Effective June 1, 2001, state agencies may submit requests to use the State Purchasing Card Program for payment of releases against agency contracts, according to Assistant Purchasing Director Curt Curtiss of the Acquisitions and Contract Administration Section.

In the recent past, statewide contracts have been written to specify the requirement of using the State Purchasing Card as the preferred payment method. An agency contract is defined as solicitations bid by the Purchasing Division on behalf of the agency, in addition to those purchases established under the delegated purchasing authority.

A memorandum issued jointly by the Purchasing Division and the State Auditor’s Office was recently distributed to all Agency Purchasing Card Coordinators detailing the request procedures and providing the necessary forms.

Each release is limited to the current maximum transaction limit of $2,500 or less, according to the cardholder’s transaction limit profile. On those contracts bid by the Purchasing Division on behalf of the agency, there is no annual limit; however, those established under the delegated purchasing authority are limited to a maximum of $10,000 in any one consecutive 12 month period.

"This is good news for agency purchasing agents," Curtiss said. "Manual contract release payments can be eliminated by the convenience of using the State Purchasing Card Program."

The Travel Bag
News and Tips from the State Travel Management Office

Bargains for a Trip by Car
The newly updated Roadside magazine gives great advice on where to find cheaper meals, matinee movies, and affordable pleasures such as bowling and mini-golf.

Distributed by Ball Publishing of Batavia, Illinois, the latest issue features dining guides to Pittsburgh and the Dakotas, plus reviews of many highway eateries. This publication is filled with the names of places where you can get a good meal for $3.00.

A Techie from Room Service?
The New Ritz-Carlton Hotel has 261 rooms equipped with Nintendo, high-speed Internet access, a safe that holds a laptop, satellite capability, and a 24-hour "tech butler" to help with equipment problems.

Located in Half Moon Bay, California, the $100 million resort shows no indication of a downturn. A spokeswoman said that bookings are 21 percent higher than expected.

Flying First Class
Less than 10 percent of first-class passengers actually pay full price. Using accumulated frequent flier miles for an upgrade is common. The upgrade costs 10,000 miles. On Continental and Northwest, paying full price for a coach seat wins you a seat in first class if one is available.

Since its inception in 1989, the Governor's Internship Program has broadened the horizons of over 1,100 college students. Each participant must meet certain requirements, including maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.0, completing at least one year of college, and either being a resident of West Virginia or enrolled in a West Virginia college or university.

This year, the Purchasing Division is pleased to welcome Carrie McComas (far right in photograph) as our intern through this program. She is working for Executive Assistant Diane Holley performing public relations and communications tasks for the division and the Department of Administration. Majoring in music education, Carrie is a sophmore at Marshall University.

What's State Government Buying?

Request for Proposal Monthly Training
Sessions Offered to State Agencies

Last month, the first series of training sessions for the Request for Proposal evaluation and award process began on a regularly scheduled basis. Sessions are now being conducted on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at the Purchasing Division's Conference Room at 2019 Washington Street, East in Charleston.

"Our procedures require the Purchasing Division to conduct RFP (Request for Proposal) training for every individual who is selected to serve on an evaluation committee," according to Purchasing Director Dave Tincher. "By offering this training on a regular basis, more individuals can be educated on this Best Value Purchasing method. With more interaction in a classroom setting, greater benefits can be experienced among the students."

Curt Curtiss, Assistant Purchasing Director for the Acquisitions and Contract Administration Section, is conducting these monthly sessions. If you are interested in attending this training, you must register by contacting Sue Smith of the Purchasing Division at (304) 558-2544 (ext. 226) no later than at the close of the business day on the Wednesday prior to the training session.

The training dates for July and August are as follows:

Tuesday, July 10
Tuesday, July 24
Tuesday, August 14
Tuesday, August 28

Back to the Top

Gee Whiz!...What's a Ton of Money Worth?

When we say, "That is going to cost a ton of money," what are we actually saying? According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, all paper bills weigh the same: one gram. About 454 grams make a pound, meaning that a ton of dollar bills would be worth $908,000. A ton of $5's would be worth $4,540,000, and a ton of $10's would come to $9,080,000.

You don't get as much with a ton of coins. A quarter weighs 5.7 grams, according to the U.S. Mint. A ton of quarters would be worth $40,000. You would need 362,200 pennies to make a ton. In that case, losing a ton of money would not be a total disaster.

Gates open at 9 a.m.; Sale begins at 10 a.m.
Call 766-2626 for details or visit its website at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/surplus.

Back to the Top

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT...Meet Our West Virginia Businesses!

Introducing Augusta Computer Services of Morgantown, WV

Augusta Computer Services of Morgantown, West Virginia, offers a variety of computer-related services.

Margo Neal, Managing Member, indicated that within state government she has dealt with the Department of Health and Human Resources' Bureau of Child Support Enforcement. She and her husband Ralph, who share in this business venture, attended this year's vendor purchasing conference to enhance their marketing efforts and to gain name recognition.

"Getting lists of contacts (in state government) and giving them a face to associate with Augusta Computer Services whenever they run across our name is the biggest benefit we gained from attending this conference," she said. For more details on the services offered by Augusta Computer Services, contact Margo Neal at (304) 291-0482 or by email at augusta@august-wv.com.

MONEYWISE...Tips for the Thrifty

Shopping is the number one form of entertainmnet in the U.S., claims Donna Smallin, author of 7 Simple Steps to Unclutter Your Life and Uncluter Your Home. People often buy things because it makes them feel good at that time, but it may be a waste of time and money says the author, quoted in Bottom Line Personal.

A picture is still worth a thousand words. Video production offers a variety of benefits to state agencies, including training employees, reducing travel expenses, and advising or educating the general public.

By using video technology to enhance employee training or CEU credits, those individuals who participate will receive the same message, regardless if it is today or a year from now. Educational Network is an internal resource for this service and has been sharing its video production expertise for years through its satellite uplink.

A full production facility with two studios and both pre- and post- production editing capabilities, Educational Network can assist state agencies with their distance learning efforts by utilizing the C-band uplink. Programming from EdNet’s studios can be uplinked to over 300 sites in West Virginia, including all higher education institutions, vocational-technical institutions, elementary and secondary schools, libraries and state agencies.

For information on services offered by Educational Network which is located near the campus of West Virginia State College, call (304) 766-4171.

The Purchasing Division is currently looking into producing two videotapes for our agency purchasers which will focus on the areas of Best Value Purchasing evaluation procedures and the State Purchasing Card Program.

The videotapes are expected to be produced by the end of this year. Additional information will be available soon and will be reported in future issues of The Buyers Network.