Brief Description: Regarding public utility district contracts.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Water, Energy & Telecommunications (originally sponsored by Senators Honeyford, Morton, Delvin and Swecker).

Senate Committee on Water, Energy & Telecommunications
House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs

Background: PUD Work Contracting. Public utility districts (PUDs) must contract for work estimated to cost over $10,000 or work using material costing over $50,000.

As an alternative to competitive bid contracting procedures, PUDs may use a small works roster procedure when contracting for public works estimated to cost $200,000 or less. Under that procedure, PUDs must obtain quotations from contractors who have requested to be listed on a small works roster to assure that a competitive price is established and that a contract is awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.

PUD Materials Contracting. Generally, PUDs must contract to purchase over $10,000 of items of one kind. They must also contract to purchase over $5,000 of items of one kind in any calendar month.

PUDs may use an informal vendor list contracting procedure when purchasing material of one kind worth over $10,000 and less than $50,000. This procedure involves soliciting quotations from at least three vendors on a vendor list whenever possible to assure that a competitive price is established and that a contract is awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. PUDs establish and revise vendor lists by publishing a notice, at least twice a year, soliciting vendors for inclusion on the list.

Summary: PUD Work Contracting. The maximum estimated cost of work done by PUDs without contracting is raised to $25,000, and the maximum cost of material used in work by PUDs without contracting is raised to $150,000. An outdated provision concerning PUD contracting using the small works roster procedure is corrected and clarified.

PUD Materials Contracting. The maximum cost of items of one kind purchased without contracting is raised to $15,000 and the maximum cost of items of one kind purchased in any calendar month without contracting is raised to $7,500.

The minimum cost of items of one kind purchased using the vendor list contracting procedure is raised to $15,000. The maximum cost of items of one kind purchased using that procedure is raised to $60,000. A clarification provides that these limits apply on a per-calendar month basis.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      44   3
House      96   0   (House amended)
Senate      47   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 12, 2008