Sacramento contractors who are trying to get the job of installing water meters in the area are about to feel some healthy competition.  Of course price is always going to be a huge issue (whoever comes up with a lower price will certainly get considered) but it seems that this is not the only thing the Sacramento City Council is requesting of its contractors.  Now, they want customer service and local hiring too.

In terms of policy there has been a change.  While it used to be that the lowest bidder would automatically receive the contract, now that has been changed and in its stead what has been created is a “pool of pre-qualified companies that would win contracts based in part on subjective criteria, such as customer satisfaction.” According to a recent Sacramento Bee article by Cathy Locke, the three main areas to be considered are now therefore: pricing, qualifications of the contractor and performance-based criteria. The reason for the change is to enable the city to “award contracts to qualified contractors and repeat the process multiple times if the contractor performs well and within budget.”

Perhaps this capitalist move is in line with Sacramento City Council’s recent move of relinquishing some of its power “voting to allow residents the chance to enact a new commission with authority to redraw the city’s embattled political districts.”  In November, voters will be able to approve the commission regarding the shift of new independent resdistricting commission.  According to District 4 Councilman Steve Hansen, “the new commission makes the redistricting process truly independent. It gives the voters a reason to feel that the issue has truly been taken out of the hands of the elected officials.”