City procurement official outlines bid process, local preference and steps to help small contractors

Lake Havasu City’s procurement official, Lynette Singleton, gave the City Council an overview of municipal purchasing rules, competitive solicitation types and steps the city will take to increase local contractor participation.

Singleton explained how the city uses purchase orders, RFQs, ITBs and RFPs depending on project complexity and statutory thresholds under Title 34. She described the city’s use of DemandStar and newspaper notices for formal solicitations, the role of plan rooms for construction projects, and the local preference rules that give weight to vendors with a physical location in the city and a city business license for at least 12 months.

Singleton acknowledged local contractors’ complaints about registration confusion on DemandStar and said the city will continue to accept paper bids and host an educational outreach (a lunch‑and‑learn scheduled for Feb. 11) for local contractors. She also said the procurement team will refine solicitation templates and web‑based tools to improve clarity. Council members asked about social media outreach; Singleton said the city posts notices on its website and could use social channels with care to avoid misdirected or politicized commentary.

Council and staff agreed to continue improving contractor support, written solicitation clarity and training to increase transparency and local participation.