Purchasing Department
Doing Business With the City
When Are Sales Calls Allowed? We are open for business from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. We will try to see you on the first visit even if you have not called for an appointment. However, we urge you to make a definite appointment before coming to the Purchasing Department. Who Can Answer My Questions? The following is a list of Purchasing Department personnel who may assist you: Purchasing Staff (561) 845-4180 Accounts Payable (561) 845- 4057 How Does the Bid Process Work? Purchases over $2,500 and less than $10,000 are awarded based on an informal competitive quote process. Generally, we request quotes from at least three vendors. The procurment is awarded to the low responsive, responsible vendor; the bidder who meets the specifications, terms and conditions stated, including the delivery requirements, and offers the lowest price. The only time we do not award to the lowest price is when the quote does not meet our specifications or the bidder is not responsible. Informal bids may be verbal or written. Purchases over $10,000 follow a formal procedure. These Invitation for Bids (IFB) and Requests for Proposals (RFP) will be advertised in the legal ad section of the Palm Beach Post. Bids must be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk,Suite C140, on or before the time specified in the bid advertisement and are opened publicly at a specified time and place. The City Council must approve the bid award at a public meeting. May I Bid If I Don't Carry the Brand Listed on the Bid? Yes, if the IFB specified brand name or equal, you may offer an alternative or equal brand. It is a good idea to discuss your alternative proposal with us before submitting it. Or equal products will be evaluated after bids are received. Does the City Buy What I Sell? The City purchases many millions of dollars worth of products and services each year, ranging from street lights to asphalt to pest control services. We are continuously looking for good vendors to supply the items we buy. What Are the City's Delivery Requirements? Deliveries in almost all cases are required to be made to us F.O.B. Riviera Beach, freight prepaid. Failure to meet specified delivery dates may cause cancellation of the order, liquidated damages charged, and removal from bid list. Never ship materials or initiate any services without a purchase order number. When Does the City Require Insurance Coverage? When your personnel enter City property to repair, install, service, construct, or perform similar work, General Liability, Auto Liability, and Worker's Compensation insurance are generally required. Proof of insurance meeting our criteria must be on file with us before you start work. Contact us for further information regarding this condition. Are Bid and/or Performance Bonds Required? Bid and performance bonds are required when it is necessary to protect the interests of the City. All construction contracts with an estimated price in excess of $50,000.00 require a bid bond of at least 5% of the amount of the bid. Additionally, when a construction contract is awarded for more than $50,000.00, both a performance and payment bond is required in an amount equal to 100% of the specified contract price. How Are the City's Emergency Purchases Handled? There are times during emergencies when an order must be placed by City personnel after hours or on weekends when the Purchasing Division is normally closed. Emergency purchases may be made for items which are immediately necessary for the continued operation of the division involved or which are immediately necessary for the preservation of life or property. Rest assured, you will be paid for anything you sell to City employees under these conditions. Do I Need a Business License? Upon award of contract, you must provide proof of a current City of Riviera Beach occupational license if you are located in, or perform services within, city limits. How Does the City Make Payments? We issue payment to vendors approximately thirty days after acceptance of the merchandise and/or service and the correct original invoice, whichever arrives last. To expedite payment, put purchase order numbers on all invoices, shipping tags, and other correspondence relevant to the order. Do not put more than one purchase order on an invoice. We issue checks to vendors every Friday. We dispense approximately 250 checks per pay period and there are many accounting controls in place for each check issued. Due to the volume of work, it is not possible to issue checks outside of our regular schedule. It is our practice to mail checks to vendors; however vendors are permitted to pick up checks personally after 3:00pm on Friday. Proper photo and company I.D. are required. Feel free to call accounts payable at (561) 845-4056, if you would like to learn how you can work with our system and have your checks issued in a timely manner. When Are Change Orders Allowed? A purchase order is our contract with you. Any change to that contract must be in writing. What Should I Do If I Am Confused? You may find our procedures or requests for bids and proposals confusing. Give us a call, we will gladly answer any questions on specifications, bid or award procedures, and purchasing methods in general. Disclaimer: The guidelines presented here have been prepared and provided to you, the vendor, for information purposes only. They do not supplant the laws, regulations, and procedures governing procurement by the City of Riviera Beach. In the event of changes in those laws, regulations, or procedures, the laws, regulations, and procedures are binding and take precedence |
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