§ 17-65-402. Hiring of professional architect, engineer, or surveyor -- Higher education entity restrictions.

(1) Notwithstanding the adoption of some or all of the provisions of Title 63G, Chapter 6a, Utah Procurement Code, under Section 17-63-506, each county executive that engages the services of a professional architect, engineer, or surveyor and considers more than one such professional for the engagement: (a) shall consider, as a minimum, in the selection process: (i) the qualifications, experience, and background of each firm submitting a proposal; (ii) the specific individuals assigned to the project and the time commitments of each to the project; and (iii) the project schedule and the approach to the project that the firm will take; and (b) may engage the services of a professional architect, engineer, or surveyor based on the criteria under Subsection (1) rather than solely on lowest cost. (2) When a county elects to obtain architect or engineering services by using a competitive procurement process and has provided public notice of the county's competitive procurement process: (a) a higher education entity, or any part of one, may not submit a proposal in response to the county's competitive procurement process; and (b) the county may not award a contract to perform the architect or engineering services solicited in the competitive procurement process to a higher education entity or any part of one.