law.
Approval Authority
13. No employee of the Corporation shall have the authority to make or approve an
Acquisition or award a Contract for any Good and/or Service unless funds for such
Acquisition have been allocated in a budget approved by Council. If a
recommended Bid is in excess of an approved budget limit but within the approval
limits of this by-law, the Treasurer, after consultation with the Department Head,
must approve the source of additional funding.
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14. Contracts shall not be split so as to circumvent the established method of purchase
or the approval limits imposed by this by-law unless, in the opinion of the
Purchasing Manager, after consultation with the Department Head, if it is deemed
advantageous to acquire components of a major project through separate
Contracts.
Signing Authority
15. Authority to make or approve an Acquisition or award a Contract for any Good
and/or Service includes the power to sign all documents necessary to effect the
Acquisition. Where a Department Head or the CAO has the authority to sign a
Contract, the Purchasing Manager may sign on their behalf.
Part 3 – Bid Types and Limits
Purchases Up to $5,000
16. Goods and/or Services not exceeding a Cost of $5,000, (excluding computers,
software, computer accessories and cell phones) do not require the submission of a
Purchase Order (unless one is required by the vendor) and may be purchased by
individual Departments as required at the lowest available Cost. However, if a term
order or another form of Contract is established, then the Department must
purchase from the Contract vendor. Computers, software, computer accessories
and cell phones must be ordered in coordination with IT Services, using a Purchase
Order.
Informal Request for Quotation ($5,001 - $50,000)
17. The Purchasing Manager shall have the authority to make Acquisitions for which
the Cost is between $5,001 up to a maximum of $50,000 at the lowest available
Cost, provided a minimum of three Quotations have been received where they are
reasonably required and possible to obtain.
Formal Request for Quotation ($50,001 - $100,000)
18. The Purchasing Manager shall have the authority to make Acquisitions for which
the Cost is between $50,001 up to a maximum of $100,000 at the lowest
available Cost, provided where they are reasonably required and possible to
obtain, at least three formal Quotations have been received and the lowest
Responsive and Responsible Bid received is acceptable.
Acquisitions Over $100,000
19. Subject to sections 20, 21 and 23, Acquisitions that are anticipated to have a
Cost in excess of $100,000 shall be made through an RFT.
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Routine Purchases
20. Where, in the opinion of the Purchasing Manager in consultation with the
Department Head, a proposed Acquisition is of a routine and repetitive nature, the
Purchasing Manager may obtain written Bids from suppliers and a Contract may
be awarded.
Negotiations/Single/Sole Source Purchases
21. In place of a Bid Solicitation, Goods and/or Services may be purchased through
negotiation, Single or Sole Source purchases where, in the opinion of the
Purchasing Manager in consultation with the Department Head,
(a) the sources of supply are restricted to the extent that there is no effective
price competition;
(b) the purchase involves Goods and/or Services,
(i) that are in short supply due to market conditions;
(ii) for which there is no reasonable substitute or competitive product; or
(iii) for which compatibility with an existing product/services is the
overriding consideration.
(c) the purchase involves specialized preassembled goods;
(d) the Bid from the lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder substantially
exceeds the estimated Cost;
(e) no Bid from a Responsive and Responsible Bidder is received and it is
impractical to issue another Bid Solicitation;
(f) the extension or reinstatement of an existing Contract would prove most
cost-effective or beneficial to the Corporation;
(g) the terms and conditions of a Proposal provide for negotiation with the
selected Bidder; or
(h) Council has specifically authorized an Acquisition through negotiation.
22. In the case of a Contract for a construction project, negotiations shall be conducted
in accordance with the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC)
Document 23 published by the Canadian Construction Association where expressly
required by the provisions of an RFT.
Requests for Proposal
23. Irrespective of the anticipated Cost, where the Purchasing Manager in
consultation with the Department Head determines that a proposed Acquisition
involves unique or complicated circumstances, the Acquisition may be made
through the use of an RFP.
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24. (1) In this section, “Two Envelope Method” means a procurement process in
which,
(a) a Bid is submitted in two separate envelopes, the first of which
contains technical and qualitative information and the second of
which contains price information; and
(b) Weighted Evaluation Criteria are applied and the second envelope is
opened only if the first envelope shows the Bidder to be qualified.
