City hopes to use national alliance to cut equipment costs

The city now has the option of using a national bidding processes to find the best prices for equipment and vehicles.

A statewide bidding process has already been employed for several years by the city to purchase vehicles and other major pieces. This system is considered less time-consuming than the individual bid process.

In the city council meeting on Tuesday evening, City Manager Gary Person informed members that Nebraska is part of a Minnesota-based cooperative called the National Joint Powers Alliance, or NJPA. This alliance allows the city to research large pieces of equipment and participate in bidding on a national level, giving a wider range of options and lower prices.

“By having those things bid on a statewide basis or a national basis you’re getting fleet-type prices where you can buy individual pieces of equipment or vehicles,” Person explained. “So you’re getting rock-bottom prices because they are bid on in bulk. And therefore, the taxpayer-ratepayer is getting the best bang for the buck.”

Joint power authority essentially allows for product or service research and purchasing on a cooperative model. The NJPA limits full membership to cities, counties, public school districts and other government bodies. There is no fee for this, as costs are borne by vendors, who in turn receive access to a larger market.

It is already legal for the city to participate in bidding on a national level, but Person felt it was important from a management perspective to have additional authorization by having a resolution on file.

“By acknowledging this in a resolution form, the council is acknowledging these two processes exist,” he said. “Even though state statues already give us the authority, we just felt it’s best that the city is on record saying that we acknowledge that this is available to us.”

The city is currently researching equipment needed for the electric and sewer departments, and hopes to go forward using the national bidding process.