SR-6-D (12)
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. Santa Monica, califor.- August 21, 1978
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TO Mayor and City Council SEP t 2 1978
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FROM: City Staff .--.- t...... T, ,j; .,. :- r
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SUBJECT. Recommendation to authorize special purchasing and payment
procedures for library book and other circulating material
purchases less than $100.00
Introduction
This report concerns exemption of library book and other circulating
material purchases less than one hundred dollars ($100 00) from the
existing purchasing system and authorizing a separate checking
account for the Santa Monica Public Library to effect payment of
these purchases.
Background
During the preceding fiscal year, the Public Library issued 688
orders for books and other circulating materials in the amount of
$197 567 95. More than sixty-three percent (63%) of these orders
were less than one hundred dollars ($100 00), including tax.
The figures are
Number Total Amount Average Order
Orders Less
Than $100 00 438 $ 16,900 15 $ 38.38
Orders More
Than $100 00 250 180.667.80 722.67
The 438 orders in the upper group represent 8.8% of all the orders
issued by the City during this period for all other needs from all
other departments Since these books and materials are available
only from a single source and priced according to pUQlished national
price lists neither competitive bidding nor negotiation are applicable.
The present system, involving the Library, Purchasing and Finance,
is time-consuming and labor-intensive without providing offsetting
cost benefits. tlJ
SEP 1 2 '978
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The system proposed would eliminate Purchasing's involvement and
would sharply reduce the Finance effort currently required.
The special purchasing procedure, if authorized, will enable the
City Librarian to order directly from the publishers without
signatures of the City Controller and the Purchasing Agent.
The City librarian also would issue checks in payment for these
purchases from a special checking account established for this
purpose. The funds for this account would come from the current
approved budget allocation. This checking account would be subject
to periodic audit by the City Controller as well as the yearly
external audit
Reconnnendation
It is recommended that the City Librarian be authorized to issue
orders for books and other circulating library materials totaling
less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) each order and that a
separate checking account be established to enable the City
Librarian to effect payment of these purchases.
Prepared By R.N. Aronoff,
Purchasing Agent
R.H. Nash,
Controller
C.A. Aronoff,
City Librarian