§ 12-10-124 — Common accounts - Certain purchases for which competitive bidding not required - Contracting by public invitation for proposals

(a) An authority which operates or maintains more than one (1) project may maintain a common account or accounts and buy supplies and services in common; provided, that expenditures periodically shall be allocated to each project on an appropriate basis. (b) An authority in the operation, maintenance, and routine repairs of a project may purchase goods, supplies and services which are generally sold to the public by advertised price without the necessity of competitive bidding; provided, that no purchase shall exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or any larger limit as shall be allowed for such purchases under the regulations of a municipal corporation with which the authority has contracted. (c) (1) No authority shall contract for the construction of buildings or improvements, the expenditure for which is estimated, projected or budgeted to be in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) but less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) except when such contract is made through a public advertisement and competitive bid process. Public advertisement shall be given at least ten (10) days in advance of accepting bids for such construction, and the authority shall award the contract to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the invitation to bid. (2) (A) No authority shall contract for the construction of buildings or improvements, the expenditure for which is estimated, projected or budgeted to be one million dollars ($1,000,000) or more except when such contract is made either: (i) Through a public advertisement and competitive bid process; (ii) Through a request for proposals process which includes minimum required qualifications; or (iii) Through a request for qualifications process which includes minimum required qualifications and a selection process pursuant to which multiple proposers are selected and prequalified to submit competitive bids. (B) Public advertisement shall be given at least ten (10) days in advance of accepting bids or proposals for such construction. If the authority uses the competitive bid process, the authority shall award the contract to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the invitation to bid. If the authority uses the request for proposals process, the authority shall award the contract to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder who meets the minimum required qualifications. If the authority uses the request for qualifications process, the authority shall award the contract to the lowest pre-qualified bidder. (3) The authority may reject any bid or proposal from a contractor who: (A) At the time of the advertisement for bids or proposals, is a party to litigation or a contractual dispute with the authority or the municipality for which the authority is building or managing the project; or (B) Has defaulted on a contract with the authority or the municipality for which the authority is building or managing the project within the five-year period preceding the time of the advertisement for bids or proposals. (4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subsection (c), contractual arrangements for construction delivery methods other than the competitive bid method, such as, but not limited to, the construction manager method, the construction manager at risk method, and the design-build method, or for remodeling and maintenance, may be awarded by a request for proposals process as provided in subsection (d). (d) The authority shall contract for all services, including construction management services and design-build services, through the process provided in subsection (c) or by a request-for-proposals process; provided, however, that no such process shall be required if the authority contracts with a provider of any such service for a project who has been selected by a municipal corporation who is a contracting party or lessee with respect to such project through one (1) of the processes described in subsection (c) or this subsection (d); and provided, further, that this subsection (d) shall not apply to the provision of services for which a letter of engagement or other arrangement has been entered into prior to June 19, 2001. The request for proposals process will invite prospective proposers and will indicate the service requirements and the categories to be considered in the evaluation of the proposals, together with the relative weight of each category. The categories shall include such factors as qualifications, experience, staff availability, technical approach, minority participation and cost, as deemed appropriate by the authority. Proposers shall be given at least ten (10) days from public advertisement of the request for proposals to consider the evaluation factors set forth in the solicitation documents before submitting proposals. The contract shall be awarded to the best proposer, using the evaluation criteria set forth above, who meets the minimum required qualifications. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, contracts for professional services are not required to be awarded through a competitive bid process or a request for proposals process. (e) No authority shall enter into a lease or lease-purchase agreement for land, buildings or leased premises which requires total lease payments or lease-purchase payments by the authority of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or greater, unless such agreement is made after competitive bids upon public advertisement or by a request for proposals process. A competitive bid process or request for proposals process is not required for an authority to enter into a lease or lease-purchase agreement with a municipal corporation, the state of Tennessee, the United States, or any agency, authority, branch, bureau, commission, corporation, department or instrumentality thereof. (f) Nothing contained herein shall require the authority to accept any bid or proposal, and the authority may choose to reject all bids or proposals. (g) An authority contracting with the state of Tennessee shall be subject to the same procurement procedures as though the project were being undertaken by the state of Tennessee unless the state building commission determines that a particular project should not be subject to the procurement procedures and includes a statement to that effect in the contract with the authority.

Legislative History

Acts 1995, ch. 74, § 5; 2001, ch. 407, § 1.