03-O-11

ORDINANCE

Sponsored by

THE HONORABLE JOHN H. STROGER, JR.

PRESIDENT OF THE COOK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Co-Sponsored by

THE HONORABLE JOHN P. DALEY, COUNTY COMMISSIONER

ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10:

THE CONTRACT AND PURCHASING ORDINANCE OF COOK COUNTY

WHEREAS, Cook County is a home rule unit of local government pursuant to Article 7, Section 6a of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 with power to regulate those matters which pertain to its government and affairs; and

WHEREAS, in the exercise of home rule powers, Cook County adopted an ordinance governing procurement authority for the offices and departments of Cook County Government.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED THAT:

Section 1. Sections 10-17 and 10-18 of the Cook County Purchasing Ordinances shall be amended as follows:

10-17. The Board of Commissioners of Cook County shall have no power or authority to delegate to any committee or other person or persons the “power to act”, when such “power to act” shall involve the letting of any contract or the expenditure of public money exceeding the sum of $10,000.00 25,000.00 except in the following instances: the payment of public utility bills and the payment of rent, pursuant to the provisions of a lease previously approved by the Board of County Commissioners; and any action of said Board, or of any committee thereof, or of any other person or persons in violation of this section shall be null and void. No money shall be appropriated or ordered paid by said County Commissioners, beyond the sum of $10,000.00 25,000.00 unless such appropriation shall have been authorized by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members elected to the said county board. And no officer of Cook County, or other person shall incur any indebtedness on behalf of the County, unless first authorized by said Board of Commissioners.

10-18. The purchases of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services and all sales of personal property, which has become obsolete or unusable shall be based on competitive bids. If the amount involved is estimated to exceed $10,000.00 25,000.00, sealed bids shall be solicited by public notice inserted at least once in a newspaper of county-wide circulation and at least five calendar days before the final date of submitting bids. Such notices shall include a general description of the commodities or contractual services to be purchased or personal property to be sold and shall state where all blanks and specifications may be obtained and the time and place for the opening of bids. The County Purchasing Agent may also solicit sealed bids by sending requests by mail to prospective suppliers and by posting notices on a public bulletin board in his office. Purchases, excluding professional services, having a cost of $750.00 or less may be made with “petty cash” in the open market. All purchases of $10,000.00 or less greater than $750.00 and less than $25,000.00 may be made in the open market without publication in a newspaper as above provided but whenever practical shall be based on at least three competitive bids. No purchases, orders or contracts of $10,000.00 25,000.00 or more shall be made unless authorized by the Board of Commissioners. All sales of obsolete or unusable material shall be made to the highest responsible bidder. Whenever the Board of Standardization hereinafter provided for shall have prescribed standard specifications, bids on purchases of supplies, materials, and equipment shall be based on such standard specifications. All purchases, orders, or contracts shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, taking into consideration the qualities of the articles supplied, their conformity with the specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the County and the delivery terms. In the determination of the award to the lowest responsible bidder, nothing herein shall be interpreted to preclude an award to a bidder other than the lowest actual bidder if such an award is made in furtherance of affirmative action policies adopted by the County Purchasing Agent for the promotion of nondiscriminatory hiring practices and equal employment opportunity. Provided, however, that the award of all contracts shall be responsible and reasonable. Any bid may be rejected and new bids may be solicited if the public interest is served thereby. Each bid, with the name of the bidder, shall be entered on a record, which record with the successful bid indicated thereon shall, after the award of the purchase or order or contract, be open to public inspection. A copy of all contracts shall be filed with the County Comptroller and with the County Purchasing Agent.

Section 2. This amendatory ordinance shall take effect and be in force immediately after its passage.

Approved and adopted this 23rd day of January 2003.