The Madera City Council on Feb. 19 introduced an ordinance to replace Chapter 4 of Title 2 of the Madera Municipal Code and adopted a resolution aligning the city’s purchasing thresholds with recent state changes under AB 2192.

Mike Lima, director of financial services, told the council the proposal updates the city’s purchasing procedures to match amendments to the California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA) enacted by Assembly Bill 2192, which took effect Jan. 1, 2025. “These are the most dramatic and sweeping changes since the last set that we adopted six months ago,” Lima said, summarizing the staff proposal and the thresholds table before the council.

The changes staff proposed would raise the informal and formal bidding thresholds used for public projects and increase the dollar amount the city manager may pre-approve without council approval. Lima explained the specific threshold shifts: the current under-$60,000 purchase authority would move to $75,000; the informal-bid band would increase from $60,000–$200,000 to $75,000–$220,000; and the formal bidding threshold would rise from over $200,000 to $220,000. Staff also recommended adjusting non-public-project purchasing thresholds to track CUPCCAA levels.

Council members asked no substantive follow-up questions and no members of the public spoke on the item. Council Member Montez moved to introduce the ordinance by title; Council Member Villegas seconded. The council waived full reading of the ordinance and voted to introduce it. After a brief procedural clarification about a companion resolution, Montez amended his motion to adopt the resolution contingent on the ordinance’s second reading; Villegas seconded that amended motion. The motion to adopt the resolution carried 4-0.

Under the council’s action, the ordinance was introduced (first reading) and the resolution was adopted so it will take effect automatically upon the ordinance’s second reading and final adoption. Lima told the council the ordinance will return for the second reading at the next meeting, and the purchasing policy changes will not be effective until the municipal code amendment is finalized.

The agenda packet and staff presentation referenced Title 2, Chapter 4 of the Madera Municipal Code and the city’s Administrative Policy No. 18 (Purchasing Policy). Staff said the changes aim to reduce staff purchasing burdens by aligning local thresholds with CUPCCAA, and to reflect AB 2192’s expanded definition of public project and increased bid-review authority for the state commission.