Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Council will consider revisions to its procurement policy that will help raise awareness about these opportunities to the local business community.
During the Aug. 8 committee of the whole meeting, CAO Bill Given explained that the municipality is already required under provincial and federal trade agreements to ensure that certain opportunities over a certain threshold value are advertised in a certain way.
鈥淭his identifies an opportunity for us to go one step further to increase local awareness of opportunities to do business with the municipality, so it doesn鈥檛 change any of our legislative requirements. It is essentially a proposal for the municipality to go a little bit further.鈥�
On May 16, Mayor Richard Ireland had made the motion for administration to come back with proposed revisions to the procurement policy.
This came after he received correspondence that criticized how a request for proposal was not adequately advertised locally.
The revisions to the policy would require the municipality to notify the local market of procurement opportunities issued through Alberta Purchasing Connection.
This shall be accomplished by posting links to all procurement opportunities on the municipal website and emailing notification of procurement opportunities to all members of council and the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce.
鈥淭here are certainly positives that we can all appreciate about ensuring that there鈥檚 more local notice,鈥� Given said.
鈥淲hen local businesses understand what opportunities are available to them, it gives them a chance to grow. It helps the government by increasing our revenue through taxes by ensuring that local businesses are sustainable.鈥�
Given warned that the municipality is not allowed to give preferential treatment to local businesses and must ensure that its evaluations are objective.
The main rationale behind this is that competitive bids ultimately better serve taxpayers by ensuring a better-quality product at lower prices.
鈥淭here is nothing that says that we can鈥檛 do more to ensure local businesses are aware of the opportunities,鈥� Given said.
鈥淲e have to compete fairly and on an equitable basis with other businesses, but we can do more of that to ensure that they鈥檙e aware. We do have to, of course, be cautious about ensuring that there鈥檚 no outside perception that that effort of more local promotion is interpreted as local preference.鈥�
The committee made several changes to the proposed wording of the revisions but ultimately recommended that council approve the revision emphasizing more local promotion.
Council is expected to make a final decision on the policy revisions at its meeting next week.
