TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY 21, 2008
COMMITTEE ON ENGINEERING
Mr. Richard Lanyon, General Superintendent
Title
Report to the Board of Commissioners on the qualifications-based process for the selection of Consulting Engineering and Architectural Firms (Deferred at the February 7, 2008 Board Meeting)
Body
Dear Sir:
From time to time, the District requires the services of outside consulting engineering and architectural firms to augment its services. On May 6, 1974, the General Superintendent provided the Board of Commissioners with a report on the steps to be followed to engage these professional services. Since many years have passed since that report, it is prudent to reiterate that process and apprise the current Board of Commissioners with respect to it.
The Purchasing Act governing the contracting of goods and services by the District states that “Contracts which by their nature are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, such as, but not only, contracts for the services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part…shall not be subject to the competitive bidding requirements of this act.” (IL ILCS 2605/11.4)
This section of the Purchasing Act acknowledges that in the procurement of professional services, the public interest is best served when the person or firm providing the necessary services can be selected based upon quality and experience of the individuals, and not solely on price. This practice permits the District to reap the long-term benefits that high-quality services offer by providing the authority to pay fair compensation for these services.
In order to insure that the public’s interests are being served responsibly, it is necessary that a system of checks and balances are in place during the selection of the professional services. To this end, the District has developed a formalized Consultant Selection Procedure utilizing a combination of technical and management committees that evaluate the qualifications of potential consultants with regard to a specific project or group of projects. Attached with this report is the Consultant Selection Procedure, which details the steps utilized in processing such services.
If further clarification is required, please advise the undersigned.
Respectfully submitted, Joseph P. Sobanski, Chief Engineer, TEK
Recommended by, Darlene A. LoCascio, Purchasing Agent
Attachment