Humboldt County Municipal Code § 245-2 Specific Duties

The Purchasing Agent shall administer his or her duties, stores, funds and accounts, and, except as otherwise provided herein or by law or by specific order of the Board of Supervisors, shall: (Ord. 2344, § 1, 6/7/2005) (a) Purchase for the County and its departments all materials, supplies, furnishings, equipment, livestock and other personal property. (Ord. 2456, § 1, 8/23/2011) (b) Provide and maintain approved legal contractual documents for purchasing use such as purchase orders and service agreements. (c) Rent for the County and its departments all materials, supplies, furnishings, equipment, livestock and other personal property. (Ord. 2456, § 1, 8/23/2011)

(d) Engage independent contractors to perform services for the County and its departments, including the furnishing of materials, subject to statutory limits and procedures. (e) Sell or exchange any item of personal property declared surplus to County needs or he/she may, when purchasing personal property, accept advantageous trade-in allowances for county personal property which has scrap value of less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) and which has been previously determined surplus. (Ord. 2456, § 1, 8/23/2011) (f) Perform the above services for special districts organized under general law within the County and governed ex officio by the Board of Supervisors. (g) Make purchases and dispositions of personal property for other public officers or agencies pursuant to authority of law. (h) Allow participation at their will by cities and other independent political subdivisions in continuing purchase contracts with the County, providing that this is permissible under the terms of said contract, and subject to such conditions as he/she deems necessary. Such necessary conditions may include the adoption by governing body and filing of a true copy with him/her of a resolution which requests the privilege of participating and provides that for the period of such participation the subdivision: (1) Will make all purchases, for public use only; (Ord. 2344, § 1, 06/07/2005 (2) Will be responsible for payment directly to the vendor and for tax liability and will hold the County harmless therefrom; (3) Has not and will not have in force any other contract for like purchases; (4) Has not obtained and does not have under consideration written bids or quotations from other vendors for like purchases. The Purchasing Agent may terminate any such participation on reasonable notice for willful violation of the terms of such resolution or other conditions, or if required to do so pursuant to the contract with the vendor. (i) May purge any requisition received by the Purchasing Agent which is more than three (3) years old. Such requisitions need not be photographed, reproduced, or microfilmed prior to destruction and no copy thereof need be retained. For the purposes of this section, a requisition is a formal request (written or electronic) submitted to the Purchasing Agent by the department for a product or service. (Ord. 2344, § 1, 6/7/2005; Ord. 2456, § 1, 8/23/ 2011) (j) Have control over procurement of personal property by one department from another, exclusive of documents. (Ord. 2344, § 1, 6/7/2005) (k) Perform such other services as the Board of Supervisors requires. (Ord. 2643, § 1 (Att. 1), 6/2/2020)

Pursuant to Government Code Section 25502.7, the Board of Supervisors, whenever it has proclaimed a local emergency, hereby authorizes the Purchasing Agent to engage independent contractors to perform services related to the local emergency for the County, with or without furnishing of materials, where the aggregate cost does not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00.) (Ord. 2456, § 2, 08/23/2011) The Purchasing Agent shall implement policies and procedures for this section. The policies and procedures shall include provisions for informal bidding procedures to the extent that such procedures are feasible under emergency circumstances. (Ord. 2456, § 2, 8/23/2011; Ord. 2643, § 1 (Att. 1), 6/2/2020)

Except where otherwise provided by law or by the Board of Supervisors, no purchase of personal property or contract for services by any County officer or employee other than the Purchasing Agent shall bind the County or constitute a lawful charge against County funds. (Ord. 2456, § 2, 8/23/2011; Ord. 2643, § 1 (Att. 1), 6/2/2020)