2.106.050 Procedure for Solicitation and Purchase of Service Contracts.
A. Annually, the Agent shall determine the County's anticipated requirements for any category or type of service and shall publish an announcement of these requirements. If the County later requires any further, previously unpublished services, it shall publish additional announcements on each occasion when such services are required. All such publications shall include a request that firms interested in providing those services to the County submit a statement of qualifications and performance data to be placed on file.
B. Prior to entering into a service contract for an amount of $25,000.00 or greater, the requesting department or the Agent, when appropriate, shall evaluate all statements on file, together with those that may be submitted by other firms and shall conduct discussions with one or more firms regarding anticipated concepts and the relative utility of alternative methods of approach. Written criteria shall then be developed in consultation with the requesting department, which will be used to determine which firm to recommend for contract award. Such criteria may include the following:
1. Quality of past performance;
2. Known and documented expertise;
3. Documentation, as required, and demonstration of financial capability to perform required work;
4. Cost of performance, where appropriate.
C. Prior to entering into service contracts between $25,000.00 and $49,999.00, at least three vendors, if possible, shall be contacted and provided with the scope of work, including the project description, with responses being submitted, either in writing or by phone. The requesting department or the Agent, when appropriate, shall rank the proposals submitted based on the criteria set forth in subsection B of this Section and shall award to the vendor best meeting the needs of the County. In the event that a satisfactory contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked contractor, the requesting Department or Agent shall then begin negotiations with the next highest ranked contractor.
D. Prior to entering into service contracts for $50,000.00 or greater, the Executive or designee, or Council as set forth in subsection G of this Section, shall:
1. Develop specifications with a project description in the form of a Request for Proposal in concert with the requesting County department;
2. Publicly advertise the Request for Proposals and include the name of a contact person from whom the project specifications shall be available;
3. Rank the proposals submitted based on the criteria set forth in subsection B of this Section and award the contract in a manner that is in the best interest of the County; provided, that in the event the County fails to negotiate satisfactory terms with the highest ranked proposed contractor, the Executive shall then begin negotiations with the next highest ranked contractor;
E. The selection of a Vendor for Architectural and Engineering services may be accomplished by following the procedures set forth by state law Chapter 39.80 RCW.
F. Exceptions to the competitive solicitation provisions of this Section:
1. Services of Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys.
2. Services of attorney(s) appointed pursuant to legal mandate by the Courts or the Department of Assigned Counsel.
3. Services (e.g., professional, forensic, technical, consultant) deemed necessary by the Courts or the Department of Assigned Counsel to provide effective assistance of counsel and services deemed necessary by the Prosecuting Attorney to provide effective legal representation.
4. Appointment of service providers whose selection is solely within the discretion of the Courts.
5. Services of a Hearing Examiner appointed pursuant to PCC 1.22.060.
6. Single Source or Special Facilities, Services, or Market Conditions. Services which are clearly and legitimately limited to a single known source of supply, and contracts involving special facilities, services, or market conditions may be acquired through direct negotiation with a single vendor.
G. Council Service Contracts. The Pierce County Council shall follow the procedures in this Chapter when contracting for services to support the duties and functions of the Office of the Pierce County Council. The Chair of the Council, or designee, shall be authorized to enter into contracts and contract modifications for such services when approved by the Rules and Operations Committee. Council service contracts shall be funded from appropriations for the Office of the Pierce County Council or Special Projects. Special Projects appropriations for Council service contracts shall be designated through an appropriation Ordinance. The Executive or designee shall have the authority to modify service contracts to accomplish the original scope of services rendered to the County when it is deemed to be in the best interest of Pierce County; provided, the Executive or designee shall make a quarterly report to the Council's Rules and Operations Committee regarding all instances where additional compensation paid to the vendor exceeded 50 percent of the original contract amount and the original contract amount was $25,000.00 or greater.