(2) The Purchasing Manager, in consultation with the Department Head, may
use an RFP process that utilizes a Two Envelope Method.
25. RFPs may be called by public advertisement or invitation to specific Bidders.
26. All RFPs shall be submitted in the prescribed manner and delivered to the
Purchasing Manager.
27. It is the Corporation’s general policy to select the Proposal that best meets the
requirements of the RFP based on Weighted Evaluation Criteria.
Product Demonstrations and Information
28. No requests for prices or demonstrations for approved projects or programs above
$5,000 shall be made without prior consultation with the Purchasing Manager.
29. Requests on behalf of the Corporation may be made by Department Heads for
informal non-binding product and technical information, catalogues and price lists.
Each Department Head shall provide the Purchasing Manager with such data,
specification details and information relating to a proposed Acquisition, including the
Corporation’s approved budget prices. The Purchasing Manager shall obtain all
binding or estimated prices provided by potential Bidders.
Bid Pre-Qualification
30. (1) In this section, “Pre-qualification” means a procedure whereby a prospective
Bidder satisfies the Corporation that it is capable of supplying a particular Good
and/or Service as a condition of being allowed to submit a Bid.
(2) If, in the opinion of the Purchasing Manager, Pre-qualification is required, the
Contract, if awarded at all, must be awarded to the lowest Responsive and
Responsible Bidder who has been pre-qualified.
Bonds and Deposits
31. All Bid deposits required as part of any Bid Solicitation shall be provided by certified
cheque, bank draft or money order made payable to "The Corporation of the
Municipality of Clarington". Bid bonds, including electronic bond, shall be issued by
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a licensed surety company authorized to carry on business in Ontario, and shall be
in an amount and in a form satisfactory to the Corporation. Bid deposits shall be
submitted in accordance with the following schedule, unless otherwise specified in
the Bid Solicitation:
Total Amount of Bid Minimum Bid Deposit Required
Up to $20,000 $1,000
Up to $50,000 $2,000
Up to $100,000 $5,000
Up to $250,000 $10,000
Up to $500,000 $25,000
Up to $1,000,000 $50,000
Up to $2,000,000 $100,000
Over $2,000,000 $200,000
32. When the deposit of a performance bond and/or labour and material payment bond
is a requirement of a Bid Solicitation, such bonds shall be,
(a) in the amounts specified in the Bid documents;
(b) issued by a licensed surety company authorized to carry on business in
Ontario;
(c) in a form approved by the Corporation; and
(d) delivered by the Bidder to the Purchasing Manager prior to execution of the
Contract.
33. Following the award of a Contract, all deposits that are in the form of certified
cheques or money orders, except for the deposits supplied by the successful and
next to successful Bidders in the case of a Contract award, shall be returned to the
unsuccessful Bidders. Retained Bid deposits shall be held until the Contract is
executed by the Corporation, unless otherwise determined by the Purchasing
Manager.
34. Following the cancellation of a Bid Solicitation, all deposits shall be returned to the
Bidders.
35. If a successful Bidder fails to enter into a Contract, the Bid deposit shall be forfeited
to the Corporation. If a Bid bond is deposited, it may be called by the Treasurer and
the amount of money thereby obtained shall be forfeited to the Corporation.
Initial Bid Procedures
36. If required, Bid Solicitations shall be advertised in the method deemed most
appropriate by the Purchasing Manager which may include, but shall not be limited
to periodicals, newspapers and/or websites.
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37. All closing times shall be established by the Purchasing Manager.
38. The Purchasing Manager shall make the bid document available to all prospective
Bidders through an electronic process.
39. Where a fee is required for Bid documents, prospective bidders shall be required
to pay for the bid document in the manner stipulated in the call document.
List of Registered Bidders
40. Contact information of all prospective Bidders who have obtained or who have
requested the material set out in Section 38 shall be recorded in order to facilitate
distribution of addenda when necessary to change or cancel a Bid under call.
Changes to Bids under Call
41. Interpretations of, or qualifications or changes to, a Bid Solicitation shall be made in
the form of a written addendum. Addenda shall be necessary to revise, delete,
substitute or add to a Bid under call. The Purchasing Manager shall approve the
issuance of any addendum or the cancellation of a Bid Solicitation.
42. A copy of each addendum or a notice of posting of each addendum shall be
forwarded to registered Bidders by electronic means and posted on the
Corporation’s website.
