Administrative Regulation 9.14-4

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 9.14-4 DATE APPROVED: September 22, 2020
SUBJECT: Single Source Purchase ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Management and Budget

A.   PURPOSE:

  1. In procuring commodities or services under this Administrative Regulation, the County shall fully comply with Section 057, Florida Statutes and AR 9.01 (latest revision). Bid requirements may be waived when a commodity or service is available from a single source.
  2. Specifications for the purchase of an item or service will describe the minimum requirements necessary for the item or service to meet the Department/Office/Division needs. Departments/Offices/Divisions will not use specifications that unnecessarily restrict the ability of a vendor to qualify as a source of the item or service being purchased.
B.  POLICY

1.     W hen an item or service is available from only one vendor, a Department/ Office/Division Director/Acting Director or his/her designee may request that the vendor be designated as a single source.

2.     Guidelines for Single Source but not limited to:

  1. Past experience with a particular issue and this vendor has the historical knowledge or was the original installer
  2. Demonstrate expertise
  3. Capacity and willingness to respond to an emergency situation.
  4. Vendor is the single provider of the commodities, technology or services which have unique characteristics essential to the program to perform the intended function and no other product would be suitable for use by the County.

3.     Single source memo required by Department needs to address the circumstances leading to the selection of the vendor, any alternative considered, rationale for selecting the vendor and how it was determined that the price was fair and reasonable with a letter from the vendor providing information regarding their ability to supply the commodity or service.

4.     Purchases between $5,000 and $10,000

  1. Attach a single source memo addressed to the Department/Office Director/Acting Director overseeing the Division along with a letter from the vendor stating that they are a single source supplier of the referenced item or service when entering the requisition through the online
  2. The Department/Office Director/Acting Director will review the information submitted by the requesting Division and may waive the quote requirement by approving the requisition through the online system. Electronic approval by the Department/Office Director/Acting Director is required for all single source requests submitted by a Division.

5.       Purchases between $10,000 and $35,000
  1. Attach a single source memo addressed to the Department of Management & Budget with a letter from the vendor stating that they are a single source supplier of the referenced item or service. Electronic approval by the Department/Office Director/Acting Director is required for all single source requests submitted by a Division.
  2. The Department of Management & Budget will review the information submitted by the Department/Office/Division and may, with the approval of the County Administrator or his/her Designee, waive the quote requirement by approving the requisition through the online system. Electronic approval is required from the County Administrator or his/her Designee for all purchases between $10,000 and $35,000.
6.      Purchases totaling $35,000 or more
  1. Attach a single source memo addressed to the Department of Management & Budget from the Department stating that they are a single source supplier of the referenced item or service.
  2. The request will be reviewed by the Department of Management & Budget Director and DMB will electronically post a description of the commodity, technology or service for 7 business days, and request that prospective Vendors provide information regarding their ability to supply the commodity or service. If it is determined, that the commodity, technology or service is available only from a single source, the request to enter into a single source contract will be placed on the Board of County Commissioners meeting agenda for If approved by the Board of County Commissioners the bid requirement will be waived, but all other purchasing requirements will continue to apply.   
  3. When entering the requisition in the online system, include the Board approval date and item number in the description.
7.      If the single source request is not approved, the requisition will be denied through the online system. The requesting department will be notified by the denier.

8.       The single source designation will be effective through the end of the fiscal year in which the request is approved, unless otherwise noted and approved on request.
  1. If a new Vendor is identified at any time during the single source exemption period, the exemption will automatically terminate and the Department/Office/Division will ask the Purchasing Section in the Department of Management and Budget to obtain bids or quotes for all subsequent purchases from the available Vendors as required by the normal purchasing regulation.
  2. If no new Vendors are identified during the exemption period, the Department/Office/Division may request extension of the exemption period through the following fiscal year by following the steps described above.
  3. Purchases of the following items and services are exempted from the bid and quote requirements as single source purchases:
    1. Purchases of all library materials by the Library Services Division and related activities including acquisition, cataloging, processing, membership and interlibrary.
    2. Utilizing an original source provider for future maintenance, repair or part replacement to ensure protection of warranty and consistency of service.
    3. Purchases of advertising by the Citrus County Visitors Bureau including but not limited to outdoor, print, online, and broadcast.

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES TO RELATED AR’s. Supersedes AR 9.01.07-2 dated March 11, 2003; AR 9.01.07-1 December 18, 2001; AR 09.01-.07-3 dated August 10, 2004; AR: 9.01.07-4 dated October 25, 2005, AR 9.01.07-5 dated August 12, 2008,


 

 




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  1. Purchases of all library materials by the Library Services Division and related activities including acquisition, cataloging, processing, membership and
  2. Utilizing an original source provider for future maintenance, repair or part replacement to ensure protection of warranty and consistency of service.
  3. Purchases of advertising by the Citrus County Visitors Bureau including but not limited to outdoor, print, online, and broadcast.