FAQs About Doing Business with the City of Tamarac

Q. What methods does the City use for making purchases?

A. The City uses a number of methods to make purchases. Purchases under $1,000 are often made by employees using a City-issued Procurement Card. City departments and the Purchasing and Contracts division may also issue informal quotations for purchases under $65,000. For requirements over $65,000, the Purchasing and Contracts division will normally issue a formal Invitation for Bid or Request for Proposal.

Q. Where can I find current City of Tamarac bids and proposals?

A. Formal bids and proposals are advertised on the City’s website, and are normally available for download by going to the “Current Solicitations” page at www.tamarac.org/bids. In addition, advertisements for formal solicitations may also be found in the classified section of the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper.

Q. What are the guidelines for the use of informal quotes and formal solicitations?

A. Procedures regarding verbal and written quotes are as follows:

Purchases $2,500 - $4,999.99: Three (3) verbal quotes.
Purchases $5,000 - $29,999.99: Three (3) written quotes.
Purchases $30,000 - $64,999.99: Formal requests for quotes solicited by Purchasing.
Purchases $65,000 - over: Over this limit requires a formal competitive solicitation and approval by the City Commission prior to vendor award.

Q. What is the City’s policy on splitting orders?

A. Splitting orders to avoid City policy requirements is strictly prohibited.

Q. What is the difference between a Bid and a Proposal, and a Bidder and a Proposer or Offeror?

A. Here are some definitions for common terms used:

Bid: An offer submitted by a prospective vendor in response to an Invitation for Bid. The City awards contracts to the most responsive and responsible bidder.
Proposal: An offer submitted by a prospective vendor in response to a Request for Proposal. Price is normally only one factor in the award for a proposal. In addition to price, the City may consider quality of service provided, past vendor experience, qualifications of vendor personnel and other applicable criteria. An Evaluation Committee normally evaluates proposals, and each criterion is normally assigned a weighted point value that is used in scoring the proposals. The proposal is awarded to the vendor that provides the proposal that is most advantageous to the City.
Bidder: One who submits a response to an Invitation for Bid.
Proposer, Proponent or Offeror: One who submits a proposal in response to a Request for Proposal.

Q. How does the Procurement Card Program work?

A. The Procurement Card Program is designed to improve efficiency in processing small-dollar purchases from any vendor that accepts a Visa credit card. Each card is issued to an individual employee, and the City of Tamarac is clearly identified on the face of the card. Purchases under the card are normally restricted to $1,000 and under for each transaction. The commodities or services that are available for purchase may be limited on an individual card basis, depending on the employee’s job duties. The card automatically validates or declines a transaction at the point of sale based on these criteria. Procurement cards may ONLY be used by the employee whose name is shown on the face of the card.

Q. What are my responsibilities as a vendor when accepting a Procurement Card?

A. As a vendor, you have the following responsibilities related to the acceptance of a City Procurement Card:

Do not charge Florida sales tax — the City is a tax- exempt entity.
Provide a receipt for the purchase at the time of purchase.
All items purchased must be in stock — no backorders are allowed.
All items purchased by telephone or over the Internet must be delivered at one time and within the 30day card billing cycle, which ends on the 4th of each month. Do not accept the order if you can’t meet these criteria.
Shipping charges must be included in the quoted price. If the price exceeds $1,000 with shipping, the transaction cannot take place for most City Procurement Cards.

Q. Are there any special requirements for construction bids?

A. Yes, besides the differing bid thresholds, bidders on construction projects may be required to provide additional information with their bids. Some of the requirements may include the following:

Bid Bond: An insurance agreement along with a monetary commitment wherein a Surety company accepts liability and guarantees the bidder won’t withdraw the bid; will furnish performance and payment bonds as required, and if awarded, will accept the contract as bid. When required for a solicitation, bid bonds must be submitted on paper manually to the Purchasing and Contracts division PRIOR to the scheduled opening date and time for the solicitation.
Performance and Payment Bonds: These bonds are executed after contract award. The Performance Bond protects the City against any loss due to a vendor’s or contractor’s inability to complete the contract as agreed. A Payment Bond is utilized to ensure the payment of sub-contractors and suppliers in the event that the vendor or contractor is unable to pay them. Florida Statutes Chapter 255.05 (1) (b), requires that all contractors shall ensure that the Performance and Payment Bonds are recorded in the public records of Broward County at the Bidder’s expense. Proof of recording must be submitted to the City prior to issuance of any purchase order or payment by the City. One (1) set of original Performance and Payment Bond documents must be provided to the City prior to the issuance of any Notice to Proceed by the City.
Contractor License: Vendors and contractors must show proof that they have been licensed by the State of Florida or by Broward County Florida to perform required construction services. License requirements are usually identified in the Invitation for Bid document.

