§ 29-312. Architect, engineer, real estate appraisal and land-surveying services.

(a)

Applicability . Architect, engineer, real estate appraisal and land surveying services shall be procured as provided in this section except as authorized by sections 29-155, 29-156, 29-157, 29-313, 29-314, 29-315, and 29-316.

(b)

Policy. It is the policy of the unified government to publicly announce all requirements for architect, engineer, real estate appraisal and land surveying services and to negotiate contracts for architect, engineer, real estate appraisal and land surveying services on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualification for the type of services required, and at fair and reasonable prices.

(c)

Professional selection committee. In the procurement of architect, engineer, real estate appraisal and land surveying services, the purchasing director or the head of a procuring agency shall encourage firms engaged in the lawful practice of their profession to submit annually a statement of qualifications and performance data. The purchasing director or the head of the procuring agency requiring the service, and other necessary members involved in the procurement shall comprise the professional selection committee for each architect, engineer, real estate appraisal or land surveying services contract over $10,000.00. The professional selection committee for architect, engineer, real estate appraisal and land surveying services contracts under this amount shall be established in accordance with regulations promulgated by the unified government administrator. The professional selection committee shall evaluate current statements of qualifications and performance data on file with the unified government, together with those that may be submitted by other firms regarding the proposed contract. The professional selection committee shall conduct discussions with no fewer than three firms regarding the contract and the relative utility of alternative methods of approach for furnishing the required services, and then shall select therefrom, in order of preference based upon criteria established and published by the professional selection committee, no less than three of the firms deemed to be the most highly qualified to provide the services required.

(d)

Negotiation. The procurement officer shall negotiate with the highest qualified firms for a contract for architect, engineer, real estate appraisal or land surveying services at compensation, which the procurement officer determines in writing to be fair and reasonable to the unified government. In making such determination, the procurement officer shall take into account, in the following order of importance, the professional competence of offerors, the technical merits of offers, and the price for which the services are to be rendered. Should the procurement officer be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the firm considered to be the most qualified, at a price the procurement officer determines to be fair and reasonable to the unified government, negotiations with that firm shall be formally terminated. The procurement officer shall then undertake negotiations with the second most qualified firm. Failing accord with the second most qualified firm, the procurement officer shall formally terminate negotiations. The procurement officer shall then undertake negotiations with the third most qualified firm. Should the procurement officer be unable to negotiate a contract at a fair and reasonable price with any of the selected firms, the procurement officer shall select additional firms in order of their competence and qualifications, and the procurement officer shall continue negotiations in accordance with this section until an agreement is reached.

(Ord. No. 64497, § 1(5-401), 6-27-1983; Ord. No. O-73-17 , § 3, 12-21-2017; Ord. No. O-4-19 , § 3, 2-14-2019)