Wellington North updates procurement policy
KENILWORTH – Wellington North’s policy for the procurement of goods and services has been updated.
Council approved the updates on May 4.
According to a staff report, the previous policy was put in place in 2018 and since then “procurement practices, documentation expectations, electronic tendering, cooperative purchasing options, legislative requirements and risk management considerations have continued to evolve.”
Mayor Andy Lennox said “the procurement policy is really a foundational policy for council as it delegates to staff how the money of the corporation can be spent.
“It’s important we make sure we are paying appropriate attention to it.”
Staff say the updated policy offers “a more consistent and transparent approach to issuing, managing and documenting competitive procurement processes through an electronic procurement platform.”
It provides a framework for purchasing goods and services including equipment, software, construction and consulting and “is intended to support fair, open and cost-effective procurement practices,” the report states.
“The policy also provides clearer direction to staff on roles and responsibilities, approval authorities, procurement methods and thresholds, open competition and posting periods, bid and contract security, limited tendering, contract amendments, supplier performance and procurement records.”
Can’t prioritize local
It specifies that local vendors should not be prioritized over non-locals, if the local option does not offer a better price or better suit the township’s needs.
Township finance director Jerry Idialu said, “Many of our tenders are awarded to suppliers who are local, but due to the Canada Free Trade agreement we can’t give discriminatory preferences.”
He noted there are situations for which a local supplier is better able to complete a project due to familiarity with the area, and in this case the local option could be prioritized.
And the township can prioritize Ontario vendors because that aligns with provincial regulations.
CAO can approve up to $250,000
The policy specifies that the CAO can approve purchasing and tendering of up to $250,000, without bringing it to council, as long as the item falls within the amount approved in the budget.
Shorter procurement period
Idialu said the updated policy “streamlines our timeline for procurement,” as the township previously had to have tenders open for bidding for 40 days, whereas now, for more simple contracts, bidding can be open for 21 to 30 days instead.