Note: All repairs, additions, renovations, and alterations to City facilities must be approved by the appropriate Department or Public Services representative.

Q. May I ask for a clarification from the user department while a bid is being solicited?

A. No, until an award recommendation is made, bidders are requested to only contact the Purchasing and Contracts division representative handling the solicitation, who will seek clarification from the department. In some instances, questions must be submitted in writing electronically through the Bids&Tenders^TM electronic procurement system by the deadline provided in the individual solicitation. Clarifications will be issued in writing by the Purchasing and Contracts division by use of a formal bid addendum. In addition, there may be an opportunity to receive a clarification during a pre-bid conference, which is a meeting held with prospective bidders prior to the receipt of bids to clarify bid information, answer bidder questions and ensure all bidders have a common understanding of the requirements of the bid. Some pre-bid conferences may be mandatory, and under those circumstances, bids will only be accepted from those vendors who attended the pre-bid conference. Finally, lobbying of any City employee or elected official is strictly prohibited by City code, during the solicitation of any bid or proposal. Please note that the City may provide vendors with the option to attend certain pre-bid conferences virtually through online meeting software.

Q. When does my bid/proposal have to be submitted?

A. Each bid and proposal will include a specified date, time, and place for submittal. Bids must be ELECTRONICALLY returned to Purchasing and Contracts through the Bids&Tenders^TM system prior to the specified date and time. Bids or proposals received late will not be accepted by the software or considered by the City. It is highly recommended that bidders or proposers allow an adequate amount of time in advance of the opening date and time to submit their response. The City will not be responsible for any technical issues associated with a last-minute response submittal. The City will normally hold a bid opening ceremony for Invitations for Bid. However, Requests for Proposal will normally be opened in a closed session. A bid opening is a formal ceremony in which sealed bids are publicly opened, usually in the presence of one or more witnesses at the time and place specified in the Invitation for Bids. The pricing will be read aloud, and a formal bid tabulation will be created shortly thereafter. The bid tabulation will then be electronically posted for public inspection on the Purchasing and Contracts division’s Bids&Tenders^TM website at https://tamarac.bidsandtenders.org.

Q. Am I required to provide insurance when I am awarded a contract by the City?

A. If you will be performing work on City property, you must provide proof of insurance. Vendors must have an approved copy of their current certificate of insurance on file with the Purchasing and Contracts division prior to starting work. The insurance certificate must comply with the City’s insurance requirements and shall name the City of Tamarac as an “additional insured”. A purchase order or agreement will not be issued if the insurance certificate does not meet established criteria. The required insurance certificate must be issued by an insurance company that is properly licensed, duly authorized business in the State of Florida, and meets minimum qualifications based on the most current edition of A.M. Best’s Insurance Guide.

Q. Am I required to provide anything else with my response to the City?

A. All bidders and proposers will be required to submit a current federal form W-9, and will be required to certify that they are in compliance with the requirements of State of Florida Statutes 287.135 and 215.473, which certifies that the vendor is not on a Scrutinized Companies and Boycott Israel List, not on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, and not the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, nor has the vendor been engaged in business operations in Syria. Vendors responding to formal solicitation will be able to check that they comply with these statutes as part of their electronic responses. However, vendors may be required to provide a separate certification on a form provided by the City.

Each successful vendor will also be obligated to comply with the provisions of Florida Statutes 448.095 “Employment Eligibility”, which includes but is not limited to the required utilization of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify System to verify the work authorization status of all newly hired employees, which will also apply to any sub-contractors.

Q. How do I handle billing?

A. The City of Tamarac has a reputation for paying its bills in an expedient fashion, often within a week of receiving an acceptable invoice, depending on the specific timing. All invoices submitted for payment must be sent directly to the City of Tamarac Accounts Payable division, 7525 NW 88th Ave., Tamarac, FL 33321. This includes invoices for purchases that are picked up by City employees. If an employee picks up an order, the original invoice must still be sent to Accounts Payable for payment. Invoices not properly submitted may not be paid on time. It is the vendor’s responsibility to submit a properly prepared invoice for payment. All payments shall be governed by the Local Government Prompt Payment Act, F.S., part VII, chapter 218. All vendors must also register for electronic ACH/EFT payments.

A registration form is available at https://tamarac.seamlessdocs.com/f/DirectDeposit.

Please send completed forms with a copy of a voided check to accounts.payable@tamarac.org or fax to (954) 597-3560.