Proposed Iqaluit procurement bylaw shifts preference toward ‘best value’ bids
Draft bylaw on how city buys goods and services sent back to staff for revisions
A road closure sign blocks off Queen Elizabeth Way in Iqaluit while the city was upgrading sewer infrastructure in December. On Tuesday, city council reviewed a new draft procurement bylaw that outlines how the city selects the successful bidder for goods and services. (File photo by Daron Letts)
Iqaluit city council is considering a new bylaw that would add support for local businesses to the criteria the municipality considers in its purchasing process.
At their meeting Tuesday night, city councillors looked over the draft of a procurement bylaw which, if approved, would repeal and replace the current bylaw which has been in place since 2023.
The city wants to move away from simply showing preference to the lowest–priced bids when it purchases goods or services, finance director Peter Tumilty told councillors.
“The ‘best value’ was a concept trying to incorporate quality experience and not necessarily just the lowest price, because you may not always get the best results,” Tumilty said in response to a question from Coun. Sam Tilley.
Tilley noted some projects might benefit from a more experienced contractor and that “low cost isn’t necessarily in the city’s best interest.”
The current bylaw includes a brief description of “best value” as “the optimal balance of high quality and financial terms.”
The draft bylaw councillors reviewed Tuesday expands on that term.
It states that “best value” means the “purchase represents the greatest overall benefit to the City of Iqaluit by considering the most advantageous combination of price, quality, and support for local and Inuit businesses — not solely determined by the lowest price but by evaluating multiple factors.”
The draft bylaw also says “preference will be given to local suppliers throughout all aspects of procurement process within the city.”
Local suppliers are defined as people with Iqaluit business licences and who operate within the city’s boundaries.
Tilley asked several questions Tuesday, clarifying details such as how the bylaw reflects territorial law. He suggested a few changes as well as including a dispute-resolution process.
Councillors deferred approval of the bylaw on second reading so that changes can be made.
Tilley, who drew on his experience working in procurement with the Government of Nunavut, told reporters after the meeting that he likes what he saw in the bylaw but that it needs some edits.
“A few definitions in the bylaw just need to be tweaked a bit,” he said.
“Other than that, it’s a great bylaw.”
Great work Sam!
Good job Sam! Nice to see the City of IQ benefiting from your experience with the Procurement division.
With something like this Conflict of Interest will need to be front and center. How many of the current councilors are associated directly (own or partner) or indirectly (family or close friend) to businesses in town.
Also it will take a lot of character for the councilors to not be influenced by personal gain to pick one project over another. and only consider what is best for the Community as a whole.