43. Where an addendum is released after the receipt of one or more Bids which, in the
opinion of the Purchasing Manager, may affect a Bid, all Bids received prior to the
Bid closing may be withdrawn.
44. The Purchasing Manager in consultation with the Department Head may cancel a
Bid Solicitation either before or after Bids are opened. The procedure for the
notification to Bidders set out in section 42 shall apply to a notice of cancellation. If
a Bid is cancelled prior to opening, all Bids received after cancellation shall be
rejected.
Formal Bid Submissions
45. The Purchasing Manager shall,
(a) record time and date of all Bids received, in an appropriate manner;
(b) refuse to accept any Bid from a Disqualified Bidder;
(c) record all accepted Bids;
(d) maintain safe control of all accepted bids until needed; and
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(e) refuse to accept any Bid that is not received in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the bid document, prior to the closing time established for that Bid.
Reasons for nonacceptance shall be communicated to the Bidder.
Withdrawal of Bids
46. A Bid can only be withdrawn prior to the close of Bids, as stipulated in the bid
documents. Requests to withdraw received following the close of Bids shall not
be accepted.
Bid Opening
47. Unless otherwise stated, all Bids shall be opened by the Purchasing Manager and
results posted publicly on the Municipality’s website
48. All Bids shall be checked to determine that each Bidder has submitted one Bid only.
Should more than one Bid be submitted, and no withdrawal notice has been
received, the Bid with the latest time stamp shown shall be deemed to have
superseded the earlier Bid and the Bidder shall be bound by the contents of the
more recent Bid. If surety bonds are required to be submitted with the Bid at the
time of closing, and the Bidder has included the required surety bonds with the first
bid, the surety bonds may be deemed applicable to the Bid submitted with the
second bid received.
49. Any Bid that does not appear on initial examination by the Purchasing Manager to
satisfy the requirements of this by-law shall be deemed an "Improper Bid", but shall
nonetheless be subject to further examination to determine whether it should be
rejected pursuant to sections 51, 52 and 53.
Verification of Bids
50. Every Bid submitted shall be checked by the Purchasing Manager who shall ensure
that,
(a) it complies with the Bid Solicitation requirements;
(b) unit prices have been correctly extended;
(c) extensions have been correctly totalled; and
(d) applicable taxes have been calculated correctly.
51. Any extension errors, addition errors or incorrect tax calculations may be
corrected provided that the Purchasing Manager is satisfied that it is a bona fide
error, and not a price revision.
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Rejection of Bids
52. After Bid opening, the Purchasing Manager shall reject any Bid from a Bidder who
did not attend a mandatory pre-Bid meeting.
53. After Bid opening, the Purchasing Manager may accept or waive a minor and
inconsequential irregularity, or where reasonable to do so, the Purchasing
Manager may, as a condition of Bid acceptance, request a Bidder to correct a
minor and inconsequential irregularity with no change in Bid price. The
determination of what is, or is not, a minor and inconsequential irregularity, the
determination of whether to accept, waive, or require correction of an irregularity,
and the final determination of the validity of a Bid, shall be at the Purchasing
Manager’s sole discretion. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Purchasing Manager may reject a Bid if it,
(a) is not submitted on the correct Bid form;
(b) is not submitted in the manner specified in the bid document or is illegible or
unclear;
(c) does not provide all entries for all unit prices referred to in the Bid Solicitation
(unless otherwise specified in the Bid Solicitation) or is otherwise incomplete
in any material respect;
(d) includes any restrictive or conditional statement that alters the form or intent
of the Bid;
(e) is not signed by the Bidder with an authorized signature;
(f) does not contain or acknowledge addenda;
(g) is not accompanied by bonding documents or bid deposits or contains an
improper or insufficient Bid deposit, where required;
(h) contains an error that cannot be corrected in accordance with section 51;
(i) is unbalanced, meaning it contains lump sum or unit bid items that do not
reflect reasonable actual costs plus a reasonable proportionate share of
the Bidder's anticipated profit, overhead costs, and other indirect costs;
(j) is from a Bidder or a subcontractor of a Bidder that has an outstanding legal
action against the Corporation, or the Corporation has an outstanding legal
action against the Bidder or a subcontractor of the Bidder including
arbitration or any association or union issues;
(k) is from a Bidder that owes money to the Corporation including outstanding
property taxes; or
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(l) is from a Bidder that is not in compliance with any of the Corporation’s
policies or regulatory by-laws including, but not limited to the Property
Standards By-law.
