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The town has two procurement ordinances, a sustainable procurement policy and a general procurement policy. The following restrictions shall apply to procurement of supplies, materials, equipment, construction of public improvements, or contractual services:

• Purchases that involved expenditures totaling not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) may be made upon approval of the appropriate department head provided the department head has verified that sufficient funds have been appropriated and are available for the purposes for which the expenditure is being made.
• Purchases that involve expenditures totaling more than five thousand ($5,000) but not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) may be made upon approval of the Mayor and Council. If possible, the Mayor and Council will evaluate quotes from three (3) supplies and will verify that sufficient funds have been appropriated and are available for the purpose for which the expenditure is being made. If, after diligent efforts, it is not possible to obtain three (3) quotes, the Mayor and Council may evaluate the bids obtained and award the bid after verifying that sufficient funds have been appropriated and are available for the purpose for which the expenditure is being made.
• All purchases of supplies, materials, equipment, constructions of public improvements, or contractual services involving expenditures totaling more than twenty-five thousand ($25,000) shall be made by written contract, following evaluation of sealed bids obtained, in accordance with the Town’s procurement procedures. Such written contracts shall be awarded to the bidder who offers the best bid, based upon price, quality of goods and work, time of delivery or completion, and qualifications and/or experience of the bidder. All such written contracts shall be approved by the Council before becoming effective. The Council shall have the right to reject all bids and re-advertise. The Council at any time in its discretion may employ the Town’s own work force for the construction or reconstruction of public improvements without advertising for (or re-advertising for) or receiving bids. All written contracts may be protected by such bonds, penalties, and conditions as the Town may require.
• The quote and bidding requirements contained in this section do not apply to purchases made by the Town of Colmar Manor under procurement contracts of other government entities, including the federal, state, county, or other municipal governments or the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Nonetheless, any purchases under such contracts that involve expenditures in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000) shall be approved by the Mayor and Council.
• Expenditures for contracts involving technical or professional services, such as consulting and supervising engineers, architects, attorneys at law, and certified public accountants, are exempt from the provisions of the bidding procedures required in subsection (a)(3) of this section provided that all contracts for exempt technical or professional services shall be approved by the Mayor and Council following evaluation of potential contractors who have been invited to submit proposals in accordance with the Town’s procurement procedures.
• When the Council deems that immediate action is necessary or the Council determines that it is unnecessary to obtain sealed bids based upon the particular service or purchase, the Council may, by unanimous vote of the Council members present at the meeting, waive the requirement that sealed bids be obtained with respect to purchases in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

In addition, the Town of Colmar Manor recognizes its responsibility to minimize negative impacts on human health and the environment while supporting a diverse, equitable, and vibrant community and economy. The Town of Colmar Manor recognizes that the types of products and services the Town of Colmar Manor buys have inherent social, human health, environmental and economic impacts, and that the Town of Colmar Manor should make procurement decisions that embody the Town’s commitment to sustainability.

This Sustainable Procurement Policy is intended to:

• Identify those sustainability factors that shall be incorporated into procurement decisions;
• Provide implementation guidance;
• Empower employees to be innovative and demonstrate leadership by incorporating sustainability factors into procurement decisions;
• Communicate the Town’s commitment to sustainable procurement.