Measure A will be on Santa Barbara’s March 5 primary ballot. A 'yes' vote would change how the city charter can accept bids for government construction projects.
According to Brian D’Amour with the City of Santa Barbara's Public Works Department, changing this process was requested by staff.
"Right now, when we put a project out to bid, we are bound to award that contract to the lowest bidder regardless of qualifications, experience, work history — it's just a matter of if they have the right licensing to do the project," D'Amour explained.
Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse says Measure A will help the city get the best value for our tax dollars and outlines why the current policy isn’t working.
"Sometimes what happens is that we don’t get the top tier or most experienced contractors because they will not participate in projects where they are going to get lowballed by somebody, frequently from out of town, that can write the paperwork alright but then the performance is lower than standard," Mayor Rowse said.
In opposition to Measure A, two residents submitted a ballot argument. I reached out to one of them, Dale Francisco, who said that both parties, upon further research, are now in support of the measure.
If passed, D’Amour explains that in addition to price, the city would look at contractor experience, safety record, and project manager experience among other things.
"Through an objective process, with a committee of staff, rank the proposals, including price as a factor, and make decisions on best value and not simply on lowest price," D'Amour said.
If passed, Measure A could go into effect as early as May 2024.
