LGA Lyceum

Purchasing Power!

Purchasing is one of the most powerful functions of local governments. Developing purchasing guidelines – whether for large projects or professional services – is critical as it ensures that all purchasing laws are being followed and that public funds are being used wisely and judiciously. Abuse or misuse of this power can be damaging to a local government and, as a result, very costly to the taxpayers. Attend this upcoming program to help you understand your legal and ethical obligations to engage in proper purchasing procedures.

Click here to register for this program, which will be held on April 7, 2010 between 6:00 and 9:00 PM at the Green Tree Borough Municipal Building.

The Local Government Academy’s upcoming program – Purchasing Power! – will provide you with information about the basic purchasing rules that are outlined in the municipal codes, when competitive bidding is and is not required, purchasing under emergency conditions, the steps of the bidding process versus when informal price quotes are required and special purchasing requirements. Michael Foreman, a Local Government Policy Specialist with the DCED Governor’s Center for Local Government Services will cover these purchasing requirements as they relate to all municipalities.

Additionally, instructors will also spend time covering the process of selecting professional services, such as choosing an engineer or solicitor, a professional planner for a comprehensive plan, an auditor, and municipal banking, pension and insurance services. Since selecting professional services are not subject to the same purchasing requirements, these decisions are often difficult ones to make for local governing boards and are done less often than other large monetary purchases, such as the annual road paving program. Purchasing Power! will also focus briefly on the importance of regularly evaluating professional services as an effective way to control costs and strengthen the way that business is conducted in your municipality.

Participants in this program will receive a sampling of Requests for Qualifications and Requests for Proposals that will demonstrate various ways in which these types of documents can be crafted to ensure that bidders are meeting the municipality’s needs.

Purchasing Power! will also focus on Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliances and the benefits of joint purchasing agreements and programs, including Pennsylvania’s Cooperative Purchasing Program, Co-Stars. Lou Gorski, Executive Director of the South Hills Area Council of Governments will discuss the success of this program and other similar programs in the Commonwealth.

This program is offered FREE OF CHARGE to communities that have been designated as fiscally distressed (Act 47) by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the support of the DCED Governor’s Center for Local Government Services.

Please encourage elected officials, department personnel, and managers/secretaries in your municipality to attend this important program.

March 19 Energy Program Will Focus on Audits, Recommendations and Practices, Funding Sources

On March 19, 2010 the Local Government Academy and Sustainable Pittsburgh are hosting "Sustainable Development Academy: Putting Energy Savings to Work in Your Municipality" at the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building between 9 AM and Noon. Click here to register on-line.

Earlier this week, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato announced that the County has selected a company to perform energy audits in 104 municipal buildings. To support this initiative and encourage similar programs in other counties and municipalities, the Local Government Academy and Sustainable Pittsburgh have gathered a team of experts, including energy and municipal professionals, to help you understand what to expect from an energy audit and how you can implement the recommendations.

In addition to the presentation, Mt. Lebanon Public Works Director Tom Kelley will give participants a tour of the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, which underwent an energy savings renovation a few years ago, allowing the municipality to preserve the history of the building while improving its function and efficiency and ultimately saving taxpayers money on utility bills.

An energy audit is just the first step in the process of improving the energy efficiency of your municipal buildings. Implementing the results is often the most difficult part of the process, as the initial investment is an expense for your community. Funding is available for these initiatives and this program will provide you with information about additional funding opportunities.

For municipalities participating in Allegheny County's program, this program will help you prepare for energy audit by telling you what to expect from the process and give you some recommendations on how to implement the results. Registration discounts are available for Allegheny County municipalities who are participating in the county's energy audit program.

For municipalities outside Allegheny County, or those not participating in the audit, this informational program will be extremely valuable to you as it will teach you about energy audits, how to incorporate energy savings into your municipality, and provide you with information about funding opportunities. Your community may also have other assets, such as swimming pools, parks and community centers, that need audited for energy efficiency. This program will address those concerns as well.

This program is intended for municipal managers/secretaries, public works and building maintenance personnel and finance officers. Please also invite your community's library staff, school district administrators, church clergy and other organizations with aging infrastructure as they will all benefit from learning how to incorporate energy saving practice in their buildings.

We hope to see you on March 19.