Exemptions and Delegation of Authority
Section: IV - Purchasing
Page: 3 - 5
Subject: Pertinent Information
Effective: July 1, 2000
Some
items and services are exempt from the policies listed on the prior
page. The state delegates authority to local agencies to purchase the
following:
- athletic apparel
- perishable food products
- published material produced by others
- maps, charts, globes, film, filmstrips
- playground equipment,
- service and maintenance contracts - except where provided for by state contract, andh shrink-wrapped software (off-the-shelf).
Emergencies
Emergencies are defined as situations which endanger lives, property,
or the continuation of an important program which can be corrected only
by immediate on-the-spot purchase or rental of equipment, supplies,
materials or services. Emergencies will be handled by the Purchasing
Department on an individual basis.
Specifications
A purchase specification is restrictive in that it sets limits on what
is acceptable. Specifications must not be unreasonably restrictive
because this eliminates competition. Usually more than one make or
brand of a particular item is satisfactory. In developing
specifications, an attempt must be made to specify a quality which is
suitable for the intended use, but not restricted beyond what is
reasonable.
Sole-Source Items
Sole-source (franchise) items are items for which there is only one
dealer, distributor, or manufacturer from whom to purchase those items
in a particular area.
Sole-source items costing $90,000 or less may be purchased locally,
provided that the purchase requisition documents that these are
sole-source items.
Sole-source items costing more than $2,500 but
less than $90,000 require a sole-source letter from the vendor as
documentation.
Sole-source items costing more than $90,000 must be approved by the North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contract.
Efforts should continually be made to locate additional sources or satisfactory substitute items.
Ordering on Approval
Ordering on approval is not a recommended practice. However, if it
becomes necessary, a purchase order requesting that the material be
sent for preview must be sent to the vendor. Materials may not be sent
from a vendor without a purchase order number.
Encumbering Funds
State law requires that funds be encumbered for each purchase prior to
the actual placement of the order. All purchase orders must be signed
by the Finance Officer and Purchasing Officer prior to the order being
released.
The Guilford County Board of Education is not responsible
for the payment of invoices for orders placed without authorization and
without an assigned purchase order number.
Lease-Purchases
Lease-purchases are to be handled in the same manner as outright
purchases and are subject to the purchase procedures listed in this
manual.
Lease-purchase or installment purchase contracts may only be utilized for:
- automobiles
- school buses
- mobile classroom units
- photocopiers
- computers, computer hardware, computer software, and related support services
Affirmative Action Procedures for Minority, Disabled and Women's Business Enterprises
The Purchasing Department shall actively seek and identify qualified
minority business enterprises (MBE), disabled business enterprises
(DBE), and women's business enterprises (WBE) and offer them the
opportunity to bid on items. The Purchasing Department is required by
General Statutes to report all purchases made from MBE's, DBE's, and
WBE's to the North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contract
quarterly, for inclusion in a consolidated report to the General
Assembly.
Construction or Repair Work - Contracted
Contracts for construction or repair projects of less than $30,000 do
not require bids; however, schools /departments should contact the
Purchasing/Maintenance Department for guidelines. The award of the bid
is determined at the discretion of the Purchasing Officer.
The Purchasing Department will solicit all needed bids for construction projects.
For contracts of $30,000 to $299,999.99 the school system must secure informal bids and keep a public record of those bids.
Contracts of $300,000 or more require formal bids with advertising and
a 5% bid deposit. Other stipulations apply to contracts of $300,000 or
more. (See G.S. 143-129.)
* The Purchasing Department will solicit bids for all construction projects.
Use of Own Force for Construction or Repair Work
Renovation projects with a total direct and indirect project cost of
$125,000 or less may be undertaken by the Maintenance Department.
Materials for such projects are subject to the purchasing regulations
previously listed.
