Constitution

NIAGARA PUBLIC PURCHASING COMMITTEE CONSTITUTION

NAME: Niagara Public Purchasing Committee

OBJECTIVE: The objective shall be to derive the maximum value for each dollar spent through co-operation and Professional Purchasing.

MEMBERSHIP: Membership shall be open to any Agency operating with public funds, such as health care institutions, educational institutions, government agencies or boards or commissions subject to approval by the Executive committee. The Executive committee shall be made up of voting representatives from each participating Agency. Agencies may send more than one representative to any meeting but voting is to be limited to one vote per Agency.

All members, voting and not-voting, should be engaged in the functions of purchasing or meterials management but are not required to be exclusively involved in these functions.

VOTING MEMBERS: The boards or administration of each Agency, which wishes to have voting privileges, must commit to having a representative or alternate serve on the Niagara Public Purchasing Committee for a minimum three year term. These Agencies may issue tender(s) on behalf of the N.P.P.C. and act in trust for all members.

NON-VOTING MEMBERS: All members who choose to be non-voting members are encouraged to send a representative to any meeting. These members shall receie minutes of the Executive meetings. Non-voting members may apply, in writing, at any time to become voting members.

OFFICERS: A Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary shall be appointed annually from the Executive Committee.

PROCEDURES: The chairman shall be responsible to call all meetings in respect to discussing mutual problems. Minutes will be retained for all meetings.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Chairman: Chair all N.P.P.C. Executive meetings Set agenda for N.P.P.C. Executive and other officially called meetings Sign all official correspondence and other documentation other than tenders Have the deciding vote in event of a tie vote by the Executive committee Represent or have designate represent the N.P.P.C at any function or meeting requiring attendance by an official from the N.P.P.C. May sit on all sub-committees established by the N.P.P.C. as an ex-officio member Actively promote the N.P.P.C. as opportunities arise.

Vice-Chairman: Conduct all duties of the Chairman in the event of the absence of the Chairman.

Secretary: Record minutes of all official N.P.P.C. Executive and other meetings called and attend by the Executive committee Print and distribute minutes to all N.P.P.C.Executive committee members and any other persons designated by the Executive committee to receive minutes Type all official letters and corresponsence on behalf of Chairman, excluding tenders Keep official records of all minutes, correspondence, listing of tenders and any other documentation as requested by the Executive committee.

ETHICAL CODE

The members of the N.P.P.C. shall abide and conduct themselves in accordance with the published ethical codes adopted by the Purchasing Management Association of Canada and the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Ontario Chapter.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CO-OPERATIVE PURCHASING

Each member retains the right to participate on any sealed bid call prior to it being issued. Once a bid is issued, no participating member may withdraw without approval of the Executive Committee.

Control of ordering, receiving and payment must be retained by the individual purchasing authority.

The agency designated to call the sealed bid shall be designated by the Executive Committee.

QUORUM

A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Executive Committee.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Proposed amendments to the constitution must be received by the Chairman, in writing, prior to the setting of the Agenda for the next N.P.P.C. Executive meeting. The proposed amendment(s) will be read at the Executive meeting and will be distributed with the minutes for that meeting. A vote will be helf on the proposed amendment(s) at the following N.P.P.C. Executive meeting. A two-thirds majority of the Executive committee, in attendance, shall carry any motion to amend the constitution.

RULES OF ORDER

The N.P.P.C. Executive committee shall conduct all Executive meetings and other official meetings in accordance with the accepted "Roberts Rules of Order" and other accepted and widely used rules of conduct as approved by the Executive.