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WARREN -- Warren City Council will introduce and possibly approve legislation at Wednesday's Warren City Council meeting that would give a preference to local bidders in the award of contracts with the city.
Council's caucus session begins at 4:15 p.m. followed by the full council meeting at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers, both at the Municipal Justice Building, 141 South Street SE.
The legislation proposes that the Warren Board of Control award contracts to local bidders whose bid is not more than 5% higher and no more than $20,000 higher than the lowest dollar bid submitted by non-local bidders.
The legislation defines a local bidder as an individual or business, who, "at the time of the award of the contract, has a headquarters, division, sales office, sales outlet, manufacturing facility or similar significant business related location in Trumbull County, Ohio."
Under the legislation, prospective bidders would be notified that the city of Warren, "in determining the lowest and best bidder in the award of this contract, may award a local bidder preference to any qualified bidder" under the authority of Warren's ordinances.
The determination of whether the bidder qualifies for the local preference "shall be made by the Board of Control," and the "Board's decision shall be final," the proposed legislation states.
The preference would be applicable to all "contracts for equipment, goods, machinery, materials, supplies, vehicles and/or services, which are purchased, leased and or constructed and which require bidding" under Ohio law.
The ordinance is being proposed as emergency legislation, meaning the legislation could be approved without the need for three readings on separate days if the rules are suspended by a three-fourths vote of all members of city council.
According to American Legal Publishing, Canton has similar legislation that was approved in September of 2023.
OTHER LEGISLATION
Another piece of legislation on the agenda is a second reading on enacting a proposed partial ban on parking on city streets between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., though it would not apply to the Central Business District within designated parking spots.
The legislation includes a section that would eliminate an allowance of 30-minute parking on city streets between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. except in the Central Business District. The city's Traffic Commission had a public meeting on the idea July 16. Council gave a first reading to the legislation at the Sept. 9 meeting.