KALAMAZOO (WKZO) — Kalamazoo County Commissioners have approved a “Responsible Bidder Policy” that has been drafted, rewritten, edited and modified again just hours before final approval yesterday.I
t will require that if a contractor wants to bid on a county Government construction job, that you will have to do more than just have the lowest bid. It gives local bidders a preference.
Also bidders with apprenticeship programs who pay a living wage and can meet certain metrics for quality workmanship will move to the head of the line.
One of the sponsors, Kevin WOrldleman says it gives them something they don’t have now and that’s a yardstick to measure performance.
Other local governments have struggled with ways to give preference to local bidders and may take a look at this approach to see if it works for them.
