[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Northfield 6-19-2018 by Ord. No. 4-2018. Amendments noted where applicable.]
No article or service shall be contracted for or purchased by
any department, board, agency or office of the City of Northfield
except in accordance with the procedures set forth herein. The City
of Northfield will not be bound by any purchase or contract made contrary
to this policy, and any employee or representative of the City of
Northfield who violates the policy may face disciplinary action, as
well as personal liability for any costs or obligations improperly
incurred.
A.
Requests for purchases.
(1)
The initial step in the purchasing cycle is the preparation of a
request for purchase, which is a form used to request goods, materials
and services. The request for purchase should be typewritten, printed
or in electronic format and forwarded to the Chief Financial Officer,
or designee, for approval.
(2)
The department head should request only purchases for budgeted items.
Nonbudgeted items or services shall require the prior approval of
the Councilperson in charge of that particular department. Such purchases,
if of an emergent nature, will be processed using the emergency procedures.
Adjustments to the department's budgeted items should be considered
when purchasing nonbudgeted items.
(3)
Request for purchase. The following information is required for all
requests for purchase.
(a)
Vendor's complete name and address.
(b)
Full name of the department requesting the purchase.
(c)
Date of request.
(d)
Required delivery date.
(e)
Delivery address.
(f)
Quantity.
(g)
Description/stock number. Be as specific as possible. The description
should include model number, size and full specifications of the required
purchase.
(h)
Price per unit.
(i)
Total amount, including shipping charges. While every attempt
should be made to determine the total price, it may be necessary,
on occasion, to estimate shipping charges.
(j)
Signature of the department head approving the purchase.
B.
The request for purchase should be submitted well in advance of the
time the goods, materials or services are needed to allow sufficient
time for review and preparation of specifications, advertisements
for bids (when required) or for the solicitation of information and/or
quotations for more difficult purchases.
C.
The request for purchase should be forwarded to the Chief Financial
Officer, or designee, who will review and make necessary consolidations
and standardizations with the requests of other departments. Requesting
units should be advised and consulted when standardizations are made.
Based on the total and aggregated dollar amount of the purchase request,
written specifications and sealed bids for informal solicited quotations
may be required. State-approved contract vendors or cooperative pricing
systems vendors, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-11(5), may be used to
fulfill the contracting unit's needs. Before any formal commitment
is made to a vendor and prior to the issuance of a purchase order,
the availability of funds must be determined pursuant to N.J.A.C.
5:30-5.
[Amended 2-19-2019 by Ord. No. 2-2019]
D.
If the purchase cannot be approved, the Chief Financial Officer will
provide the department head with a written explanation. In the case
of an emergency, the preparation and release of a purchase order is
the sole and exclusive duty of the Chief Financial Officer.
E.
After encumbering the funds, the Chief Financial Officer shall prepare
a combined purchase order and claim for payment, which shall include
the following information:
(1)
The vendor's name and address.
(2)
Purchase order number. Purchase orders should be consecutively numbered.
(3)
The full name of the department and account number to be charged.
(4)
The date the purchase order is prepared.
(5)
Delivery address.
(6)
Specific data relative to the quantity required and shipping unit.
(7)
Full description of items or services to be purchased.
(8)
Exact price of each unit.
(9)
Total dollar amount.
(10)
State contract number of the vendor, if applicable. If a bid item,
the date of the award or the bond ordinance number.
(11)
Total cost for all items on the purchase order.
(12)
Signature and date of the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, certifying
that funds are available and encumbered.
(13)
Vendor's certification: signature of the vendor, if required,
and the date.
(14)
The certification by the department head that the goods and/or services
have been received. Upon receipt of the order, the department head
shall certify the goods received and return the voucher to the Chief
Financial Officer with the invoice to process for payment.
(15)
Final approval. The voucher will be sent to the City Administrator
by the Chief Financial Officer for review and recommendation for payment
prior to final approval by the Council.
(16)
Date of payment and check number will be inserted by the Chief Financial
Officer when payment is made.
Emergency purchases shall only be authorized when a situation
requires the immediate purchase or delivery of goods or services to
meet an actual danger to the public's health, safety or welfare.
The department head seeking the purchase shall contact the Chief Financial
Officer to receive approval for the expenditures and certification
of availability of funds. On the next working day following the emergency,
the department head shall submit a written report to the Chief Financial
Officer describing the emergency and the steps taken to resolve the
matter. The Chief Financial Officer will then prepare the purchase
order and obtain all required approvals.
A detailed listing of all bills ready for payment shall be prepared
by the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, for City Council's
approval at its regularly scheduled Council meeting. The approved
bill list shall be included in the official minutes of the meeting.
The bill list shall be recorded in a manner approved by the Director
of Local Government Services and kept available for public inspection.
All municipal checks will be signed with two out of three signatures.
These signatures will be of City officials that will be authorized
by resolution at the annual reorganization meeting of City Council.
A.
No payment will be made unless duly authorized by the owner's
authorized representative and accompanied by proper documentation.
Vendor certification is required only for employee reimbursements
or advances, professional services, and good and services provided
exclusively and entirely by an individual (e.g., sole proprietor).
B.
The City of Northfield defines the billing date for payment, final
and retainage payment as the date the bill is received by the local
unit.
C.
As per N.J.S.A. 2A:30A-2, the City of Northfield operates under the
alternative procedure; therefore, the following provisions apply:
(1)
The 20th calendar day deadline of the default procedure to approve
and certify, or decide to withhold full or partial payment, is deferred
until the public meeting following 20 calendar days of the billing
date, at which time the bill must be approved for payment or notice
as to why the bill or any portion of it will not be approved.
(2)
If the bill is approved, the thirty-day payment requirement of the
default is replaced by the requirement that the bill be paid in the
payment cycle following the meeting.
D.
Upon approval by the City Council, checks shall be available no later
than two business days after the meeting where approval was granted.
This chapter shall take effect according to law after final
passage and publication.
