i. Circumstances presenting a real, immediate threat to the proper performance of essential functions. ii. Circumstances that will likely result in material loss or damage to property, bodily injury, or loss of life if immediate action is not taken. The City Manager or person(s) designated by the City Manager to act in the event of an emergency may declare an emergency situation exists, waive competitive bidding requirements, and award contracts and POs to address the emergency situation. If the City Manager deems a situation to be an emergency and authorizes an emergency purchase, a PO and/or contract is required to be submitted to the Finance Department within two (2) days of authorizing the purchase. At the earliest opportunity, the requesting department shall submit an agenda report to City Council for approval of the emergency purchase. 8. Professional Services POs shall not be utilized for the purchase of professional services. The requesting department shall issue a contract with consultants and/or contractors providing any professional services as defined in LNMC 3-6-8(a). Professional services contracts shall not be awarded on the basis of cost alone; rather, they shall be awarded based upon the competence, qualifications, and a fair and reasonable cost per LNMC 3-6-8(b). When obtaining professional services, the department director should always consider soliciting competitive proposals from qualified consultants taking into account the uniqueness of the professional service and the timing of the need to have the service provided. a. Professional services of $9,999.99 or less, per LNMC 3-6-8(c): The department director may execute contracts for professional services less than $10,000.00. b. Professional services of $10,000.00 to $49,999.99, per LNMC 3-6-8(c): The Purchasing Officer may execute contracts for professional services less than $50,000.00. PURCHASING POLICY Page 6 of 10 COUNCIL POLICY LAST ADOPTED 6/4/2024 140