Suggested Procedures For Using the
U.S. Communities Program
Enroll in the national purchasing cooperative (U.S. Communities) by logging on to the web site (http://www.uscommunities.org) and following the procedures outlined in "How do I use?"
Review the items and contracts on the web site so that you are familiar with the items that may be purchased on this program.
Place a copy of the letter from the League explaining the program in your files to be reviewed by your auditors. A copy of this letter can be obtained by clicking on the "Letter" link below.
Before placing an order, review the information provided by the League to determine whether the state has a state contract for the items you wish to purchase. If the items you wish to purchase are not on the provided list, log onto the website maintained by the State of Alabama (www.purchasing.alabama.gov) and review the "List of active State Contracts" to determine if the State of Alabama has a contract for the items you wish to purchase.
If the State of Alabama DOES NOT have a contract for the items you wish to purchase, or if the company has pledged to sell the items at a price that is equal to or less than the state bid price, make a note of that fact in your file and order your items from U.S. Communities. For a list of these companies, click on "Eligible Contracts" below.
If the State of Alabama DOES have a contract for the items you wish to purchase, you need to make a note of the price of the items and compare that price to the price available on the U.S. Communities program. If the U.S. Communities price is lower, you should make a note of the price in your file and order your item from U. S. Communities. For a list of these companies, click on "Eligible Contracts" below.
All of the information outlined above should be maintained in a file for review by the city's auditors for a minimum of seven years.
