BC 2009 12 21 Regular - Laserfiche WebLink

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December 21, 2009 (Regular Meetinq) Page 1725 electronic means on the Cabarrus County website. The advertisement must contain, at a minimum: 1) The time and place specifications may be obtained; 2) The time and place bids/proposals will be opening; and, 3) A statement reserving the right to reject any or all bids. b. All bids must be submitted in a sealed opaque envelope or package to ensure prices and terms will not be disclosed. c. All bids must be opened in public and the board or governing body shall award the contract. d. Award shall be made to the "lowest responsible bidder or bidders, whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the Invitation for Bids, taking into consideration quality, performance and the time specified in the proposal for the performance of the contract." In the event the lowest responsible bids are in excess of the funds available for the project or purchase, the governing body is authorized to enter into negotiations with the lowest responsible bidder or bidders above mentioned, making reasonable changes in the specifications as may be necessary to bring the contract price within the funds available, and may award a contract to such bidder. e. All contracts must be executed in writing. f. The successful bidder may be required to post a performance bond in the amount of 100°s of the total bid price to the County. Performance bonds are due prior to contract execution as a guarantee of the faithful performance of the terms and conditions of the contract. Performance bonds are required for construction or repair contract for projects over $500,000 per NCGS ~143- 129(c) and for each contract over $50,000 per NCGS ~44A-26; and, must be in the form of a bond, certified check, or cash. g. There is no minimum number of bid's required for apparatus, goods, supplies and equipment. If only one response is received, it can be opened and awarded based on a determination that the prices are fair and reasonable. 2. Purchasing Procedures The formal bid process may take up to ten (10) weeks to complete once a request has been received, therefore, planning and scheduling is of the utmost importance. a. Written specifications must be prepared. Good, clear specifications are an essential aspect of competitive bidding. Quality and service can be as important as price; therefore, specifications are needed that will fulfill, but not exceed the. requirements for which the items and/or services are intended. Specifications are prepared by the ordering department with input from the Purchasing Agent to ensure that the products purchased meet the need. Brand names or equal should only be used when no other description would be equally satisfactory. b. A pre-bid conference may be scheduled to review specifications, pertinent terms and conditions, and to answer vendor questions pertaining to the bid process. c. Addenda are prepared, if necessary, due to a change in the bid specifications, or for additional clarification and sent via US Mail, email or fax to all vendors on the original bid list. d. All bids are opened and the total dollar amount with the corresponding name of the company submitting the bid is read aloud. A tabulation of all bids received is made and retained in the Purchasing Office files and is available for public inspection upon request. Cabarrus County regularly uses discretion to determine if certain bids are acceptable or need clarification. Before the lowest responsive, responsible bidder can be determined, a thorough evaluation of all bids is conducted after the bid opening. No statement about the apparent successful bidder is required at bid opening. Any deviation or omission in a bid is reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the responsiveness of the bid. e. Bids shall be evaluated based on the requirements and specifications set forth in the Invitation for Bid, which may include criteria to determine acceptability such as inspection, testing, quality, workmanship, delivery and suitability for a particular purpose. No criteria may be used in bid evaluation that is not set forth in the Invitation for Bid. Cabarrus County reserves the right to waive formalities and technicalities and to make awards according to the best interest of the County.