The Mississippi Public Procurement Review Board held its monthly meeting Wednesday and approved several state contracts and extensions.
One of those items was the unanimous approval for the Neshoba County School District to purchase $102,026 in Apple products. The district was given an exemption from the state’s reverse auction law on June 2 since Apple doesn’t participate in reverse auctions.
A reverse auction is one where sellers bid against each other to win a buyer’s business, usually electronically. The lowest bid wins the auction. Each vendor is pre-qualified and it allows a seller to purchase commodities from multiple bidders. Also known as an E-auction, the auction facilitator receives a fee for helping put on the auction and secure bidders.
The board also unanimously approved the first of a possible four 12-month extensions for a $18.2 million contract for the Mississippi Department of Transportation with Empire Truck Sales for tandem axle cab and chassis trucks. The contract is available for use by other state agencies and governing authorities.
Also approved was more than $448,000 for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce for vehicle purchases.
The Department of Corrections’ contract for a parole and probation office in Columbus was approved, with the rent adding up to $28,710 annually.
Also receiving approval for the lease of an office in Columbus with the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Authority, with a total yearly cost of $6,000.
The board also approved the Mississippi Department of Archives and History leasing storage space in a salt mine in Hutchison, Kansas for microfilm files for $8,000 annually.
MDA will also lease warehouse space, at a cost of $21,600 annually, in Jackson to store tourism brochures and other advertising material.
Also approved was the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks leasing 25 acres of 16th Section land from the Simpson County School District for its fishing lake and park. The lease costs the state $1,800 annually.
The board also approved increases in contracts by the Mississippi Department of Child Services for contracts with the United Methodist Children’s Home, Hope Village for Children, Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth and Millcreek of Pontotoc and Millcreek of Magee.
