School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 3-32

BUSINESS AND NONINSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS

Emergency/Small/Sole Source Purchases

A. Emergency Purchases

An emergency shall be deemed to exist when a breakdown in machinery or equipment and/or a threatened termination of essential services or a dangerous condition develops, or when any unforeseen circumstances arise causing curtailment or diminution of an essential service or where materials or services are needed to prevent loss of life or property.

In case of emergency, a contract may be awarded without competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiation; however, such procurement shall be made with such competition as is practicable under the circumstances. A written determination of the basis for the emergency and for the selection of the particular contractor shall be submitted to the School Board and included in the contract file.

B. Small Purchases/Professional Service Contracts

All purchases of goods, contractual services, insurance and capital improvements where the aggregate or sum of all phases is estimated to be less than $50,000 in value, shall not be subject to the requirements of the competitive sealed bidding procedures as described in School Board Policy 3-35 or competitive negotiation; provided, however, that the purchasing authority shall, nevertheless provide for competition where practicable and whenever the amount thereof exceeds $30,000, the informal written solicitation of a minimum of four or more proposals in the commodity area of the transaction shall be sought. Written quotations from vendors shall be obtained where practicable, although verbal quotations will be permitted provided a written record of all such verbal quotations is made and filed with the records of the transaction.

Single or term contracts for professional services shall not be subject to the requirement of competitive negotiation of School Board Policy 3-38 where the aggregate or the sum of all phases is not expected to exceed $30,000; however, the purchasing authority shall provide for competition wherever practicable.

C. Sole Source Purchases

Upon determination in writing that there is only one source practicably available for that which is to be procured, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that source without competitive sealed bidding (School Board Policy 3-35) or competitive negotiation (School Board Policy 3-38). The writing shall document the basis for this determination.


D. Public Notice

Public notice shall be made under subsections A and C preceding as mandated in the legal reference to this policy.

Legal Reference:

Virginia Public Procurement Act, Virginia Code § 2.2-4300, et seq.

Editor's Note
See also the division's "Purchasing Services Handbook."



Adopted by School Board: February 16, 1993
Amended by School Board: October 19, 1999
Amended by School Board: August 2, 2000
Amended by School Board: September 3, 2002