Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/84916
BEGINNING THE PROCESS Sarasota County Procurement Official Ted Coyman speaks to the County Commission Sept. 26 about proposed changes to the procurement code. Photo by Rachel Hackney THE SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSION THIS WEEK TOOK ITS FIRST STEPS IN REVISING THE COUNTY'S CODE FOR HANDLING CONTRACTS AND BID AWARDS By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor Companies no longer will have to post bonds to protest Sarasota County bid awards, and they'll have more time in which to file those protests, the County Commission decided in a series of votes this week as it began review- ing staff recommendations for a new procure- ment code. Procurement Official Ted Coyman explained during a Sept. 26 presentation that he had hoped to have the ordinance revisions com- pleted in time to bring them to the board for review next month. However, commissioners' concerns about the structuring of the local preference section would delay that schedule, Coyman indicated. The commissioners requested Coyman work with local trade organizations to fine-tune the local preference consideration for contracts, with Commissioners Joe Barbetta and Nora Patterson voicing the greatest concerns about current practices. After telling the board he would take that step, Coyman said, "We're going to keep an aggressive schedule here and keep this [revi- sion] moving along."