54. Following the opening and recording of Bids, the record of Bids (including rejected
Bids) shall be closed in the manner approved by the Purchasing Manager.
Bid Cancellation
55. The Purchasing Manager, in consultation with the Municipal Solicitor and the
applicable Department Head, shall have the authority to cancel a Bid Solicitation
either before or after the call has closed if,
(a) a substantial change in the scope of work or specifications is required;
(b) the Goods and/or Services requested no longer meet the Department’s
requirements;
(c) the integrity of the procurement process has been compromised; or
(d) the lowest Responsive and Responsible Bid exceeds the approved funding
limit.
Absolute Right
56. The Corporation shall have absolute discretion in the awarding of Contracts and
retains the right to reject any or all Bids.
Local Preference
57. (1) In this section,
(a) “Local Bid” means a Bid submitted by a Bidder who operates a
business within the Municipality of Clarington; and
(b) “Regional Bid” means a Bid submitted by a Bidder who operates a
business within the Regional Municipality of Durham.
(2) If, in the opinion of the Purchasing Manager, a competitive market exists and
two or more Bids are received which are identical in Cost, provided quality, service
and delivery terms are similar, then priority of acceptance shall be first to a Local
Bid, if any, and second to a Regional Bid, if any.
(3) Ontario’s Discriminatory Business Practices Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.D.12 has
been established to prevent discrimination in Ontario on the grounds of race, creed,
colour, nationality, ancestry, place of origin, sex, or geographical location of persons
employed in or engaging in business. Accordingly, other than as noted in
subsection (2), preference to a Local Bid or a Regional Bid shall not be given.
Purchasing By-Law No. 2021-077 Page 15
Approval Limits and Reporting (Excluding Consulting and Professional Services)
58. The Purchasing Manager shall submit to the Department Head an analysis listing
all Quotations and Proposals received with a recommendation for the Department
Head’s approval if the Cost of the Goods and/or Services does not exceed
$100,000.
59. After consulting with the Department Head, the Purchasing Manager shall prepare
a report to the CAO for approval if the Cost of the Goods and/or Services does not
exceed $500,000.
60. The Purchasing Manager shall prepare a recommendation report to Committee if
the Cost of the Goods and/or Services exceeds $500,000.
Council Recess Procedures
61. (1) Notwithstanding section 60, where a matter which would have otherwise
been submitted to Committee requires approval during any of Council’s recesses,
including elections, the CAO shall be authorized to award the Contract if the
Treasurer is of the opinion that the price is reasonably reflective of the approved
budget allocation and/or is part of the normal operating responsibility of the
Department.
(2) The Purchasing Manager shall report all Contracts awarded under
subsection (1) to Committee as soon as possible after the conclusion of the recess.
(3) Council shall not vary any action or decision of the Contract awards made in
accordance with this section.
Consulting and Professional Services (Excluding Schedule “A” Exemptions)
62. Where it is estimated that the Cost of Consulting and Professional Services will be
less than or equal to $25,000, the Department may obtain the services directly
without issuing a Bid Solicitation.
63. Where it is estimated that the Cost of Consulting and Professional Services will be
more than $25,000, the Purchasing Manager shall issue a Bid Solicitation in
compliance with this By-Law and prepare a report to the CAO for approval.
64. Where it is estimated that the Cost of Consulting and Professional Services will be
more than $50,000, the Purchasing Manager shall issue a bid solicitation, in
consultation with the Department Head and shall submit a report to Committee
providing a recommendation for award.
65. An external consultant who has entered into a Contract for consulting services for a
particular phase of a project, may be deemed to have a conflict of interest and be
disqualified from submitting a Bid on a later phase of consulting services for the
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same project. Any issue as to whether there is a conflict of interest shall be
determined by the Purchasing Manager in consultation with the Department Head.
This section shall not apply where a consultant has been requested to provide a
budget estimate or general review and estimate for a potential Acquisition.
66. Any consultant authorized to issue a Bid Solicitation on behalf of the Corporation
shall comply with this by-law.
Co-operative Purchasing
67. (1) In this section, “Co-operative Purchasing” means the participation of the
Corporation with one or more public agencies, school boards, vendors of record
(Provincial), hospitals or other public agencies in a Bid Solicitation.
