SPRINGDALE -- City staff soon might have help in getting the most for taxpayer money.
The City Council, working as a committee of the whole, on Tuesday moved forward for a council vote a measure that would allow the city to employ a procurement officer for bigger purchases.
State law already allows for cities to contract with experts such as attorneys, financial advisers, architects, engineers and construction managers.
"This is a tool the state gives us," said Ernest Cate, the city attorney.
He noted Springdale would be the first city to use this tool for a procurement officer, but the Arkansas Municipal League has supported the measure, Cate said.
Colby Fulfer, the mayor's chief of staff, said city staff on future projects would choose a procurement officer and bring a contract to the City Council for approval -- the same process for hiring a construction firm for street improvements.
The move also would provide the city another avenue for purchase without using competitive bidding. Instead, the procurement officer would evaluate the qualifications of firms and report to city staff.
"The procurement officer would walk city staff through the entire process," Fulfer said.
The city in January contracted with Solid Waste Solutions in Texas to find the best company for the city's residential trash removal.
The consultant company listened to the city's needs, then put out a request for proposals from sanitation companies wanting the city contract, Fulfer said. Solid Waste Solutions will vet the bids as they are returned and report to the city.
The City Council is set to vote on a contract for trash removal in June.
The $45,000 fee for Solid Waste Solutions will be paid by the company that wins the bid, Fulfer said.
The city will use the same practice with procurement consultants and contracts in any field, he said.
Fulfer gave the example of new turf for about 13 of the city's ball fields. The updates are part of a proposed bond program voters will decide May 9.
Fulfer said a general contractor's quote for turf came in at $800,000 for four T-ball fields. Fulfer called someone he knew in the turf business.
Then the turf company's representative asked if the city needed "coconut bead or rubber pellet or ...
"He talked about the warranty, stitching, infill, the spin rate and more," Fulfer said.
"Nobody in our office or even the parks department had any idea what he was talking about," he said.
The turf expert presented a quote for $400,000 from the same construction company.
"The consultant would come in, on our behalf, to ensure that we get what we need and what we pay for," Mayor Doug Sprouse said.
The state through the Interlocal Purchasing Systems and its cooperative purchasing can provide savings and value for schools and various government offices, reads the website of the Arkansas Municipal League.
Because the state vets the companies, cities can waive competitive bidding on these purchases. Cities must bid any items or contracts over $35,000, Fulfer explained.
But sometimes the state bid list does not have the best deal, Fulfer continued.
He noted a recent purchase of trucks for the Fire Department. The city found a better price for the trucks than the state's bid list by contacting local dealers directly.