City Of Nashville Abolishes Architect And Engineer Master List Abolished

From the City of Nashville:

October 30, 2020

On October 20th, Metro Council passed Ordinance BL 2020 – 449. This legislation abolishes the requirement that Metro maintain a master list of architects and engineers (A&E). Going forward, Metro will award A&E contracts solely on the basis of competence and integrity, not a firms inclusion on an arbitrary list.

This is consistent how Metro awards every other competitive solicitation and it is aligned with industry best practice.

Previously, only those firms appearing on the master list could be awarded an A&E contract. The process for modifying the list was not explicitly set out in the code or corresponding regulations, nor were there any requirements or standards for placement.

Consultation with state regulatory authorities and industry groups revealed this process was wholly unique to Metro. Many suppliers expressed frustration with the arbitrary nature of the list.

By abolishing the list, Metro both increases the pool of prospective bidders and further streamlines the purchasing process by removing an arbitrary barrier to doing business with the city.

Further questions about this change can be sent directly to the purchasing agent.

This press release was produced by the City of Nashville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.