(2) Co-operative Purchasing shall be utilized when advantageous and practical.
In the event of any conflict, the purchasing by-law and procurement practices of the
municipality, school board, hospital or other public agency issuing the co-operative
Bid shall take precedence over the provisions of this by-law.
Emergency Purchases
68. (1) In this section, “Emergency” means a situation or the threat of an impending
situation which, in the opinion of the CAO or a Department Head, requires an
immediate Acquisition to prevent serious delays, damage to a basic service, risk to
health and safety, financial loss or to maintain or restore a basic service provided by
the Corporation.
(2) Emergency Acquisitions shall be made by the Purchasing Manager. In the
absence of the Purchasing Manager, Emergency Acquisitions may be made by a
Department Head.
(3) All Emergency Acquisitions shall be confirmed through a Purchase Order
and shall be reported to Committee through a report prepared jointly by the
Department Head and the Purchasing Manager if the Cost exceeds $500,000 or an
approved budget limit.
Part 4 – General Purchasing Policies
Default by Successful Bidder
69. If a successful Bidder fails to execute the Contract or fails to meet any of the
requirements of the Contract within the prescribed time, the Contract may be
awarded to the next lowest Bidder or cancelled.
70. If a successful Bidder defaults on an awarded Contract, the Purchasing Manager is
authorized to take remedial action including termination of the Contract and all
necessary steps to ensure completion of the project or continued service/supply.
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The Purchasing Manager, after consultation with the Department Head, may
declare that any Bidder who has defaulted on a Contract is ineligible to submit a Bid
on any future Contract even if the awarded Contract is not terminated.
71. Should the Purchasing Manager determine that termination of the awarded
Contract is the appropriate action in accordance with section 70, whoever awarded
the Contract (Council, CAO or Department Head) shall be advised of the
termination in writing.
Conflict of Interest
72. The participation of members of Council and employees of the Corporation in the
procurement process shall be governed by, in the case of members of Council,
the Council Code of Conduct and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O.
1990, c.M.50 as amended and, in the case of employees, by the Code of Ethics
Policy E1.
73. No employee or Council member shall benefit directly or indirectly from affiliation
with the Municipality or show any favouritism to any Person in the procurement of
any Goods and/or Services.
74. No Person shall offer incentives to any employee of the Corporation or member
of Council.
75. (1) In this section, “Personal Purchase” means a purchase of Goods and/or
Services requested by an elected official, an appointed official or by any other
employee of the Corporation that is not required for the purposes of the Corporation
or a Local Board.
(2) No Personal Purchases shall be made by the Corporation for any Member
of Council, member of a Local Board, or employees of the Corporation.
Access and Disclosure
76. No Corporation employee or any member of Council shall have access to or
disclose any details regarding Bids except as permitted by this by-law and the
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990,
c.M.56 as amended.
77. In the case of a Bid submitted in response to an RFP, only the total Bid amount for
the successful responsive and responsible Bid shall be provided and only upon
written request of any Person after completion of negotiations and award of the
Contract.
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Records Retention and Destruction
78. Bid documents and related material shall be retained in accordance with the
Municipality’s Records Retention Schedule, as amended.
Complaints and Inquiries
79. All Bidder or potential Bidder complaints or inquiries, whether addressed to an
elected official, the CAO, a Department Head or any member of staff shall be
referred to Purchasing Services.
Lobbying
80. All prospective bidders are prohibited from lobbying any member of Council,
Municipal staff and consultants, appointed member and any staff of any Board
during the period commencing at the time of issuing a bid solicitation and ending
at the time of the award of the contract. The Municipality may reject any bid by a
Supplier that engages in such lobbying, without further consideration, and may
terminate that Supplier’s right to continue in the bid solicitation process.
Insurance
81. The Treasurer and the Municipal Solicitor shall review, as necessary, Contracts that
include provisions relating to liability and insurance.
Purchasing Cards
82. (1) In this section, “Purchasing Card” means a credit card issued by the
Purchasing Manager in accordance with the Purchasing Card Policy.
(2) Purchasing Cards may be used for all purchases as defined in the
Purchasing Card Policy where the Goods and/or Services do not fall under the
requirements of this by-law. Purchasing Cards are issued on an as needed basis
upon approval of the Purchasing Manager and at the request of the Department
Head. The Purchasing Manager shall be responsible for the program outlined in the
Corporation’s Purchasing Card Policy.
