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Bid process means savings for county |  | 
 Deliberate price wars have proved cost-effective for Cobb County government. The county’s system of competitive bids has consistently meant lower prices for products and services, according to Purchasing Director Joe Tommie. A recent study by the department determined Cobb County saved an average of $296,818 since January alone. Any purchase of more than $2,000 requires at least three phone quotes, according to county policy. More than $10,000 requires three written quotes and projects that will cost more than $50,000 must be publicly advertised and recieved as sealed bids or proposals. "The end result of it saves us a lot of money," Tommie said. "To me, this is the most impartial, fair way to do it." Recently, the Purchasing Department began a formal study to determine how much money the bidding process saves Cobb County government. For each project, they determined the average difference between the low bid and the high bid, Tommie said. This helps eliminate consideration of possibly inflated bids and provide a more accurate figure. For instance, an April purchase of electronics had a low bid of $12,395 and a high bid of $27,212. Taking the difference and halving it, results in an average savings of $7,408. For one renovation project bid in March, the county saved an average of $28,011. During February, bids for a construction services request ranged from $42,490 as the low amount and $47,983 for the top price. This meant an average cost savings of $2,746. Some of the amounts were small, such as a $39 average cost savings for a computer software purchase in January, but the overall total adds up. In March, the county saved an average of $1,049 in a bid for police items, $2,059 in a bid for building material and $3,480 through a bid for computer hardware peripherals and accessories. "It’s clear that county government, and by extension, the taxpayers, benefit from this," Board of Commissioners Chairman Tim Lee said. "Some counties use price negotiations in an attempt to drive down costs. I think this is not as effective as a competitive bid process." "By letting private enterprise and free market competition do what they do best, we all win," he said. The process is kept in the public view as part of open government policies by Cobb County. TV23, the government access channel, broadcasts bid openings live at 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. The openings, which take place at 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta, can be viewed online at cobbcounty.org. |
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The Cobb County Public Library System is launching its 2013 Summer Reading Program, and readers of all ages are invited to participate. This year’s theme is "Dig into Reading." The program begins on June 1 and ends on July 31, with an end-of-summer reading celebration 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Central Library. The system has scheduled more than 700 programs and activities to celebrate reading and to encourage the development of lifelong literacy skills. Events are listed at 
On April 29, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson cut the ribbon on the much-anticipated Johnson Ferry/Abernathy Road widening project. The project will provide better travel times for thousands of motorists daily. It widened Abernathy Road, from Johnson Ferry Road to Roswell Road, from two lanes to four lanes. It also includes four-foot bike lanes, eight-foot sidewalks and is divided by a raised median.
Each year, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources issues a ban on open burning from May 1 to Sept. 30. Fifty-four counties in Georgia, including Cobb, are affected by the ban. Cobb Fire and Emergency Services staff is responsible for the enforcement of this state-issued burning ban in unincorporated Cobb and the cities of Acworth, Kennesaw and Powder Springs. From May 1 to Sept. 30, people may not burn leaves, tree limbs or other yard waste and forest land or use air curtain destructors for land clearing.