Item 3A - Minutes Approval - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mayor Piercy commented on the quality of the hearing that brought forth important information that would enable the council to make good decisions about the issue. 4. PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Concerning Public Contracting; Adding Sections 2.1400, 2.1405, 2.1410, 2.1415, 2.1420, 2.1425, 2.1430, 2.1435, 2.1440, 2.1445, and 2.1450 to the Eugene Code, 1971; Repealing Sections 2.1200, 2.1205, 2.1210, 2.1215, 2.1220, 2.1225, 2.1230, 2.1235, 2.1240, 2.1245, 2.1250, and 2.1255 of that Code; Declaring an Emergency; and Providing an Effective Date City Manager Taylor introduced Tamara Bronson from the Central Services Department, and asked her to briefly describe the proposed Public Contracting ordinance. Ms. Bronson advised councilors that page 13, Section 2.1445 of the proposed ordinance contained a scrivener's error. The first line of Section 2.1445 should read: "Public Contracts - Electronic Advertisement of Contracts." She said the correction would be included when the ordinance was returned to the council for action. Ms. Bronson explained that the purpose of the proposed ordinance was to bring the City of Eugene into compliance with the new State of Oregon Public Contracting Code (OPCC). She said the 2003 State Legislature enacted a complete rewrite of the OPCC that was scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2005, at the request of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services. The new code directed the Department of Justice to write new model rules that were completed and made available to public agencies several months ago. She stated that most of the previous code was written in 1975 and had been amended at every legislative session since that time. Ms. Bronson said that the new OPCC repealed all local public contracting codes and rules, and required local agencies to adopt new codes and rules that were in compliance with the new OPCC. The ordinance before the council would make the City compliant with laws that would go into effect March 1, 2005. She noted that most of the changes were housekeeping in nature and reestablished exemptions that were previously in effect. Mayor Piercy noted that no one had signed up to speak at the public hearing. Mayor Piercy asked for questions or comments from councilors. Councilor Pap6 declared a potential conflict of interest regarding ownership of a company that contracted with the City. Councilor Kelly expressed frustration that the council was up against a March 1 deadline where the City's contracting law expired if nothing was passed, considering the law had been signed by the Governor 16 months ago. He asked why the council did not get the new ordinance a long time ago. City Manager Taylor replied that the Department of Justice (DO J) did not produce the outlines for local governments until recently, putting a legislative mandate on the City that repealed all of the local laws with a date to enact new laws consistent with the revisions during the last legislative session. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 14, 2005 Page 9 Regular Session