Public Purchasing Policy
Amended 3/20/2000, reviewed, amended, & approved 6/19/00, reviewed 2/19/01, 2/18/02, 2/17/03, 2/16/04, 2/21/05, amended 2/20/06, reviewed 2/19/07, amended 6/18/07, 2/18/08, 2/16/09, 3/15/10, 2/21/11, 2/20/12, reviewed 2/18/13, 2/17/14, 2/16/15, 2/15/16, amended 2/20/17, reviewed 3/19/18, amended 2/18/19, reviewed 2/17/20, reviewed 2/15/21, 2/21/22, reviewed 3/20/23, 2/19/24
The Board of Trustees of the Delphi Public Library has established this Public Purchasing Policy to govern the purchase of goods and supplies for the library. The library follows public purchasing laws of Indiana Code 5-22.
Purchases of books, magazines, DVDs, audiobooks, and all other forms of library and audiovisual materials are exempt from the restrictions of this policy.
The director is designated as the library’s purchasing agent for goods and services. The director is authorized to establish a petty cash fund for incidental purchases. Library employees who make incidental purchases greater than $10 must have prior approval of the director. A library employee may receive reimbursement for an approved library-related expense by presenting a proper receipt. A tax-exempt certificate should be presented to the seller at the time of purchase. Sales tax will not be reimbursed to the library employee.
All real estate purchases are made by the Board of Trustees. All checks and reimbursements are approved for payment by the board. Prepayment of some claims, including advertising expenses, is acceptable, as set by the board via resolution and in compliance with Indiana law.
Small Purchase Policy
If the purchasing agent expects the purchase to be less than $50,000, the purchase may be made without soliciting bids or proposals. In making purchases of less than $50,000 the following guidelines shall be followed:
-
The purchasing agent shall compare prices from as many responsible suppliers of the goods or services required as is practical, and shall purchase from that supplier where total costs are lowest, when quality and timeliness of delivery are comparable. Comparison pricing can be obtained via telephone, letter, email, fax, or website.
-
Preferences will be given to products manufactured in the United States.
-
Preferences will be given to purchasing from Carroll County or other Indiana businesses when total cost, quality, and timeliness of delivery are comparable.
-
Purchases will not be artificially divided so as to constitute a "small purchase."
If the purchasing agent expects the purchase to be more than $50,000 but not more than $150,000, the purchasing agent shall solicit quotes from at least three vendors known to provide the goods or services required, as specified in IC 5-22-8-3.
Any purchase made under this section for more than $50 shall have the prior approval of the director.
Charging Purchases
The director is authorized to establish charge accounts with businesses from which the library will make purchases on a continuing basis. Library employees who may make purchases using the established charge accounts shall include the director, the bookkeeper, and the janitor. The director may assign other employees responsibility for purchasing supplies needed for specific library programming.
The director is authorized to establish and maintain a credit card for making library purchases when more traditional methods of payment are impossible or not timely or practical in the circumstances. The director is authorized to use such credit card for payment for lodging and meals for library staff or board members who are traveling on behalf of the library. The director will be the sole authorized user and cardholder and will deliver all documentation to the bookkeeper to be itemized and posted to the appropriate accounts. No interest, carrying charges, or penalties are to be incurred due to late payments. If the director fails to promptly file or furnish documentation, and interest or penalty is incurred as a result, the director will be held responsible for paying the interest or penalty charged. All costs incurred and charged with the credit card must be business related and not personal in nature.
Per prescribed internal control procedures, the physical credit card is in the possession of the director only. Staff other than the director must request and sign out the physical credit card for making approved online purchases. The director maintains a log that includes the names of individuals requesting usage of the cards, their position, estimated amounts to be charged, fund and account numbers to be charged, date the card is issued and returned, and an indication of whether sufficient documentation was provided.
Requests for Proposals and Competitive Bidding
If the purchasing agent expects the purchase to exceed $150,000, the purchasing agent shall prepare Requests for Proposals as specified in IC 5-22-9 or follow the competitive bidding procedures as specified in IC 5-22-7, except for those emergency conditions that allow for special purchasing methods as defined in IC 5-22-10.