Media Alert: Committee to Review UAF Procurement Proposal

Portrait of Representative Lesil McGuire, 123.4 K.

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State Capitol, Room 418
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: (907) 465-2995
Fax: (907) 465-6592

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Anchorage, AK 99501-2133
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For Immediate Release:	February 23, 2001
Contact:	Representative Lesil McGuire at (907) 465-2995

(JUNEAU) -- Is "Best value" procurement the future for State of Alaska bids on construction projects? That's just one of the questions the Administrative Regulation Review Committee hopes to have answered when it meets on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

The decision to hear a University of Alaska, Fairbanks proposal to change its procurement procedure to "best value" came after several contractors expressed concerns. The concept was introduced in January when the university invited bids on a project involving the Fairbanks Physical Plant, in which "best value" would be crucial to winning the contract.

As described in the bid information, "best value" is a competitive procurement process based on a subjective opinion as to which bid represents the best overall value, and essentially eliminates what is known as the "lowest bidder" process.

"Tuesday's committee meeting is aimed at finding out exactly what these changes will mean," said Rep. Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage), chair of the Administrative Regulation Review Committee. "The federal government uses "best value" in its procurement process and appears to be very happy with the results. But there are some serious questions about how our contractors might be affected if the university or any other department decides to use the procedure. We need to identify the pros and cons."

Staff members from the University of Alaska and representatives from the Association of Builder Contractors and the Association of General Contractors will be on hand to comment on "best value" procurement. The meeting begins at 2:45 p.m. in the House State Affairs Committee Room, State Capitol Room 102. The hearing will be teleconferenced to Anchorage and Fairbanks, but other teleconference locations will be added if requested by local Legislative Information Offices.

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