PURPOSE
The Department of Administrative
Services, through its General Services Division, Office of the State
Architect, contracts for most new construction and renovation projects
involving state-owned buildings, as the authorized contracting agent
for universities, state-supported colleges and state agencies, subject
to certain exceptions under local administration authority. The purpose
of this directive is to outline the process for the selection of design
services and for the competitive bidding process for state construction
projects.
GENERAL
Once funding for a public
improvement project is approved, Administrative Services makes a decision
whether to handle the project in-house (through supervision of the
State Architect's office) or to hire a project architect and/or engineers.
Selection of Design Services
and Construction Manager
Professional Design services
are selected and contracted for according to the requirements of sections
153.65 through 153.71 of the Ohio Revised Code and section 153:1-1
et. seq. of the Ohio Administrative Code. The requirements for selecting
professional design services are followed by Administrative Services
for all projects except a project with an estimated design fee of
less than $25,000 or a project determined by Administrative Services
to be an emergency.
Construction management
services are selected and contracted for according to the requirements
of section 9.33 et. seq. of the Revised Code. The requirements for
selecting construction management services are followed by Administrative
Services for all projects.
Both selection processes
involve a qualifications based evaluation of the firms, selecting
the firm which is most qualified to provide the requested services
and negotiating a contract which is fair and reasonable with that
firm.
Competitive Bidding for
Construction
When the construction budget
is estimated to be $50,000 or more per project, competitive bidding
is required for the project, pursuant to section 153.01 of the Revised
Code. Notice is required to be published once each week for three
consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county
where the project is located and in such other newspapers as ordered
by Administrative Services, pursuant to section 153.07 of the Revised
Code. The last publication shall be at least eight days preceding
the day for opening bids. If any or all bids are rejected and the
state resubmits the contract for bidding, such advertisement shall
be published once, not less than five days preceding the date of the
bid opening.
When the entire cost of
the project exceeds $50,000, the state is required to solicit separate
bids for, at least, the general, plumbing, electrical and HVAC (heating,
ventilating and air conditioning) work, pursuant to sections 153.50
through 153.52 of the Revised Code. If the estimated cost of any of
the required separate bids is less than $5,000, the state is not required
to solicit a separate bid for that scope of work. The state may solicit
a combined bid for all work on the project and award a single contract
for the entire project, or the state may solicit bids which combine
more than one of the required separate bids, awarding the contract
to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
For more information about
contract requirements, contract documents, policies and procedures,
contact the Office of the State Architect at (614) 466-4761.
This directive supersedes
any previously issued directive or policy and will remain effective
until canceled or superseded.
AUTHORITY & REFERENCE
ORC PURPOSE
Pursuant to section 4141.242(C)
of the Ohio Revised Code, the director of the Department of Administrative
Services has the responsibility for the collection and remittance
of employment compensation claims against the state of Ohio and its
instrumentalities.
GENERAL
The Ohio Department of
Job and Family Services (ODJFS) processes requests for unemployment
compensation, which offers basic protection against economic insecurity
to individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their own, and
assists those individuals with obtaining employment.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) obtains separation
information from Benefits Administration Services (BAS) who derives
this information through the personnel and payroll records of Administrative
Services. The employing agency of the claimant may also be contacted
when there is a need for more specific information. Any Unemployment
Compensation forms sent directly to the employing agency for completion
should be promptly forwarded to Benefits Administration Services.
In order to establish a
valid application for unemployment benefits, a claimant must be unemployed,
have worked a minimum of 20 weeks during the base period as established
by the Administrator of ODJFS preceding the week he or she applies
for benefits. This time may include state employment alone or state
employment combined with other employment.
The following categories
of state employment, as described in section 4141.01(B)(3)(c) are
not covered by the Act:
1. Elected officials.
2. Members of a legislative
body, or a member of the judiciary.
3. Members of the Ohio
national guard.
4. An employee not in the
classified services as defined in section 124.11 of the Revised Code,
serving on a temporary basis, in case of fire, storm, snow, earthquake,
flood or similar emergency.
5. An individual enrolled
in a non-profit or public educational institution as a student in
a full-time program that combines academic instruction with work experience
when the work performed is an integral part of the program.
6. In a position which,
under or pursuant to law, is designated as serving in a major non-tenured
policy making or advisory position, not in the classified service
of the state, or a policy making or advisory position which ordinarily
does not require more than eight hours per week.
All other classified and
unclassified employees, whether certified or provisional, and whether
temporary, seasonal or intermittent are covered by the unemployment
compensation program for any employment for the state after January
1, 1979. Most employees serving in a temporary basis and hired under
a personal service contract are covered by the Ohio Unemployment Compensation
Law.
The ODJFS determines whether
a claimant's separation from his or her most recent employer qualifies
or disqualifies the particular claimant from receiving benefits. The
type of separation reported on the personnel action form will not
necessarily determine, of itself, whether an employee is eligible
for benefits. Each employing agency must keep an accurate record of
the circumstances surrounding each separation and submit it to BAS
upon request.
The ODJFS shall furnish
a written determination of claimant's the claimant's validity of applications
and, if valid, the individual's weekly benefit amount, dependency
class, and amount chargeable to each agency for whom the claimant
had employment during the base period of the application. Such determination
does not mean that the claimant will receive benefits. A separate
determination ruling on the reason for the claimant's most recent
separation from employment will be furnished to the claimant and separating
employer. Any determination issued by ODJFS is appealable. However,
appeals must be filed within the time frames specified on the determination
notice. Should an agency fail to file a timely appeal, the agency
is liable for and must pay any charges assessed to it. If an employing
agency would like to appeal the determination, BAS will initiate reconsideration
and appeal requests.
The ODJFS will, monthly,
forward each state agency's unemployment bills to the Office of Finance,
Department of Administrative Services, for payment processing, who
will then submit an Intra-State Transfer Voucher to each agency being
billed. Rotary Account 113 was established for purposes of processing
through unemployment compensation payments. All state agencies shall,
upon receipt, promptly process and return Intra-State Transfer Vouchers
to the Office of Finance. Delinquent accounts will be charged interest
at a rate of 1.16% per month or 14.93% per year by the ODJFS.
This directive supersedes
any previously issued directive or policy and will remain effective
until canceled or superseded.
AUTHORITY & REFERENCE
ORC 121.07
ORC 4141.242