Procurement Policies and Procedures

9.0 Procurement Ethics

9.02 Prohibition of City Officials and Employees from Purchasing Surplus Property

According to TCA 6-54-125, city officials and employees are prohibited from purchasing any city-owned real or personal property that has been declared as surplus property by the city during the official’s term of office or the employee’s term of employment and for six months thereafter. Exceptions are if the surplus property is sold by public auction.

9.03 No Contact/No Advocacy During Bid Solicitation Period

To ensure the integrity of the competitive bid process and guarantee all prospective bidders receive the same information, companies and/or individuals submitting bids as well as those persons representing such bidders may not contact, lobby, or advocate to any member of the city including but not limited to the City Council, City Manager, or any other city staff member during the entire bid solicitation period from posting of the bid to awarding the bid. Any and all contact regarding bids shall go through the Purchasing Assistant. Any unauthorized contact may cause the disqualification of the bidder/proposer and their submitted bid/proposal.

9.04 Vendor Loyalty Programs

Any benefits from vendor loyalty programs shall always benefit the city and not the individual employee or department.

9.05 Acceptance of Social Courtesies

An official or employee may not accept, directly or indirectly, any money, gift, gratuity or other consideration or favor of any kind from anyone in exchange for recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by the city. Specific exceptions and further guidance on the ethical standards of accepting gifts and gratuities can be found in the Code of Ethics policy outlined in the Employee Handbook.

9.06 Visits to Vendors

If elected officials or city employees need to visit a vendor’s plant, distribution center, or office for technical or business reasons, the cost should be paid by the city unless contractually covered by the vendor.

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