City Council
A new review system might help the city weigh past performance before renewing a contract.
Right now, the city has no uniform way to weigh poor vendor work before renewing a contract. For example, a council member said one contractor installed the wrong door at the Oliver Bath House. Council advanced a no-cost agreement with a nonprofit to help build a review system for city vendors. A budget official said clear performance criteria would tell vendors what's expected.
Written by Amy Whipple
When it comes to renewing contracts, the city currently can’t account for poorly completed services.
The Office of the Mayor and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requested council’s approval to amend an existing memorandum of understanding with Partners for Public Good. It authorizes the nonprofit to assist in creating a performance-based review system for the city’s contracted vendors.
“If you are a vendor that isn’t performing well, we should be considering that before we actually renew your contract,” said Deputy Chief Operating Officer Claris Chang.
Right now, Chang said, departments can send a complaint form to the procurement office if a vendor isn’t upholding the terms of agreement, but there isn’t a uniform process for addressing poor work.
Council Member Bob Charland of the South Side, presented an example of that: one of the contractors for the Oliver Bath House renovation installed the wrong door.
OMB sourcing specialist Jacob Goldmann said clear performance criteria would tell vendors, “We have this expectation. This is what you need to fulfill. You need to fulfill your contract. These are the checks and balances in place to make sure that you do.”
Council agreed to move forward with the amendment, which comes at no cost to the city.
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