Council gives final OK to 5 percent bid preference

Hollister City Council members Monday approved a bid preference for city vendors of goods and services.
Council members voted 2-1 to give final approval to the 5 percent bidding preference. It applies to vendors of many good and services – not construction work – and is modeled after a similar law at the county offering a 10 percent preference.
The preference laws allow the city or county to award contracts to local firms if they are within 5 percent or 10 percent of the lowest bidder.
Council members unanimously supported the same resolution at a meeting earlier this month. But the vote was 2-1 on Monday, with Councilman Victor Gomez dissenting and Councilmembers Pauline Valdivia and Ray Friend absent.
Staff officials proposed the preference in light of suggestions from council members encouraging a pro-business attitude.
City officials were looking at providing the incentive just for Hollister vendors with city business licenses, not those in unincorporated areas of the county or San Juan Bautista.