HomeMy WebLinkAboutFwd: City Vendor Application Process
Mike Plane
From:Travis Rothweiler
Sent:Saturday, February 10, 2024 12:34
To:Bruce Castleton; Wendy Davis; Mitch Humble; Craig Kingsbury; Gretchen Scott
Subject:Fwd: City Vendor Application Process
Wendy and Craig,
FYI.
Travis Rothweiler
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Arnel Culum <arnelculum@gmail.com>
Date: February 10, 2024 at 12:05:34 PM MST
To: Travis Rothweiler <trothweiler@tfid.org>, Bruce Castleton <bcastleton@tfid.org>
Subject: City Vendor Application Process
\[EXTERNAL SENDER\]
I wanted to share with you how a vendor application looks. Typically, it works like this: in
the last city council meeting, the city manager essentially described that people can apply
to be a vendor. At which point, the city council approves someone to be a vendor. It's a yes
or no situation.
I want to reiterate so you fully understand what I am saying. Sorry for emailing you for the
3rd time, but I don't think you fully understand what I am trying to convey.
In some cases, when the city is looking for a vendor, it posts the opportunity on its website,
allowing anybody to apply. At which point, it picks one vendor. Then, in other cases like I've
mentioned, somebody applies, and the city council approves the vendor, and that's it.
Now, please try to understand this: once a person becomes a vendor, typically, they are
just auto-renewed. The opportunity is never given to anybody else. This seems crazy. It
should not be that way; each time the contract expires, it should be posted online and
advertised allowing other people to apply to be a vendor.
Please ensure that is what is happening.
Now, you're currently working on a vendor contract, essentially, but just skipping the step
to make it public for other people to participate in the vendor portion.
By drafting this formal agreement between the city and the organizer, it is acknowledged
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that the organizer is no longer merely participating in the special event process. Instead,
through the establishment of this contract, the organizer is officially recognized as a
vendor.
On Monday, I will be requesting the city council to approve me as a vendor at Dirkes Lake
for a cable wakeboarding system. like this
https://thewakeboardcable.com/
It might be outright rejected, At which point, the city council might, as if by magic, open it
up for bids to anyone a few months later or the next year. Or kick it down to Parks and Rec
for a recommendation.
the process will unfold as follows: the city council will delegate the matter to Parks and
Rec committee for a recommendation, who may express their approval of the idea. Yet,
they won't simply grant me vendor status; instead, they will assert that this opportunity
must be made available to anyone interested in becoming the vendor.
Could you help me understand how some vendors automatically get approved, as
illustrated by the example I'm attaching for you, While others are required to navigate a
process that opens up participation in the vendor selection to additional parties.
All I'm trying to say is, if somebody applies to be a vendor, or you're drafting somebody to
be a vendor, you need to make that public to allow others to bid. Otherwise, it seems you
are merely engaging in favoritism.
For instance, if Visit Southern Idaho proposed hosting an event throughout the summer at
Dirkes Lake during regular business hours to enhance tourism in Southern Idaho, such as
setting up a cable wakeboarding system at Dirkes Lake, the current approach implies that
if the city council agrees, no other vendor would be permitted to establish a setup there,
granting them exclusivity.
Nonetheless, the outcome of my case will be evident come Monday. I plan to request
addition to the agand to become a vendor at Dirkes Lake before committing to equipment
purchases and liability coverage, https://thewakeboardcable.com/ Or alternatively,
Suggest adding it to the agenda and then forwarding it to Parks and Rec for their
recommendation, and you'll observe how the scenario unfolds.
Regardless of the scenario, they will not grant me exclusivity. Given that I am applying to be
a vendor, they will need to initiate an open bidding process. However, this practice is not
consistently applied to everyone.
You are currently drafting a vendor agreement and not allowing others to participate. What
you need to do is post the vendor agreement you are drafting online and allow other people
to participate. They would have to meet all of the requirements you outline in the contract.
At that stage, the city council can still choose Visit Southern Idaho if they believe it to be
the best option. However, this approach eliminates favoritism by opening the opportunity
for others to participate.
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If you're not drafting a vendor agreement, could you please explain exactly what you are
doing? Because no event is required to provide financial contributions to the city.
As I've mentioned, if the organization simply wishes to make a financial contribution after
the fact, they are free to do so.
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