G-2. PURCHASING
A. General Objectives
[1] To support the instructional mission of the College by procuring in a
timely manner the specific equipment, services, and materials needed for
effective College operations.
[2] To secure work and materials at the best
value for the College.
[3] To provide opportunities for individual
vendors, contractors, historically underutilized businesses, and small/local
businesses to compete for College purchases/contracts in a fair and competitive
environment, and to create an open process for procurement through competition.
B. Board Approval: The requirement for
specific Board approval of vendor and price for purchasing, consulting, or
contracting expenditures or commitments for related groups of items depends on
the cost and on the extent of prior Board review. For multi-year purchases, the
stated limits apply to total costs.
[1] Expenditures
costing less than $25,000 never require such approval.
[2] Expenditures
costing over $100,000 always require such approval.
[3] Expenditures
costing between $25,000 and $100,000 require such approval unless either:
[a] the Board has previously approved, after a public review period of a month
or more, a budget or other written plan listing the items and their approximate
cost, or
[b] the expenditure is primarily to repair or replace an existing capability
that has been unexpectedly lost, or
[c] the expenditure is necessary to meet an emergency and is reported to the
Board at its next meeting.
For items which require Board approval below
$500,000 which are not design-build contracts, the administration shall provide
a summary and evaluative judgments of vendor responses with a recommendation of
a single vendor. Such items should be submitted to the Board early enough that
it does not have to make its final decision at its first consideration of the
item if it has unresolved questions or decides not to accept the
administration's recommendation at the first meeting the item is on the agenda.
In cases where the administration's recommendation is not accepted,
consideration of alternatives shall occur at a subsequent meeting.
For items in excess of $500,000 and for all
design-build contracts, a limited number of well-qualified vendors shall make
presentations to the Board. The administration shall provide the Board with
appropriate evaluative criteria or questions for use by the Board in the review
process. The administration shall provide a summary of the proposals and
provide evaluative judgment concerning strengths and weaknesses of these well-qualified
vendors.
The Board shall generally assess the
administration's recommendation by whether it and the process leading to it are
in accord with Board policy and the General Objectives set forth in Section A
of this policy, giving due deference to the administration’s expert judgment on
whether a recommendation will meet General Objectives [1] and [2].
C. Reports: The
administration shall provide quarterly reports and annual summaries on
purchasing activities. Such reports shall include:
[1] purchase orders and contracts awarded to HUBs;
[2] purchase orders and contracts awarded to local vendors;
[3] state contract and state catalog purchases made;
[4] all contracts over $10,000; and
[5] an explanation of consulting fees in excess of $5,000 to a single vendor in
a fiscal year.
[6] a listing of any expenditures
directly for administrative officers that exceed $5000 or are unusual.
D. Responsible Contracting Practices
[1] In all purchasing and contracting
decisions, employees shall make diligent efforts to include
historically-underutilized-business (HUB) vendors and shall, where practicable,
avoid practices that tend to exclude HUB vendors. ACC shall develop, maintain,
and enhance the participation of minority-owned and women-owned firms in all
phases of its procurement processes, supporting their efforts to compete for
College business.
[2] The College shall encourage all vendors,
suppliers, contractors, and professionals with whom it does business to support
the common goal of equal opportunity and economic participation for all
citizens. In expenditure of College funds, neither the College nor its
contractors and suppliers shall discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color,
creed, religion, national origin, age, or sexual orientation, or on the basis
of disabilities that do not significantly effect the quality of work.
[3] In deciding which functions to accomplish
via external contractors, the administration shall take care not to support
patterns of employment that fail to meet community compensation standards.
[4] Contracts shall be reopened on an equal
basis to all qualified vendors at least once every five years (or on completion
for contracts longer than five years).
E. Routine Real-Estate Items
The President is authorized to approve, and
sign on behalf of the College, easements, covenants, restrictions, waivers, and
other agreements regarding real property owned or leased by the College,
provided they are minor in nature and reported promptly to the Board. This
authorization does not extend to the purchase or sale of real property.
The Austin Community College Board of
Trustees adopted this policy on March 4, 1996 and amended it on September 9,
1996, March 3, 1997, January 5, 1998, May 1, 2000, and June 5, 2000. Before
September 1996, a policy on the same subject was numbered III-20.