Disposal of Goods
83. The disposal of surplus or obsolete goods of the Corporation shall be the
responsibility of the Purchasing Manager. At least once each calendar year,
Department Heads shall provide the Purchasing Manager with a list of such goods.
The Purchasing Manager may periodically circulate a list of surplus or obsolete
goods to all Departments and Local Boards.
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84. The Purchasing Manager, in consultation with the appropriate Department Head,
shall determine the appropriate method of disposal including sale, RFT, RFP,
auction, or gratuitous transfer.
85. The priority of the disposal shall be in this order: another department within the
municipality, trade in on a replacement purchase, local board, other municipality,
school board, charity or not for profit organization, public at large.
Over Expenditures
86. Subsequent to a Contract award, the approval of any over expenditure shall be in
accordance with the Corporation’s Capital Project Over Expenditure Policy (G5) or
subsequently adopted policy for financial controls.
Sustainability
87. In order to contribute to waste reduction and to increase the development and
awareness of environmentally sound purchasing, Acquisitions shall ensure that,
wherever reasonably possible, specifications shall provide for expanded use of
durable products, reusable products and products (including those used in
services) that contain the maximum level of post-consumer waste and/or
recyclable content, without significantly affecting the intended use of the product
or service. It is recognized that analysis of Cost is required in order to ensure that
the products are made available at competitive prices.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)
88. When procuring Goods and/or Services, the Corporation shall incorporate
accessibility design criteria and features, except where it is not practicable to do
so. Where applicable, procurement documents shall specify the desired
accessibility criteria to be met and provide guidelines for the evaluation of the
proposals respecting those criteria.
Part 5 – General Provisions
By-Law Review
89. The Purchasing Manager in consultation with appropriate staff shall conduct a
detailed review of this by-law no less frequently than every five years.
Repeal
90. By-Law #2015-022 is hereby repealed.
Purchasing By -Law No. 2021-077 Page 20
Effective Date
91. This By-law shall take effect on the date that it is passed by Council.
Passed in Open Council this 18' day of October, 2021
Adrian Foster, Mayor
„CP
June Gallagher, Muni ipal Clerk
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Schedule “A”
EXEMPT GOODS AND SERVICES
1. Petty Cash Items
2. Training and Education
a. Conferences
b. Courses
c. Conventions
d. Magazines
e. Memberships
f. Periodicals
g. Seminars
h. Staff Development
i. Staff Workshops
j. Staff Reports
k. Subscriptions
l. Trainers (Includes Workshop & Seminars)
3. Refundable Employee Expenses
a. Advances
b. Meal Allowances
c. Miscellaneous
d. Travel Expenses
e. Entertainment Expenses
4. Employer’s General Expenses
a. Payroll Deduction Remittances
b. Medicals
c. Licenses (Vehicles, Software, Communications, etc.)
d. Debenture Payments
e. Insurance
f. Grants and Agencies
g. Damage Claims
h. Petty Cash Replenishment
i. Land & Building Lease Payments Made by Municipality
j. Tax Remittances
k. Sinking Fund Payments
l. Newspaper Advertising and Public Notices
m. Day Camp or Other Similar Admission Fees
n. Software or Equipment Maintenance Agreements
5. Certain Professional and other Services
a. Committee Fees
b. Counselling Services
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c. Laboratory Services
d. Nursing Services
e. Physician Fees
f. Temporary Help
g. Banking Services
h. Legal Services
i. Newspaper, Radio, TV Advertising
j. Policing
k. Red Cross Supplies
l. Web Design Usage Fee & Penalties
m. Payroll Fees
n. Employee Assistance Programs
6. Utilities (including Hedging Agreements in accordance with the Hedging Policy as
may be amended from time to time)
a. Postage
b. Water
c. Hydro
d. Gas (Including Hedging Agreements)
e. Telephones – Excluding Cellular
f. Telecommunications Infrastructure
7. Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways
8. Provincial and/or Federal Government Agencies or Crown Corporations
9. Regional Municipality of Durham or other municipalities located within the Regional
Municipality of Durham Goods and/or Services
10. Election related technology and equipment, and any consulting and support
services directly related to such technology and equipment.