04-09-18 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING April 9, 2018 None from the public wished to speak in favor of or opposition to this bill. Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to send Substitute Bill No. 20-18 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Karen White seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. 21-18 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 6 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCLUDE A NEW ARTICLE 13 ESTABLISHING RESPONSIBLE BIDDING PRACTICES AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ON PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS Councilmember John Voorde, Chair of the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Tim Scott, 711 Forest Avenue, South Bend, IN, served as the presenter for this bill. Councilmember Tim Scott stated, This is a good compromise and a good body of work formulated between the Chamber of Commerce, the City Administration, the Trades and the Common Council. I also would like to thank my cosponsors Councilmember Karen White and Councilmember Jo M. Broden. This took some time to put together. We started over one (1) year ago looking at this. For the most part,the main goal of this is to protect taxpayer dollars to ensure that Public Works projects will not only go to the lowest bidder but the lowest responsible bidder. From that, it is noted that we want people to have good quality work while also making sure that all of the employed people are documented,certified and treated fairly.This ensures a level playing field. Part of this is also focusing on small businesses. This only will affect people that are bidding on projects of$150,000 or less. A part of this is spurred from other entities having this same thing throughout the State. Referencing a slide in the presentation(available in the City Clerk's Office), he stated, There are different cities, towns, school corporations, Counties and townships. This Responsible Bidder Ordinance will follow State guidelines on registration. This will also help with employment and encourage responsible employment. This will affect contractors and subcontractors. We've noticed in the past that some subcontractors are not documented on City jobs and, moving forward, we just want to ensure they will be. Some people have said this is burdensome. There is a prequalification process to this where the details will be saved and bidders can continue updating it as subcontractors are added. This will follow certified payroll and anything less than $150,000 will be exempt from this Ordinance. There are penalties that can be up to $5,000 if there are errors in the certified payroll. It is pretty much complaint driven but it does allow the City to go out and actually inspect and audit these processes. Councilmember Karen White, 1912 Malvern Way, South Bend, IN, stated, I would like to say that this has been an excellent example of collaboration between the City Government, the Chamber of Commerce,Union Trades and other key stakeholders. It is a good example when you may have individuals with diverse opinions coming together and working toward the common good. This process started in the middle part of 2017. Now we are in 2018 with an Ordinance that I think is very acceptable. The process was very transparent, rich in discussion, and we did not come to the table with everyone on board but because we were committed to work together and listen, this is a great example of what I consider to be democracy. I would also like to state the purpose of this Ordinance is to help ensure that our City hires only responsible contractors who will provide the highest quality work efficiently, on time, safely and within budget. The end result is that our tax payers will see the benefits. I enjoyed working with Administration and others on this particular matter, and I believe this is a great example of us coming together for what is best for our City. Councilmember Jo M. Broden, 1319 Otsego Street, South Bend, IN, stated, Just quick comments in the interest of time and the crowds that are here torsi . This is to be all about taxpayer value for the dollars. The threshold at $150,000 is consistent with State standards. We are not asking anybody to do anything more burdensome. I see the prequalification as a fast track. This is not uncommon in other sectors where there are bids on large things and I certainly appreciate the audit 3