County committee advances ordinance to let emergency management make $10,000–$30,000 emergency purchases

Kane County’s Judicial & Public Safety Committee on Feb. 13 advanced an ordinance amendment designed to fill what staff described as a purchasing gap during disasters.

Emergency Management Director Scott told the committee that under the existing purchasing ordinance purchases over $30,000 require additional approvals and purchases under $10,000 can be made by department directors, but the $10,000–$30,000 range can be problematic in off-hours during an emergency. The proposed amendment would permit the emergency management director, with the concurrence of the director of purchasing, to authorize emergency purchases in that range during declared disasters or urgent emergency response situations.

Board members discussed whether the Davis-Bacon Act or other prevailing-wage requirements would apply to emergency purchases involving construction services. One board member read the statute definition and a remote board member summarized: “The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 is a federal law that requires contractors and subcontractors working on federal and federally funded construction projects to pay their workers’ prevailing wages.” Staff said the ordinance amendment applies only to emergency management and is intended for disaster-response purchases, not a broader change to other departments’ purchasing rules.

The committee recorded a roll-call vote in favor and forwarded the ordinance to Finance for drafting and further review; final adoption requires subsequent legislative steps and any necessary legal review.