HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report - Waive Competitive Bidding ResolutionKITTITAS VALLEY EVENT CENTER
Home of the Kittitas County Fair and Ellensburg Rodeo
901 E. 7th Ave, Suite 1, Ellensburg, WA 98926
EventCenter@co.kittitas.wa.us
Office (509) 962-7639
Fax (509) 962-7010
AGENDA SESSION STAFF REPORT
AGENDA SESSION
DATE:
November 3, 2026
AGENDA ITEM: Request to Approve a Resolution Authorizing Purchase of Used
Golf Carts and Waiving the Competitive Bidding Requirements
Due to Special Market Conditions
LEAD STAFF: Kady Porterfield, CFE
Kittitas Valley Event Center Director
ACTION REQUESTED: Approval
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the Resolution
BRIEFING SUMMARY:
• Staff inspected the equipment, evaluated its suitability for KVEC operations, and
conducted market research supporting that the proposed price is fair and reasonable
compared with comparable used carts and new equipment.
• The Board previously authorized the proposed purchase on September 28, 2026, subject
to formal documentation of the competitive-bidding waiver and purchase authorization.
• The proposed resolution finds that the purchase qualifies for a competitive-bidding
waiver based on special market conditions under RCW 39.04.280(1)(b), rather than as a
sole-source purchase.
BACKGROUND:
KVEC relies on golf carts to support transportation, operations, accessibility, and logistics during
the Kittitas County Fair. Historically, KVEC has rented a fleet that includes four-passenger carts,
utility carts, and six-passenger carts for Fair operations. The annual rental expense for these carts
has exceeded $20,000 annually. In addition to supporting Fair operations, a County-owned fleet
could support other events at the KVEC and provide an opportunity to offer golf-cart rentals as
an amenity for event users.
DISCUSSION:
The equipment is being offered as a discrete, used rental fleet from a vendor liquidating its rental
inventory. The opportunity is limited in duration and subject to sale to another buyer. Staff
determined that a standard formal competitive-bid process, estimated to require approximately
13 days, would likely result in the County losing the opportunity to purchase this particular fleet.
Further, a competitive solicitation would not create meaningful competition for the exact
equipment because the proposed purchase involves a specific used fleet, in a known condition,
with an established quantity and configuration, from a single seller discontinuing its rental
operation.
Staff’s recommendation is not based solely on the vendor’s offered price. Staff inspected and
used the carts, considered the operational value of the fleet, and conducted market research to
evaluate the proposed price against comparable used carts and new equipment. Based on that
review, the purchase price, including delivery and applicable sales tax, is considered fair and
reasonable and will not exceed $59,327.80.
Under RCW 39.04.280(1)(b), the Board may waive competitive bidding when special facilities
or market conditions exist, and the resolution identifies the factual basis for the exception. In this
case, the relevant special market conditions include the time-limited sale of a single-lot used
fleet, the inability to obtain meaningful competition for the same units through a normal
solicitation, staff’s direct knowledge of the fleet’s condition and operational suitability and
documented advantageous pricing. The proposed resolution expressly finds that this is not a sole-
source purchase under RCW 39.04.280(1)(a) but instead qualifies as a purchase under special
market conditions.
Approval of the Resolution will formally waive competitive bidding for this limited purchase,
authorize the acquisition within the approved cost limit, and ratify the Board’s September 28,
2026 authorization and subsequent staff actions consistent with that authorization.
INTERACTION: Kittitas Valley Event Center
Kittitas County Auditor’s Office
Board of County Commissioners
ATTACHMENTS: Resolution
HANDLING: 1 Original – Clerk of the Board
1 Original – Event Center Director
Legal Review? No
Finance Review? Yes