The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners discussed proposed updates to the county’s Responsible Bidder Policy during a Committee of the Whole session September 15. They ultimately sent the recommendations back to an ad hoc committee for further work.
Victoria Barboza presented the proposed updates, which include a consolidated section for evaluation criteria and submission requirements, a new proposal submission template for vendors, and a construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) contract template. The presentation also outlined three local incentive policy options for the board to consider, aimed at improving transparency and standardizing expectations for local participation in county-funded projects.
Much of the discussion centered on a proposed allowance to offset premiums charged by local subcontractors. Under the proposal, if the allowance isn’t enough to cover local subcontractor costs, project managers could look for savings elsewhere, such as through value engineering, without increasing the overall project budget. If multiple local subcontractor premiums couldn’t all be funded, projects would be prioritized based on overall benefit.
Commissioners also debated how the policy should define a living wage. Commissioner Gisler asked for clarity on the term, noting it was vague as written. The vice chair said a living wage should allow workers to support a family, pointing to the federal Davis-Bacon Act as a rough comparison, while acknowledging that Davis-Bacon’s wage classifications could complicate the policy if adopted directly. Commissioner Wheeler raised concerns that a more complex bidding process could put local, smaller bidders at a disadvantage, and emphasized the process should remain fair and transparent.
Rather than adopt the changes, the board voted to reconvene the Responsible Bidder ad hoc committee to review the recommendations and bring a revised proposal back to the full board. Several commissioners volunteered to serve on the committee.
