Rachel Bouteiller

The Council reviewed preferred source commodity applications, including the approval of a new braille transcription service definition and designation. A new workgroup was established to examine and provide recommendations regarding the review policy for preferred source offerings, specifically focusing on pricing approvals and market price determinations. Updates were provided on the governor's proposed budget legislation related to procurement, and the Council received a presentation on green purchasing and sustainability procurement specifications.

The council discussed new certification requirements under State Finance Law § 139-M regarding gender-based violence workplace policies. Reports were provided on NYSID 100% recycled copy-paper sales, leading to the decision to remove ongoing reporting requirements while retaining the ability to request data. Updates were shared regarding workgroups on Emergency Procurement Guidelines and Preferred Sources. A detailed overview of the Preferred Source program was presented, covering pricing, application processes, and the role of facilitating agencies. The council also deliberated and voted on several motions introduced by the Office of the State Comptroller concerning price review methodologies, statutory authority, and transparency, all of which were denied. Additionally, updates were provided on the CPO Roundtable initiatives and the extension of the IT manufacturing umbrella contract.

The agenda includes legislative updates, a report on preferred source reporting and new applications under OGS authority, and updates from the Procurement Council workgroups covering emergency procurement guidelines and preferred source programs. Additionally, the council will review procurement and discretionary purchasing guidelines, receive a presentation on gender-based violence and workplace policy requirements, and discuss GovBuy and other procurement service updates.

The Council meeting featured an overview of OPRHP's climate change and sustainability initiatives, including updates on capital projects, energy programs, and environmental stewardship efforts. The agenda included votes on various procurement specifications for lighting and appliances, as well as updates from several working groups covering topics such as embodied carbon, ZEV conversion, and waste diversion. Additionally, details were shared regarding the upcoming 2026 NYS Electric Vehicle Fleet EVent.

Key discussion points included a recap of the 2025 GreenNY Forum event and an overview of the GreenNY Mentorship Program set to begin in Q1 2026. Updates were provided on efforts to reduce waste and improve sustainability at the Empire State Plaza, including heating/cooling decarbonization and charging station installations. Significant time was dedicated to finalizing Q3 GreenNY procurement specifications for items such as food service ware, waste containers, furniture, and turf equipment, with several motions passed to approve these specifications as final. Tentative approvals were granted for specifications related to snow and ice control agents, and the Mulch specification was tentatively approved for further research regarding hydroseeding application. Working group updates covered training development, analysis of Environmental Product Declaration reporting, the ZEV Fleet Conversion plan timeline, progress on specification updates (reaching the halfway point), reporting deadlines, and details on the Public Power for Public Entities Initiative involving the acquisition of a solar facility to generate Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).