Purchasing

1. The Athens Regional Library System will maintain a centralized purchasing system where all system purchases will be coordinated by the administrative assistant.
2. The administrative assistant will maintain purchasing rules and regulations for internal use and will maintain and distribute to all eligible vendors purchasing rules and regulations written specifically for these vendors.
3. All purchases of $5,000 or more must be advertised, have sealed bids taken and be opened in public at a place, time, and date publicly announced unless on State contract. Purchases with an estimated total cost less than $5,000 should be purchased in accordance with the adopted purchasing rules and regulations. Under no circumstances should purchases be split to avoid bid limits.
4. If all other relevant factors are met, the administrative assistant is authorized to negotiate with a local bidder to reduce its bid to that of the lowest bid received from an out-of-county bidder if the local bid is within 3% of the lowest bid. Negotiation is limited to purchases up to $25,000.
5. The director is delegated the responsibility to award all formal “invitations to bid” totaling less than $50,000. In these instances, subsequent notification to the library board is required. Only the board shall award all formal “invitations to bid” that total $50,000 or more.

10/16/97