City council to again consider local preference

Local preference - or lack of - for awarding public bids will come before the Yuma City Council again when it meets this week.

City Attorney Steve Moore and Bill Pfannenstiel, purchasing and contracts manager, are scheduled to give a briefing to the council on the subject during the work session at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at Yuma City Hall, One City Plaza.

The council is scheduled to further discuss the subject during its Wednesday meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.

Last year, local contractors appealed to the council to develop a policy that would take into account local knowledge and experience when awarding city contracts for design, engineering and construction work. At the time, they said, they were having to lay off professionals they had worked hard to attract to Yuma while city contracts were being awarded to companies from out of town.

Moore had responded that the city charter states that local preference cannot be given to local engineers, architects and contractors, a compromise the city made to gain state approval of the document. Furthermore, he said, state law says public works contracts can be awarded only on the basis of qualification.

Other agenda items for Wednesday's meeting include:

• A resolution directing the city administrator to proceed with an amendment to the 1999 intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation to remove the designation of Araby Road as the connecting route from the Area Service Highway to U.S. 95. The item came before the council as part of its amended agenda for its Nov. 18 meeting but the amended agenda was not posted.

• Introduction of an ordinance to authorize staff to acquire property at 270 S. Main St. for expansion of the Yuma Art Center.

• Final adoption of an ordinance to annex property in the vicinity of Avenue 9-1/2E and 32nd Street that includes  the Del Sur Estates Subdivision, Bonita Mesa RV Park and some nearby parcels. A handful of residents have heatedly challenged the annexation, saying some of the signatures on the annexation petition dating back to the mid-1990s are no longer valid.

In addition to the work session and regular meeting, the council also will hold a roundtable meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Conference Room 190. City staff members are scheduled to provide a financial update.

Also, as part of the ongoing discussions about the Major Roadways Plan, there will be a presentation on 5th Avenue from Magnolia Avenue to 4th Avenue and 8th Avenue between 13th and 19th streets.