RivCo Supervisors Change Contractor Policy to Expedite Projects

RIVERSIDE, CA- A Riverside County policy requiring professional services contracts costing more than $100,000 to be put out for bids was changed Tuesday to enable the Economic Development Agency to more quickly hire consultants without the expense and time lost going through the open bidding process.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the amendment to policy B- 22, requested by EDA Director Rob Field.

“This is for efficiency,” he told the board. “It will help us meet the stated needs of the departments.”

EDA documents submitted to the board highlighted the advantages of permitting staff to choose from a list of pre-qualified contractors rather than soliciting bids on every single capital improvement-related project with a price tag exceeding $100,000.

According to the agency, under the old policy, going through the steps of hiring construction management consultants to conduct a feasibility study might be as expensive as the study itself. Expenses would similarly balloon seeking a team to conduct a land survey midway through a project, EDA staff said.

With the amended policy, “the department will be able to enter into these contracts quickly with a pre-approved vendor,” according to Field.

He stressed that the policy modification would not change the practice of returning to the board with requests to increase project budgets or address cost overruns.

It wasn’t clear whether the change might conflict with a 2010 purchasing policy established at the urging of then-Supervisor Jeff Stone. His “Bid Review Under Transparent Environment,” or BRUTE, initiative mandated that all county contracts over $100,000 be handled in a manner that ensures all prospective vendors are treated equally.

City News Service asked EDA spokesman Jeff Van Wagenen whether the new policy had any bearing on BRUTE, but got no immediate response.

– By City News Service.