Effective Purchasing of Public Works Materials, Vehicles and Equipment

Summary:

Agencies regularly need to purchase fleet vehicles to meet the needs of staff. One common approach for this is to utilize the collective purchasing power of MnDOT by utilizing MnDOT’s equipment purchasing contracts through the state of Minnesota (MnDOT (state.mn.us)). This process, however, can be difficult to navigate for staff unfamiliar with the process. Additionally, this process can raise concern from local constituents when utilized by local agencies as it usually results in purchasing equipment from dealers in other parts of the state or out of state versus buying local (which is sometimes the request of local elected officials). In addition to this issue, the equipment procurement process was significantly impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting supply chain issues. There have been cases of multi-year-long delays in material and equipment delivery, hindering an agency’s ability to meet schedules and its community needs. This project will address these concerns by reviewing the current best practices related to equipment purchasing in Minnesota as well as identifying situations where it is possible to purchase equipment locally or utilize alternative purchasing pathways.

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