pages: CityCouncil/2020-04-07.pdf, 5
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CityCouncil | 2020-04-07 | 5 | of a Local Emergency to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic for the Duration of the State of California's Emergency Declaration; (B) Authorizing the City Manager to Forego the Competitive Bid Process, Subject to Ratification by the City Council, Consistent with City Charter Section 3-15.2, for the Duration of the Local Emergency; and Approving City Manager Spending Authority of Up to $2 Million Dollars to Address the Local Emergency.' Adopted. The Assistant City Manager gave a brief presentation. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she would like to see the language that would apply to Charter Section 3-15.2 to seek Council ratification post-spending of each expenditure beyond $75,000 as soon as practical; the City Manager will need to make fast decisions at times and will not always be able to seek Council approval; noted that she would feel more comfortable if the Charter Section could be cited in the ordinance itself. Councilmember Daysog inquired the thoughts given to streamlining the competitive bid process; questioned which parts of the competitive bid process are problematic in terms of getting needed items. The City Manager responded typical bidding procedures can be anywhere from 15 to 30 days in an emergency situation; stated that he is unsure if the normal bidding procedure could be accommodated; staff has been evaluating the purchasing procedures; bidding would not be a problem in a normal situation; the item is related to emergency situations; an item over $75,000 might need to be purchased in a short time frame; the $2 million funding is available; however, allocation and budget authorization is not available to be able to spend the funds; there is no current anticipation of spending $2 million; expressed concern about not having spending authority readily available in the event of emergency needs; stated the emergency is not like a natural disaster; noted that he does not anticipate spending any of the $2 million funding based on savings in areas that do have authorization. Councilmember Daysog inquired whether there is a way to streamline the bid process so that there is not a 30-day delay; stated should a good or service be needed, a provider will need to be identified and some level of procurement will be required. The City Manager responded the concept can be defined more narrowly, such as waiving purchasing policy as bid timelines and restricting to quotes from various vendors; stated the changes should not pose an issue. Councilmember Oddie stated that he does not want to speculate on the events which could happen; Council owes residents the ability for City Hall to respond quickly to protect residents should things go haywire. Councilmember Vella concurred with Councilmember Oddie's comments; stated there is a way for Council to check back on the accounting of the funds; expressed concern about being in a position of inability to respond to crisis. Regular Meeting Alameda City Council 3 April 7, 2020 | CityCouncil/2020-04-07.pdf |