A. Except as authorized by PMC 3.21.230 or 3.21.250, professional services shall be procured in accordance with the terms of this section.

B. Persons interested in providing professional services for the city may submit statements of qualifications to the city manager.

C. Notice of the need for professional services shall be given as deemed appropriate by the city manager. The notice shall describe the services required and shall list the type of information and data required of each person submitting a proposal. The notice shall state the factors to be considered in evaluating proposals and the relative importance of those factors.

D. The department head and city manager may conduct discussions with any person who has submitted a proposal to determine the person’s qualifications for further consideration. Discussions shall not disclose any information derived from proposals submitted by other persons.

E. Award shall be made to the person determined by the city manager, in consultation with the department head, to be the best qualified, and shall be for an amount of compensation determined to be fair and reasonable. If compensation cannot be agreed upon with the best qualified person, negotiations shall be formally terminated with that person. If proposals were submitted by one or more other persons determined to be qualified, negotiations may be conducted with the persons, in order of their respective qualification ranking. The contract may be awarded to the person then ranked as best qualified if the amount of compensation is determined to be fair and reasonable.

F. Other provisions of this chapter notwithstanding, legal services may be procured by direct negotiation with an attorney or law firm qualified to handle the type of legal problems presented. No negotiations or contract for services of legal counsel may be pursued without the prior approval in writing of the city manager. (Ord. 644 § 4, 2004)